I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought that muffins are a healthier food than doughnuts or cupcakes. But maybe that because I usually make my own muffins. Apparently, store bought muffins present a different scenario…
My husband likes to call coffee shop muffins “cake” because most are so sweet. And, truly, many fruit-filled muffins do have the sweetness and texture of cake. I suppose the idea is to balance the tartness of the fruit with extra sugar in the base. But most fruits, with their natural sugar, have a wonderful tangy sweetness that gets lost in the process.
And muffins provide a wonderful opportunity for adding fibre to the diet in a tasty way. But of course, there needs to be an ingredient or two that provides fibre. The healthfulness of a muffin, or any baked food for that matter, is all in the ingredients. Choose muffins with ingredients like whole wheat flour, bran or oatmeal to increase both the fiber and flavour.
But according to an analysis featured in prevention magazine, an average coffee shop muffin contains 424 calories compared to a medium sized plain glazed doughnut which contains only 269 calories. On average, fiber and fat content are similar, but salt and carbohydrate content are usually lower in the doughnut. Store-bought muffins are generally much larger than home-baked ones, too, and that increases the calorie content compared to one you might make at home.
It’s all about choices, too. Many doughnuts come with fillings, flavoring and extra icing that increase the calorie content of the doughnut above what was quoted in the study while muffins can still be a very tasty with much less sugar and more fiber.
So, what’s the answer?
Make your own muffins! Muffins are one of the easiest baked goods to make and take very little time to put together. A simple recipe, like the one below, might take 10 minutes to mix up and 20 minutes to bake. They freeze well and make a great “on the go” snack.
Baking them yourself means you can control the calorie and fat content as well as the flavour of your snack. I bake mine, have one while still warm, then freeze the rest. I often take out a couple the night before to speed the reheating process, and pop them into the oven to warm while our coffee is brewing. Reheating in the oven instead of the microwave makes them slightly crispy around the edges, just like when they’re first made – so tasty! Add an extra 5 minutes or so if you forget to take them out of the freezer…
For lunches or snacks “on the go”, they’re still delicious at room temperature. For lunch boxes, you can bag them individually to save time in the morning.
Here is one of my favorite recipes:
Banana (or Blueberry) Oatmeal Muffins (makes 12)
Ingredients:
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large or 3 small)
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (optional
Mix together then add:
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, mash the banana. Add the egg and beat lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla and combine thoroughly.
Measure all other ingredients on top. Stir the baking powder and soda into the flour a bit to ensure there are no lumps of soda.
Then stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups (I like the parchment ones) and divide the batter among them.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes
(Gas or convection oven - 14-15 mins)
Tips:
Muffins are “done” when they are lightly browned and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Variation:
Instead of banana, try fresh or frozen blueberries or other fruit (I used rhubarb in the photo above) folded in at the end of mixing. If using frozen fruit, you will need to bake a couple of minutes longer.
This is my go-to recipe when my bananas are getting overripe. My sisters-in-law know they will get muffins shared when they pass along their blackening bananas! Let me know if you like them too…
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