Category Archives: Muffins

Blueberry Ricotta Scones – #FilltheCookieJar

2961d-cookiejarI’m so happy to be back to the monthly Fill the Cookie Jar group. Things have been a little crazy around our house. I’ve been working on some big projects, my husband has been traveling more often and Madeline started lacrosse again. Practices started up for her last month and we’ve been running from her Girls on the Run practice, with a quick stop at home to grab some food and then she’s off to lacrosse practice. I’ve been enjoying the hour to walk the track and clear my head. Needless to say, that hasn’t left much time to spend cooking and baking.

I was searching for the right recipe this month for something different, when I stumbled across this recipe for scones. I haven’t made scones in a while and I liked these because they had ricotta – a unique spin on the traditional scone. They were so good. The perfect consistency and I loved the weren’t too sweet, perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea.

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Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

As you can tell from the lack of posts over the last week, it’s been a little crazy around here. Last week I had to take Cooper for surgery for his second set of ear tubes, after only finding out that he needed them the Friday before. Cheerleading is also winding down, so I’ll have a lot more free time in the evenings to cook, bake and catch up blogging…plus its going to be dark so early, that I know we’re going to hibernate most night. What is it about daylight savings time that makes you want to put on your pajamas and do nothing but lay around once you get home from work. I’m determined to not let that happen and putting my foot down! I’m getting back to working out regularly and have a new mindset, focus and intention this month.

I made these muffins for Madeline to take to school as snack. She’s been asking a lot more muffins lately and I figured I would take the opportunity to pack them full of good things! She’s had a bit of a growth spurt this last month and has grown taller! Almost all of her pants are getting too short but thankfully it’s boot season, so I can get away with having to go buy her all new pants! The muffins were super moist and have no butter or sugar!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins | Join Us, Pull Up a Chair

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp ground flax
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including flour, ground flax, baking soda and spices.

In a separate bowl, beat together the pumpkin, honey, egg, oil, vanilla and milk with a hand mixer. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly into the 12 tin cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes and then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Ambitious Kitchen

Pumpkin Yogurt Muffins – The Secret Recipe Club

It’s that time of the month again for The Secret Recipe Club! This month my assignment was The Avid Appetite. I was introduced to Rachel’s blog when I moved from Group B to Group C a couple months ago. I’m loving all the new blogs I get to explore with a new group and Rachel didn’t disappoint. She’s a mom to Penelope (she’s super cute!) and wife to Shaun. We have a few things in common – we’re both working moms who like to eat cake, watch a ton of TV shows and trying to keep it all together. Sometimes I think that last one is impossible…especially after the CRAZY month I’ve had.

I dove right into Rachel’s blog to find a recipe and found a few I wanted to try like Gorgonzola Fig Crostini (even thought I’m trying so hard to eliminate dairy), Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos, and Greek-style “Sloppy Joes”. I finally settled on her recipe for Pumpkin Yogurt Bread since we had a little taste of fall the other week and I’m ready for all things PUMPKIN!

Since my kids love muffins, I thought that was a better route to go than making bread. I also cut the amount of brown sugar since I was adding in mini chocolate chips and swapped the canola oil for coconut oil. It came out really good and perfect to drink with a cup of pumpkin coffee.

Pumpkin Yogurt Muffins | Join Us, Pull up a Chair

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the egg, brown sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide between 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool before enjoying.

For more great recipes from the rest of Group C, click the link below!

Strawberry Vanilla Chia Muffins

It’s strawberry season here and we’re all happy about that! Last weekend, we went out to one of the local farms and bought a half peck. I had plans to make a variety of things with them, but my kids ate the majority of them! I’m planning to pick up another batch this week to make some strawberry butter or jam.

11393022_10206925109356104_6422620984987126721_nIf you’re a regular follower, you know I like making muffins for the kids. I loved this version and so did both kids. They’re made with whole wheat flour, packed with fresh strawberries and Chia seeds. They’re really moist and even better when you warm them up with a little pat of butter.Strawberry Vanilla Chia Muffins | Join Us, Pull up a Chair

2 cups whole wheat white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup of sugar (or more depending on the ripeness of the strawberries)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
1 cup nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk (I used cashew milk)
1 heaping Tbsp Chia seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the egg and sugar together until it is well combined. Add in the coconut oil and vanilla and then stir in the yogurt.

Gradually add in the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Add in the milk and stir until the batter is just combined. Gently fold 1 cup of the strawberries.

Fill the cups 3/4 of the way and top the muffins with the reserved strawberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until they’re golden brown. Allow the cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Source: Keeper of the Home

Double Berry Quinoa Muffins

Madeline asked me to make muffins the other day and after giving her different options, she said she wanted blueberry ones with cranberries. Ok..that would be too difficult to do since I had both types of fruit and it was the perfect opportunity to try out a new muffin recipe using cooked quinoa! I’ve been wanting to use quinoa in baked goods for a while and this recipe was a success! Madeline loves them, they’re super moist and packed full of protein – she’s actually been skipping her morning snack at school because she’s still full from breakfast.

Double Berry Quinoa Muffins | Join Us, Pull up a Chair

1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled to room temperature
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used vanilla)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin pan with paper liners, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, oil, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the fruit.

Scoop out the batter into the prepared muffin pan until they are 3/4 of the way full. These muffins only rise slightly and are much more dense that regular muffins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to completely cool.

Slightly adapted from: Follow the Ruels 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Every time I ask my kids what they want me to make…it’s muffins! Of course the next question was…what flavor? After going through a couple different options with Madeline, she settled on peanut butter chocolate chip. I knew these would make a great morning snack for her during the school day.

2 cups whole wheat white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from tin and place on a cooling rack to completely cool.

Source: The Frugal Girls

Skinny Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! We have a busy weekend and hosted a family party on July 4th. It was small but it was fun to get together with our family and enjoy the weather. I was worried the weather wasn’t going to be great, but by noon, the weather changed and it was gorgeous out. I’ve been busy working the kitchen getting ready for some of my monthly features; I’m so excited to share them with you! I have also been really busy trying to grow my business and I’ll be sharing more information about it later this week as well as a little surprise too. 

I made these muffins months ago, but they got lost in the mix and I just stumbled across the pictures as I preparing for another post. I figured now was a great time to get them posted because they were devoured in 2 days. The kids gobbled them up and they were perfect to send to daycare for breakfast and for an after daycare snack. Plus, they’re healthy too, so I didn’t worry when the kids ate 2-3 in a day. 
2 large bananas, mashed 
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 
In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, honey, brown sugar, yogurt. egg and milk. Once combined, whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold to combine all the ingredients together. 
Divide the batter between the twelve muffin tins. They should be almost filled to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating. 
Slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction. 

Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins

I sometimes wonder if I should have incorporated our love for muffins in my blog name with all the muffins I have made! Since becoming a mom, I’ve made muffins more than anything else. The kids love them, they’re quick and easy to make plus I’d rather send these to daycare as a snack than prepacked items they usually serve. 

These muffins would be perfect for the fall, but I had a few apples to use up and Madeline requested apple cinnamon muffins. I love the combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, and the crumb on top is delicious! While baking them, it definitely smelled like fall! 
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups diced peeled apples
For the Topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp melted butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. 
In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the diced apple. 
For the crumb topping, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl until the mixture becomes crumbly. 
Fill each muffin tin with batter about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the filled muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean. Allow muffins to cool completely before enjoying! 

Blueberry Oatmeal Cakes

As you know, I love making muffins for the kids! These oatmeal cakes were the perfect snack or even for breakfast. I made half with blueberries and the other half with strawberries. They’re the perfect combination of oatmeal and a muffin, plus I feel better that my kids are getting homemade snacks instead of snacks that are processed with a bunch of ingredients that I can’t pronounce!

So I’ve been thinking about adding some more lifestyle posts to my blog. I’ve tried Stitch Fix and thought about doing a review and have been refinishing a piece of furniture, but I want to make sure you guys would like to see those things. I’ll mainly focus on food, but I think it would be fun to do some new types of posts and you’ll get to learn a little more about me, my life and what else I do beside cooking and baking. What do you say?

2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
Combine the oats and skim milk in a bowl and stir. Allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator until the majority of the milk has been absorbed (up to 12 hours).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 
In the soaked oats, add in the egg, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir until the mixture is well combined. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the top of of each cake with 1/4 cup of blueberries. 
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cakes spring back when they’re touched and have turned light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Serve warm. 
If you have oatmeal cakes left, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
Source: Eating Well Magazine

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Cranberry and orange always remind me of the holidays and these muffins didn’t disappoint! I made a few changes from the original recipe but they turned out perfect. Madeline loved them but Cooper wasn’t too impressed with them – I’m thinking the tartness from the cranberries turned him off. I’m planning to use this same recipe to make mini loaves of bread as gifts. They’ll make the perfect afternoon snack!

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp grated orange zest

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the cranberries an stir. In small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, orange juice, egg and orange zest. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and combine just until moistened.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins until they are 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are lightly browned. Enjoy them warm from the oven or at room temperature.

Recipe slightly adapted from: Joyful Healthy Eats