Category Archives: muffins

Berry Protein Muffins

berry protein muffinA while back I mentioned that one day I would bake with protein powder to see what kind of effect it would have on a final product. That day has come. I was alerted that taste, texture and color would change when adding protein powder to a baked good, but the only downside to my experiment was an oddly greenish colored muffin. But that seemed appropriate for a pre-Halloween treat.

I discovered a recipe that already included protein powder. The problem was that some of the ingredients seemed in odd proportion. So, I jumped right in and made many changes to the original. Most importantly I ensured that it had slightly higher than usual amounts of flour and liquids compared to the other ingredients. I also cut the baking powder in half; the amount listed would have made the muffins explode at high altitude. The vegetable oil was reduced because too much oil in high altitude baking can equate to greasiness. After a multitude of adjustments, I give you:

Berry Protein Muffins adapted from mindbodygreen.com
1 cup + 1 TBS almond milk
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup organic sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unflavored hemp protein powder
3 TBS vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen or fresh berries
Preheat oven to 350F and put liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Combine milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and form a well in the center. To curdled milk, add hemp protein powder, oil, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Pour milk mixture in the well of dry mixture, and stir only enough to moisten. Fold in berries and scoop dough into muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean; a few moist crumbs are okay. Remove from oven, cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 20 minutes.

Until next time, happy baking!

Filled Pumpkin Spice Muffins

pumpkin spice muffinsNothing says fall like pumpkin spice, and what better way to feature it than in a warm muffin. The muffin recipe I found is extra special – it has a filling and a topping. The recipe is also part of the #Bakealong Challenge by King Arthur Flour. With it’s creamy cream cheese filling and it’s crunchy streusel topping, I was sold. Besides, I love a challenge.

To adapt the recipe to high altitude I had to modify a few things. I added some flour and reduced the baking powder. I also cut the topping in half – you don’t want to weigh down a muffin at altitude. Next I reduced the temperature and baked them a few minutes longer. For the vegan changes I used yogurt instead of eggs, chose vegan versions of butter and cream cheese, and made the milk a non-dairy version. I wanted to make the muffins on the healthier side (healthy-ish?) so I used a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat. Now, on to the muffins …

Filled Pumpkin Spice Muffins adapted from King Arthur Flour
STREUSEL TOPPING
1/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/8 cup organic brown sugar, packed
1/8 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats (not instant)
dash salt
2 TBS vegan margarine, at room temperature
FILLING
1 (8-oz) tub vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup organic sugar
MUFFINS
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup vanilla non-dairy yogurt
1/2 cup organic brown sugar, packed
3 TBS vegetable oil
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice; or 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground cloves + 1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup + 1TBS Whole Wheat Flour
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers. To make the streusel: Whisk together flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Work in margarine, mixing until coarse crumbs form. To make the filling: Place cream cheese in a bowl and stir in sugar. To make the batter: Whisk together pumpkin, yogurt, brown sugar, oil, agave, and milk. Then whisk in salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Add flour and mix until well combined.
Drop a scant 2 TBS of batter into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom. Dollop on a heaping TBS of filling (I had some leftover), then cover with another 2 TBS of batter. Sprinkle each muffin with streusel topping. Bake for 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted towards the edge comes out crumb-free. Remove muffins from oven. When they’re cool enough to handle, transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy within 2 to 3 hours; refrigerate up to 3 days for longer storage. Freeze, well-wrapped, up to 3 weeks.

Until next time, happy baking!

Matcha Mini Muffins for Mom

matcha mini muffins

matcha mini muffins

Mother’s Day is a good excuse to have brunch. Creating a baked treat that is fast and simple makes brunch easy. These muffins have only a few ingredients and don’t require anything fancy except, perhaps, the mini muffin pan. But mini muffins are great because they cook faster and makes lots to share. And I like saying Matcha Mini Muffins for Mom.

My high altitude adaptations were few – more flour and less baking powder. But I replaced some of the white flour with whole wheat for a healthier treat. If you omit the icing the recipe has no added sugar, but I made the icing with lemon for a good taste pairing with the matcha flavor. Mom is sure to love these muffins because they are not too sweet, even with a little icing. And the subtle green hue and taste from the matcha is fun if you are preparing tea. Here’s to Mom!

Matcha Mini Muffins for Mom adapted from Matcha Latte Mini Muffins
muffins
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup + 1 TBS all purpose flour
2 tsp matcha powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup vanilla dairy-free creamer (use coconut, soy or almond milk coffee creamer)
3 TBS grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
icing
1/4 cup + 1 TBS powdered sugar
1/2 TBS non-dairy milk
1/4 tsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400ºF and use cupcake liners in 24 mini muffin wells. In a bowl, whisk together flours, matcha, baking powder and salt until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together creamer, oil, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Divide batter between muffin wells; they should be ¾ full.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Prepare icing by whisking together the icing ingredients in a bowl. Dip tops of cooled muffins into prepared icing, turn upright, and place back on rack while icing sets.

Until next time, happy baking!

Strawberry Mini Muffins of Love

strawberry mini muffinsToday is the day of love. Strawberry muffins sounded like a good recipe as they follow the love theme. But I wanted to spread lots of love so I made mini muffins. I gave them to friends and neighbors so everyone could feel good today. Bring on the love…

This recipe was pretty healthy to start, but I upped the ante by swapping some whole wheat flour for white. For high altitude I reduced baking soda and powder but added milk and flour. Then, to keep the muffins from turning pink, I strained the cut up strawberries so their juice wouldn’t color the batter (it will go into a smoothie).

Strawberry Mini Muffins of Love adapted from GoDairyFree.org
1 cup + 1 TBS all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup vegan sugar
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup + 1 TBS plain dairy-free milk
⅓ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and cut up and strained
Preheat oven to 375°F and line a mini muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, oil, and vanilla. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients but do not over mix. A few small lumps in the batter are fine. Fold in thawed strawberries. Divide batter between prepared muffin tins, not quite filling the cups. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins sit for 10 minutes, then remove them from the tin to a cooling rack. Makes 28 mini muffins.

Until next time, happy baking!

Reducing Fat for Healthier Baking

pureed fruit

Image courtesy of Tim Sackton at flickr.com

In keeping with my resolution to bake healthier, I have examined ways to reduce fat in recipes. Most eaters know that fat adds flavor, but it’s important to know what else fat does in baking in order to see how to reduce it.

Fats “main functions are to shorten or tenderise the product (and) to trap air during creaming and so … give good volume and texture. … It is important to add the correct amount of fat as too much … will make the baked product greasy … while too little fat will leave you with a product that lacks flavour and stales quickly.”

For a tender treat, you can sub pureed fruits or vegetables as many “contain pectin, which acts similarly to fat to ‘shorten’ or tenderize baked goods. Unsweetened applesauce, mashed bananas, pureed prunes, or canned pumpkin puree work best. … You can replace half of the fat in a recipe with an equal volume of pureed fruit or vegetable.” I find this trick works well in cupcakes, muffins and breads.

It seems that pureed fruits and vegetables are best used to make a tender crumb but not as a substitute in recipes that require volume added to the batter. For these instances I still rely on my vegan butter substitute. It’s great when a recipe calls for the fat to be creamed to trap air. However, a baked good can still be made with a reduced amount of fat by replacing half of the fat with pureed produce. For a successful reduced-fat recipe, try my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Gingerbread Spice Muffins

gingerbread spice muffinsTo embrace a new year of healthier baking, I thought I’d start with a muffin. Homemade muffins are generally lower in sugar and fat so I had a lot of options. My search found a very healthy muffin – it had nutrient-rich molasses as one of the sweeteners as well as the addition of whole wheat flour. It also contained anti-inflammatory ginger and superfood cacao nibs. Healthy, here I come.

To make adaptations for high altitude, I added flour and almond milk while reducing baking powder. I also added cardamon along with the other spices because, well, I like cardamom. The result was muffins with a flavor reminiscent of gingerbread cookies. They were light and airy but dried out a bit after two days because I didn’t store them in an airtight container. It’s okay – they weren’t around long enough to dry out completely.

Gingerbread Spice Muffins adapted from a recipe on deliciousliving.com
3/4 cup + 1 TBS all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup + 1 1/2 TBS almond milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 TBS molasses
2 1/2 TBS canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
4-5 tsp cacao nibs
Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in oven middle. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Whisk lightly to aerate. In another medium bowl, whisk milk, maple syrup, molasses, oil, and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly among 10 muffin cups. Scatter cacao nibs over tops. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out muffins and cool completely on rack. Makes 10 muffins.

Until next time, happy baking!

Hearty Raspberry Muffins

hearty raspberry muffinsWaking up to a cold morning made me want a warm, hearty muffin to chase away the chill. I thought a bright burst of fruit, with some healthy bran, ought to do the trick. Looking through my cookbooks I discovered that I didn’t quite have the exact ingredients for anything that sounded good, so I baked some muffins loosely adapted on a few recipes. It’s kinda what I do.

The recipe was already dairy and egg free, so I just made a few adjustments for altitude. The recipe was simple so it only needed a little extra flour and milk and a slight reduction in leaveners. I also used paper muffin cups instead of baking directly in the muffin tin so I wouldn’t have to scrape any dried muffins off the tin.

Until next time, happy baking!

hearty raspberry muffins
Print Recipe

Hearty Raspberry Muffins

Waking up to a cold morning made me want a warm, hearty muffin to chase away the chill. I thought a bright burst of fruit, with some healthy bran, ought to do the trick. I found that I didn’t have the exact ingredients for anything that sounded good, so I baked some muffins loosely adapted on a few recipes.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, High Altitude, Muffin, Raspberry, Recipe
Servings: 12
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • Muffin Tin

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups + 1 teaspoon whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup wheat bran
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup + 1/2 teaspoon almond milk
  • 1/3 cup liquid fruit juice concentrate
  • 3 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries slightly broken up

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, bran, baking soda, baking powder and salt to combine and make a well in the center. In another medium bowl, whisk milk, fruit juice concentrate, and oil until surface is bubbly. Pour liquid ingredients into the well and stir just until smooth. Stir in the raspberries.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 18-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Adapted from Sweet & Natural Baking by Mani Niall

Blueberry Bran Muffins

blueberry bran muffins Truth be told, I haven’t made blueberry muffins in a long time. And those were from a box. But it was breakfast and couldn’t decide between blueberry muffins or bran muffins. Yes, this is a departure from my decadent, chocolate ways, but I was feeling healthy. Besides, fresh blueberries were calling my name every time I passed them in the market. So I decided on Blueberry Bran Muffins.

For my recipe, I found one that was vegan. I swapped out oat bran for wheat bran because that was what I had. The high altitude fixes were the usual – more milk and flour, less baking soda. Also, I had read that dusting blueberries with flour keeps them from turning your muffins purple. Not that I have anything against purple, but I didn’t think that would make an appetizing picture.

They were good still warm from the oven, but the bran seemed a bit pronounced. After they had cooled a few hours the texture smoothed out, but they were still quite healthy. I think they should be eaten with a glass of chocolate milk.

Until next time, happy baking!

blueberry bran muffin
Print Recipe

Blueberry Bran Muffins

I haven’t made blueberry muffins in a long time. And those were from a box. I was craving something for breakfast and couldn’t decide between blueberry muffins or bran muffins, so I decided on Blueberry Bran Muffins. This is a departure from my decadent ways, but I was feeling healthy.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Blueberry, High Altitude, Muffin, Recipe
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Muffin Tin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon flour for dusting the blueberries
  • 1 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup wheat bran
  • scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon almond milk
  • 1/3 cup liquid fruit juice concentrate
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners. Wash blueberries and pat dry. Lightly dust them with a teaspoon of flour.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to combine and make a well in the center. In another medium bowl, whisk milk, fruit juice concentrate, and oil until the surface is bubbly. Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients, then stir just until smooth. Stir in blueberries.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Sweet and Natural Baking by Mani Niall