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As so many of us these days, I struggle with my weight. For that reason, many of my recipes have been designed with health in mind. As I've learned how to bake over the years, I've found that far less sugar is usually needed no matter what the recipe, and that whole wheat pastry flour can often be subbed for white flour, depending on the recipe. Other "finds" have included buttermilk instead of fat, olive oil to sub for some butter on occasion (milder oils, too), and that oat bran can really help muffins, scones, etc. to be tender, when fat is cut severely or all together. Egg whites, as well, can be subbed in various cases, and when you use all these tricks, you can create some very healthy treats.
The muffins below contain all these treats, and the result is a great-sized, tasty, healthy muffin for about 85 - 95 calories a piece. The fat content is usually negligible - 1.5 grams, at the most. The reason I'm guesstimating here, is that I make and remake this recipe all the time, depending on what I have on hand. The original base recipe called for 2 mashed bananas and chocolate chips; the version I made here was blueberry/cherry/strawberry, with a sprinkling of granola on top. I've made these successfully with peaches, pineapple, apples... you name it.
My favorite "power breakfast" is one of these with about a 1/2 TBS of peanut butter for spreading, and 8 oz. or so of skim milk. That will easily tide me through my morning. Enjoy!
Jen's Blueberry/Cherry/Strawberry Power Muffins
Ingredients
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 cups mixed blueberries, strawberries and cherries (pitted)
Directions:
1. preheat oven to 400.
2. spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
3. Mix dry ingredients up through the salt.
4. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
6. Stir in the fruit
7. Drop into muffin tins in even amounts (I use a scoop for this).
8. Bake at 400 for 20 - 25 minutes or until done.
Number of Servings: 12
Nutritional Info
Fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrates: 17.5g
Calories:83.3
Protein: 3.2g
Nutrition information supplied by Sparkrecipes.com.
