Sunday, April 6, 2014

"sugar" free banana blueberry muffins

sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup
Recently I have been trying out substitutes for the usual refined sugars (granulated sugar, brown sugar) and have found that baking with honey, maple syrup, organic coconut sugar, and turbinado sugar taste pretty great.  These blueberry banana muffins are adapted from a recipe I found from Looney Spoons , and they are super soft and moist with a nice crunch on top without having to use refined sugars.  You can feel good about giving these to your little ones - Madi (who's almost 2 now!) couldn't wait to try them.  She ate one straight out of the oven as I gingerly cut them with a knife and we blew on each piece to cool it down for her to eat!  She asked for seconds and got them:)

what you need:
*makes a baker's dozen

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 heaping table spoons ground golden flax seed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
  • 3 large bananas, very ripe
  • 1/4 vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil)
  • 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
what to do:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line a muffin tin with large muffin cups.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix flours, oats, baking soda, baking powder, coconut sugar, salt and flax seed.  You can just use a large fork.
  3. In a large bowl, mash bananas well, then mix in oil, egg, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Again, a large fork will do.  (If you use electric beaters be careful not to over mix).
  4. Add flour mixture to banana mixture.  Combine with a spatula just until batter is evenly mixed.
  5. Add blueberries and fold them in gently with the spatula.
  6. Fill the muffin cups evenly, almost to the top.  Bake for 20 minutes, the tops will be golden brown and a toothpick will come out clean.  When cool enough to handle, move muffins to cooling rack.  Enjoy!