Healthy Hearty Muffins – Is This Breakfast or a Snack?

Homemade healthy muffins are a fave around our house. Not just because of the yummy scent that permeates the house in the morning, or that they are hot from the oven, or that cold Greek yogurt tastes SO good on top….or…shall I go on and on? Our muffins are getting cold already!

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins are the perfect breakfast food – whether eaten at home, with yogurt and fruit, or taken “on the run”, these jewels of perfection hit all the right spots.

Roughly based on this recipe from Cooking Light, we (as expected!) put our own spin on them. Here’s how we changed the recipe around:

1. Had no wheat bran, so added 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 1 heaping tablespoon of freshly ground flax seeds.
2. No pitted dates? No problemo! Subbed golden raisins.
3. Added Craisins and chopped dried apricots, too – both add pretty color.
4. Don’t like to add 1/4 cup of oil to YOUR breakfast treats? Neither do we. Easy fix – we used one mashed banana and one small container of apple sauce, with only 1 teaspoon of oil.
5. Added 3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds and 3 tablespoons of chopped toasted walnuts.
6. Used less sugar than called for, and did not miss it one single bit.

Since we changed around some ingredients, we used a bit less boiling water than called for in that step toward the end of the recipe. Interestingly enough, it is a cool trick learned. It definitely helps to “plump up” the oats and dried fruit.

Perfect breakfast, since you can mix the dry ingredients the night before, then just mix and add the wet ones the next morning.

Simply put these babies in the oven to bake. Meanwhile, you prepare for your day, while breakfast cooks itself – just for you!