Morning Glory, Fruit, Nut, and Flax Seed Muffins

Good morning sunshine! A glorious muffin to sweeten your day in just a few short minutes because you were able to make the batter hours, even days ahead. Heat the oven, scoop the batter into a paper-lined muffin tin, pop in the oven and a mere twenty-two minutes later you are enjoying healthy, whole grain, whole fruit, whole nut and cinnamon sweet, moist muffins. Who wouldn’t love this beginning to the day?

ONWARD:

My dear friend Molly prepared some delicious muffins when I visited her last spring. Her recipe is a magnificent bran muffin that you may view on her website cookingwithmolly.com. I wanted to increase the protein, and plant-based ingredients while lowering the simple sugar content. I have two muffin recipes here. The first one uses organic coconut sugar and the second one uses unsweetened applesauce and a small portion of molasses to give a brown sugar taste without the sugar. When I put both in front of my super taste tester (my spouse), he chose the one with less sugar. Success, go figure!

By the inclusion of certain ingredients this muffin packs healthy benefits. The almond flour increases the protein profile while the ground flax seed meal increases the omega-3 content, good for your heart. The ground ginger and dried ginger are good for calming the stomach and are a natural appetite suppressant if you are watching your weight. The cinnamon is a high source of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties that help fight diabetes, lowers cancer risk, and fights infections and viruses. Coconut oil helps promote heart health and lowers the risk of heart disease. Walnuts are a packed full of a whole range of health benefits from bone health, anti-inflammation, prevents cancer, regulates sleep and improve metabolism. Dates and raisins are full of essential minerals and vitamins that are sweetness packed into the fiber so they do not affect blood sugar. So many health benefits packed into your morning muffin.

The recipe can be doubled or halved. But why not make a big batch? This batter like Molly’s will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks without affecting quality. So make a batch tonight and enjoy tomorrow morning and again next week or the week after!

Dried Fruit, Nut, and Flax Seed Muffins

12 small muffins or 8 large muffins

INGREDIENTS:

Dry ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour

1 cup almond flour

½ cup flaxseed meal

1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Wet ingredients

2 eggs

½ cup coconut sugar or organic brown cane sugar

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

⅓ cup melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruits and nuts

½ cup raisins

½ cup dates, pitted, chopped

2 tablespoons candied ginger, minced

½ cup walnuts and/or pecans, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line twelve muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl, whip the eggs and sugar together. Whip in the buttermilk, melted oil, and vanilla.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir and fold the two together until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

5. Gently fold in the raisins, dates, ginger, and nuts.

6. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Pour one-third cup of the batter for small muffins. Pour one-half cup batter for large muffins.

7. Bake the muffins for twenty-two (small muffins) to twenty-seven (large muffins) minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the tin for five minutes before serving. Bake only the amount you want and refrigerate the remaining batter for up to two weeks.

Low Sugar Dried Fruit, Nut, and Flax Seed Muffins