Blueberry Oat Muffins (Vegan)

2 C. oat flour (I grind organic oats in the Vitamix)

1 C. blueberries

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. honey or real maple syrup

1 large banana

1/2 C. melted coconut oil

2 eggs (use substitution for vegan)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. lemon zest

1/3 C. old-fashioned organic oats

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x5-in loaf pan with parchment paper.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, and salt.

3) In a blender, place the honey, banana, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Blend on medium speed until smooth and frothy.

4) Pour the wet mixture into the dry and lightly whisk until combined. Stir in the oats and then gently fold in the blueberries.

5) Pour the batter into the pan and bake 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Cover with foil after 30 minutes if it is getting too brown.)

6) Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out the parchment paper and slicing the loaf.

FOR MUFFINS:

Spray muffin tins and fill 2/3 full. (No need for baking paper. They come out fine.) Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 18 minutes, until tops are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Original recipe is from Laura Fuentes and appears here.

Best Blueberry Muffins

These are the blueberry muffins we make and serve for our Airbnb breakfasts—originally dubbed as "Frank's Blueberry Muffins" on the Trader Joe's website.

Elanore accidentally made one half dozen "wrong" one day—by putting them in our Breville Smart Oven Pro toaster oven with the oven rack in the middle position instead of the bottom ("bake") position—and they turned out very different: flat-topped, and with the top kinda crispy and the bottom the texture of fresh-out-of-the-oven pound cake. We found that we prefer them this way!

The "wrong" (really yummy!) one is pictured in the lower right corner of the photo to the left.

I'll update this if I ever figure out how to reliably duplicate the "mistake" in the regular oven!

4 C. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 C. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

3 large eggs, beaten

2 C. milk

2 sticks butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. blueberries (if frozen, do NOT thaw)

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients and set aside.

3) In another large bowl, combine next four ingredients.

4) Add one-third of dry mixture to wet ingredients and stir to combine. Repeat until all is incorporated.

5) Gently fold in blueberries.

6) Scoop muffin batter into greased muffin pans. 

NOTE: If you make 12 muffins—like the original recipe says to—the cups will be very full, almost overflowing, but this is okay! It will work, but those muffins will be huge. We make 24 muffins out of this recipe, with the muffin tins filled 2/3-3/4 full. This makes "normal" sized muffins (see photo).

7) Lightly sprinkle muffin batter with sugar. (This recipe is not super sweet, so this sprinkling of sugar is a nice touch, and almost necessary to make the muffins sweet enough.)

8) Place pan on center rack of oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until muffins are golden.

9) Let cool 10 minutes, then gently removed muffins from tins.

10) Enjoy warm, with a generous slathering of butter. (This was the original recommendation. We like them plain, without any additional butter.)

Carrot-Pulp Muffins (or Juice-Pulp Muffins)

This recipe was devised by my daughter Olivia as a way to use all the wasted pulp from juicing carrots.  It is delicious and moist if you use shredded carrots, but it can be a little dry if you just use the carrot pulp without a little extra moisture from something like applesauce, apple juice, a little of the carrot juice (which will make very orange muffins!) or even a little water.

2 C. flour (we use freshly ground whole wheat)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C. oil (we use olive oil)
3/4 C. brown sugar
3 C. grated carrot (or carrot pulp from juicing with moisture added)

Combine dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs with oil and sugar.  Add to dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.  Stir in carrots (grated, or as moistened pulp).  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.


In an interesting modification, my friend Maegan prepares the following muffins out of her juicing endeavors.

Maegan's Juice-Pulp Muffins

Combine:
2 C. pulp from juicing (carrots, apple, celery, kale)
3 eggs
1.5 c flour (she used oatmeal run thru her food processor)
1/3 c oil
1 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp honey
1 banana
1 Tbsp cinnamon.

Bake at 350 about 15 minutes. ("You kinda have to check them," she says.)

Olivia's Super-Healthy Carrot Muffins (dairy-free)

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice (opt.)
4 eggs
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar (or more if you want your muffins to taste very sweet)
3 cups carrot pulp (left over from juicing)
oats

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, in bowl and set aside.
3. Mix eggs, oil, and sugar in bowl or KitchenAid.
4. Add flour mixture to egg mixture.
5. Put the carrot pulp in a bowl and add warm water, stirring until the consistency of the carrot/water mixture resembles applesauce.
6. Add carrot/water mix to batter.
7. The mixture now will be very gloppy and watery, so add oats and/or more flour until the mixture becomes the desired consistency.  (I added about 1 cup oats and <1 br="" cup="" flour.="">8. Cook the muffins in muffin pan for about 20 minutes. 

Note: These muffins will not be smooth on top.  They are also not very sweet unless you add more sugar.

Cindy's Pecan Pie Muffins

A student brought these to me on the last day of classes as a thank you gift.  They are delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped pecans

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 large eggs

1 cup butter, melted

 

Directions:

1. Combine pecans, brown sugar, and flour in medium size bowl.

2. Make a well in the middle

3. Beat eggs until foamy.

4. Stir butter into eggs.

5. Then add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

6. Stir until moistened.

7. Spoon into foil baking cups. (For best results, spray baking cups with cooking spray first.)

8. Fill each until 2/3 full.

9. Bake at 350 ºF for 20-25 minutes.

10. Remove immediately from pans and cool.

Makes approximately 2 dozen or 24 muffins.

NOTE: I attached the recipe for the Pecan Pie Muffins.  It says to spray the baking cups, but I have found that it’s not necessary.  Enjoy! 

♥ Cindy

Olivia's Favorite Banana Nut Bread

1) Cream together:
3/4 C butter (1.5 sticks)
1 C sugar

2) Add yolks (ONLY) from:
3 eggs, separated (reserve the whites)

3) Mix in:
5 large bananas, mashed

4) Combine:
1/2 C milk
1/2 C sour cream

5) Combine:
3 C flour (We use all whole wheat but only if freshly ground.)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

6) Add flour mixture to milk mixture alternately with the banana mixture.

7) Stir in 3/4 C chopped nuts (opt.), if desired.

8) Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.

9) Divide between 2 large or 3 small loaf pans.

10) Bake at 300 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

11) Cool on rack.

NOTE: We sometimes add chocolate chips and/or bake into muffins (which takes less baking time).

Also, I don't see very much difference between whipping the egg whites and adding separately versus adding the eggs all at once, so I don't do that anymore. I just beat the eggs and add all together at once.

Aunt Kim's Oatmeal Yogurt Muffins

2 C. flour (I use freshly milled whole wheat.)
2 C. rolled oats
1 C. brown sugar (or less)
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 C. vanilla yogurt (or plain)
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. oil (I use olive oil.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together dry ingredients (first six).  Whisk together wet ingredients (last three).  Stir combined wet ingredients into combined dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.  [Don't over-mix!]  Bake 22 minutes; makes 18.

Aunt Kim's Bran Muffins

1/2 C. shortening (I use butter, and it works fine.)
1 C. boiling water
1 1/2 C. sugar
Combine above ingredients and cool 1 hour.

Add remaining ingredients:
2 eggs
1 C. bran flakes (cereal)
2 C. All-Bran cereal
2 C. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 C. flour (I use freshly milled whole wheat.)
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

This mixture can sit up to six weeks in the fridge as a batter.  Bake muffins 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Emi's Cranberry Muffins

2 cups flour
1/3 cups brown sugar
1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 orange juice
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
3 ounces orange flavored Craisins
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (use the zest of a whole orange if you use plain Craisins)
chopped nuts

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients together in the order that is written. Spoon into a greased muffin tin and bake at 4oo degrees for 20 minutes or so.