Commercial muffins are like little cakes with lots of fat, sugar and white flour. They are typically super-sized containing 400-500 calories. These muffins do not qualify as a healthy breakfast choice. They don’t even qualify as a decent dessert. However, if you enjoy a muffin from time to time, bake a batch and freeze any you aren’t using within two days. You might want to slice them, add some almond butter and wrap them individually so you can easily take pack them for lunch or a snack. Enjoy a muffin for breakfast with fruit, non-dairy yogurt and some nuts or seeds sprinkled on top. Add a muffin to a salad lunch to make your meal more filling.
These muffins are very dense and hearty so if you are expecting cake, you might be disappointed. They are whole food muffins – we use dried and fresh fruit for sweetness and nut or seed butter instead of oil. although any flour can be used, we use oat flour, so they can be gluten-free if you prefer.
Using a blender makes these muffins fast and easy! They are best right out of the oven, but they are also great cold with a little nut or seed butter and sliced bananas.
Makes 12 muffins.
2 cups (500 ml) rolled oats
1/4 cup (60 ml) ground flaxseed
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda
2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ginger
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cloves
1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) non-dairy milk
1/3 cup (85 ml) tahini or almond butter
1 large, 2 medium or 3 small carrots, coarsely chopped (about a cup/ 250 ml)
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup dates (185 ml) (soften with boiling water or steam if very hard)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
3/4 cup (185 ml) raisins
1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped walnuts
Blend Dry Ingredients
In a blender, combine oats, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Pour into a large bowl.
Blend Liquid Ingredients
Place non-dairy milk, nut or seed butter, dates, applesauce, carrots, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and vanilla in blender and process on low speed, gradually increasing speed until smooth.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until mixed. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Spray muffin tin and divide dough into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from pan, and place on cooling rack. Serve warm or cold.