Recipe: Low-Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

My dear friend, Annie, shared this recipe with me last summer and I have made it a few times since. These little muffins are good, and they pack a healthy-gut-cleaning-punch of bran. Probably better not eat more than one or two at a time to be safe...and definitely just one for the little ones (don't say I didn't warn you!).

Low-Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins (slightly adapted from this)

1 1/2c wheat bran
1c non-fat milk (I use vanilla almond milk cause we are not cow milk drinkers)
1/2c unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2/3c brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2c all purpose flour
1/2c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c blueberries (I use frozen - no need to thaw)
I also add in 1-2 tbsp ground flax seed

Directions:

1. Preheat to 375. Grease or line muffin tin.
2.Mix wheat bran and milk and let stand 10 mins.
3. In large bowl, mix applesauce, egg, brown sugar,vanilla. Beat in bran mixture.
4. Sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground flax. Stir into bran mixture until just blended.
5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Put in muffin cups and bake 15-20 mins until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

***Make sure to store these in an airtight container in the fridge or they will go bad super fast on the counter. Plus, I really like them cold out of the fridge.

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Being that we woke up to dark and gloomy skies today, the kids and I thought it would be a perfect morning for baking...and we really needed to use up some old bananas that had been hanging out on the counter.

I tried a new recipe for banana muffins and the reviews did not lie - it will definitely become our regular one from now and on. I had to add chocolate chips, because well, do I need to explain that honestly?! I never said these were going to be healthy...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large overripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c white sugar
1 egg
1/3 c butter, melted
chocolate chips to your preference (add until the batter looks chocolate-chip-y enough for ya)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line or spray your muffin tin (this made 12 muffins for us)
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and set aside. (confession: I didn't read the directions well as I was also playing referee to my kiddos, and mixed the sugar in at this step too - they turned out just fine, phew)
3. Combine sugar, mashed bananas, butter, egg in separate bowl.
4. Combine with flour mixture.
5. Spoon into muffin tin cups 3/4 full.
6. Bake 20-25 mins. The original recipe said 25-30...I started with 25, and glad I did because I wouldn't have wanted them in any longer. I would start with 20 mins so you don't burn them and you can always add more time.

You could easily change out half the flour for whole wheat to make these a little healthier. I am not a fan of sugar substitutes (other than honey) but you could experiment with that too. I suppose you could leave out the chocolate chips and add something like raisins, or nothing at all like the original recipe. OR, you could just leave them as is and not mess with a good thing...

Enjoy :)