Fresh Berries Recipe: Healthy Blueberry Bran Muffins

7/8/2010

by Susan Melgren, Web Editor

Healthy Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes 18 muffins

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it's one that many of us fill with sugars and empty carbs—or skip over entirely. Starting your day off with a healthy breakfast sets the stage for healthy eating and a stable metabolism for the rest of the day. With this recipe for healthy blueberry bran muffins, courtesy of Driscoll's, you can have a nutritious breakfast without the hassle of making extra time to eat. Bake a batch of these muffins on the weekend and you'll have breakfast planned for the rest of the work week. Store the muffins in air-tight containers, or freeze them to enjoy at a later date.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup oat bran flour

1/4 cup flaxseed

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup lowfat plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package (6 ounce) organic blueberries

1 package (6 ounce) organic raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place paper liners in 18 muffin cups.

2. Whisk whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, oat bran flour, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until blended.

3. Stir yogurt, oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir yogurt mixture into flour just until moist.

4. Fold in blueberries and raspberries until just combined. Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

5. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Helpful Tip: Over-stirring muffin batter tends to cause peaked tops. Use a flexible spatula or wooden spoon to combine wet and dry ingredients, and gently fold in the berries to avoid crushing.

Variations:
• Instead of plain yogurt, substitute your favorite flavored yogurt.
• Substitute chopped walnuts or almonds for flaxseed.
• Substitute almond extract for vanilla.
• Substitute apple juice for orange juice.

source: naturalhomeandgarden.com