Protein Banana Cocoa Muffins

These muffins have a cake like quality to them but are not too sweet. And cottage cheese gives you a little boost of protein. (I swear there is no cheese taste!) 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps instant coffee granules 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chopped bananas (about 2 medium ones)

3/4 cup cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsps butter, melted

2 tsps vanilla 

First combine the flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, coffee granules, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Process the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Then fold the wet ingredients into the dry and scoop into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Makes 18 medium sized muffins.

Adapted from: eatingwell.com

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Bakery Style Cranberry Sauce Muffins

These muffins have a crispy top with tangy, juicy cranberries in every bite! Still have leftover cranberry sauce from Christmas? Here's the perfect way to use it up. If you want a more-like-cake muffin use 1 3/4 cups white flour and skip the whole wheat.

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

 3/4 - 1 cup cranberry sauce (homemade or store bought)

Here's the link to my cranberry sauce recipe:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2015/10/orange-cranberry-sauce.html 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line and spray the top of the muffin pan. Mix the butter, white and brown sugars together. Then add the eggs, vanilla, Greek yogurt and milk until light in colour and smooth. Mix the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and add to the wet ingredients. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes allowing the flour to hydrate giving way to a better rise. After the 15 minutes fold in the cranberry sauce and fill paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F for 10-12 minutes. A cake tester should come out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

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Buttery Mandarin Upside Down Muffins

Buttery, dense vanilla muffin topped with a bright and juicy slice of mandarin to start the day.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 tbsps butter

8 tsps brown sugar

5 mandarins

2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature 

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 

Spray oil into 15 muffin cups. Divide the 1 1/4 tbsps of butter with a dab in each cup then add approximately 1/2 a tsp brown sugar to each. Peel and cut the mandarins into 3 slices and sit on top of brown sugar and butter cut side up. Whisk the flour, baking power and salt together and set aside. Cream the sugar, brown sugar and butter together then add the vanilla, eggs and Greek yogurt. Add dry ingredients to wet in 3 additions and mix just until combined. Scoop batter into muffin cups then bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool 2-3 minute then gently give each cake a turn in it's place. Let cool another 2-3 minutes then place a rack over the pan and flip over to release the cupcakes. Makes 15

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Orange Banana Muffins

A lot of good stuff in these breakfast muffins! 

Ingredients:

1 whole orange, UNpeeled

1 ripe banana

1/4 cup chopped rhubarb

1/4 cup cold butter

1/2 cup cottage cheese

3 eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup chopped pecans 

1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

1 tbsp wheat germ (optional)

1-2 tbsps orange juice, if needed

Cut the orange into quarters, remember don't peel it. Remove any pits then throw it in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth then add the banana and cottage cheese along with the cold butter. Now pour everything into a large bowl and add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. In another bowl mix the nutmeg, both flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, chia and wheat germ together. Stir into the wet ingredients mixing just until combined. Fold in the rhubarb and pecans. If you find the batter a little thick add some orange juice. This might be needed if you use a small orange for the mix. Fill paper lined muffin tins then bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes 16 medium sized muffins 

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Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Creamy goodness of cottage cheese with sweet chocolate chips in every bite!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips 

First off, put the cottage cheese in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Remove from the blender and set aside. Whisk the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Melt butter and add the oil along with the eggs, vanilla and blended cottage cheese. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.  Fill paper lined muffin tins to 2/3 full. Bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes. Makes 15 medium sized muffins

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Tangy Sweet Rhubarb Muffins

These muffins are richly moist because of the added cottage cheese which also pumps up your protein intake. And every bite has a pop of fresh, spring rhubarb!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (or thawed/drained frozen)

 

Streusel Topping (optional):

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

First off, put the cottage cheese in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Remove from the blender and set aside. Whisk the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder together. Take 2 tbsps of the flour mix and add to the chopped rhubarb to coat. Melt butter and add the oil along with the eggs, vanilla and blended cottage cheese. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Fold in the rhubarb. If using streusel spoon most of the batter into paper lined muffin tins. Then a spoonful of streusel, a tablespoon more of batter and a sprinkling of streusel on top. I find this method better than dumping all the streusel on top and having half of it fall off when eating the muffin. If not using streusel, just go ahead and fill muffins to 2/3 full. Bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes. Makes 15 medium sized muffins

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Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins

These wholesome, protein filled muffins come together in a blender for an easy, fluffy breakfast or snack bursting with juicy blueberries!

Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, + 1/4 - 1/2 for the tops

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Add cottage cheese, honey, eggs and vanilla to a blender and process until smooth. In a bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Take 1 tbsp and mix with 1 cup blueberries. If using frozen ones don't defrost them. Next pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined. Fold in the berries. Oil a muffin pan, or line with papers and oil them, then pour in the batter to 2/3 full. Add a couple of berries, not coated with flour, to the tops. Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes. Makes 10 medium muffins.

Adapted from: recipeslady.com

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Fresh Pineapple, Banana and Coconut Muffins

The fluffiest banana muffins with little bursts of sweet pineapple and nutty coconut topped with a crispy streusel.

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1/3 cup shredded coconut

 1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

 

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/4 cups mashed banana (2 or 3 ripe bananas)

3/4 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup butter, melted

First mix the streusel ingredients together and set aside.

Next, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl, beat the egg and add the mashed banana, pineapple, coconut and melted butter together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick.

Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into lined muffin cups, then some streusel, more batter and end with another sprinkling of streusel.

Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 medium muffins

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Walnut Pear Oatmeal Muffins

Do you have an abundance of pears like my friend has? Here's a tasty recipe for them.

These muffins have juicy cubes of fresh pear in a healthy whole wheat and oats batter. 

Ingredients:

1 cup oats

1 cup milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup avocado oil

1 tsp maple extract

1 1/2 cups fresh diced pear

 

Streusel:

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp ginger

Combine the oats and milk and let sit for 15 minutes to hydrate the oats. Next, mix the whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and ginger together. Add the brown sugar, egg, avocado oil and maple extract to the dry ingredients along with the oats and milk. Mix just until combined then fold in the pears.

Mix the streusel ingredients together. Line a muffin tin with papers then spoon a heaping tablespoon of the muffin batter into each cup, sprinkle some streusel in then add more batter and end with streusel.

Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes then remove from pan and cool on rack.

Makes 12

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Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

Any pumpkin still around? I used up my last little bit in this recipe for tender, moist muffins with the added nutty crunch of walnuts.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup shredded apple

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Topping:

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 tbsps butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 tbsps flour

First, make the topping. Combine the dry ingredients then add the butter. Set aside in the fridge.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, brown sugar, walnuts, nutmeg and cinnamon together.

In another bowl whisk the pumpkin, apple, eggs, vanilla and vegetable oil together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Scoop the batter into prepared muffin tins. I fill mine 2/3 full for medium sized muffins.

Take the topping out of the fridge and crumble it on top of each muffin. Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes.

Makes 16 medium sized muffins

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Banana Cranberry Muffins

Bursts of tart, juicy cranberries are dotted throughout these sweet banana muffins with a hint of almond.

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:

3 tbsps chopped walnuts

2 tbsps ground almonds

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp light olive oil

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 bananas)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

First mix the streusel topping ingredients together and set aside.

In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In another bowl beat the egg, mashed banana, melted butter and almond extract together.

Now add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, easily done by hand no need for a mixer.

Finally fold in the cranberries.

Take a heaping tablespoon and deposit in each paper lined muffin tin. Then sprinkle about half the streusel over each muffin. Dollop the remaining batter on top and sprinkle the rest of the topping evenly.

Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes 12 medium muffins

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Citrus Zucchini Muffins

These zucchini muffins have a cake-like quality with little bursts of citrus. Just a small batch, perfect for that one small zucchini you have! Any orange or lemon ingredient in the recipe can be substituted one for the other.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsps wheat germ (optional)

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange or lemon yogurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tbsps orange or lemon juice

zest of 1 large orange or small to medium lemon

1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 400°F

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and wheat germ.

In another bowl combine the egg, sugar, yogurt, vegetable oil, orange juice and zest. Mix together until smooth then add the zucchini. Add this wet mixture to the dry and stir just until combined.

Fill 6 paper lined muffin tins and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

They'll be just very lightly golden when done.

Makes 6 medium muffins

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