By SAND Member Iris Puthoff
It’s the holiday season, and the chilly fall weather has brought warm baked goods and sweets to the stores and to our homes. As delicious as they may be, some treats like muffins have enough sugar and oils that they could be considered cupcakes! You can easily make healthier alternatives to your favorite recipes at home using some simple substitutes for common baking ingredients.
One easy substitute you can make is switching out your white flour for whole wheat white flower. White flour is made from heavily refined and processed grains while whole wheat flour is made from unprocessed grains. Whole wheat flour tends to be heavier as a result, making it harder to bake with. Using whole wheat white flour is an easy way to incorporate the benefits of whole wheat flour while still being able to bake with it easily. More substitutes include using coconut oil instead of butter and using honey or maple syrup instead of granulated sugars. The opportunities to customize your recipes using various ingredient replacements are endless.
Here is a recipe for healthier chocolate chip pumpkin muffins that you will be sure to enjoy this fall.
Yields: 12 mini muffins
Ingredients:
⅓ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée
¼ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
1¾ cups white whole wheat flour
⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
½ cup dark chocolate chips (or nuts or dried fruit, whatever you wish!)
Directions:
Here is a quick recipe for a pecan glaze to top the muffins or other fall baked goods with. You can use either natural honey or an unrefined maple syrup to act as a natural sweetener. The pecans are high in vitamin E and give the glaze its texture. Overall, this glaze lacks overly processed sugars or dairy, making it a healthier alternative.
Honey-Pecan Glaze
Yields: 1 cup
Ingredients:
3/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Directions:
One easy substitute you can make is switching out your white flour for whole wheat white flower. White flour is made from heavily refined and processed grains while whole wheat flour is made from unprocessed grains. Whole wheat flour tends to be heavier as a result, making it harder to bake with. Using whole wheat white flour is an easy way to incorporate the benefits of whole wheat flour while still being able to bake with it easily. More substitutes include using coconut oil instead of butter and using honey or maple syrup instead of granulated sugars. The opportunities to customize your recipes using various ingredient replacements are endless.
Here is a recipe for healthier chocolate chip pumpkin muffins that you will be sure to enjoy this fall.
Yields: 12 mini muffins
Ingredients:
⅓ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée
¼ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
1¾ cups white whole wheat flour
⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
½ cup dark chocolate chips (or nuts or dried fruit, whatever you wish!)
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12 cup mini muffin pan with butter or a nonstick cooking spray, or add liners if you are using muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the honey and the coconut oil. Add the eggs, and beat the mixture well.
- With a spoon, stir in the pumpkin puree and milk. Add the baking soda, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger and mix together.
- Add the white whole wheat flour and old-fashioned oats and mix until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, or any dried fruits or nuts.
- Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups.
- Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with oats and cinnamon.
- Bake muffins for 22-25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the muffins are finished baking. Check to make sure a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean.
- Allow muffins to cool on a cooling rack before removing them.
- Muffins can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days and can be refrigerated for 4-5 days. They can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag. Simply defrost and reheat the muffins in a microwave as needed.
Here is a quick recipe for a pecan glaze to top the muffins or other fall baked goods with. You can use either natural honey or an unrefined maple syrup to act as a natural sweetener. The pecans are high in vitamin E and give the glaze its texture. Overall, this glaze lacks overly processed sugars or dairy, making it a healthier alternative.
Honey-Pecan Glaze
Yields: 1 cup
Ingredients:
3/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Directions:
- Combine all the ingredients together. Blend on high speed in a blender until the mixture is creamy.
- The glaze is ready for immediate use or it can be thickened by chilling it. It will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
References:
https://www.littlebroken.com/2016/09/21/healthy-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-muffins/
https://cookieandkate.com/2014/healthy-maple-pumpkin-muffins/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy-wholewheat-flour-vs-white-3305.html
http://joythebaker.com/2014/05/baking-101-the-difference-between-baking-flours/
https://detoxinista.com/maple-pecan-glaze-dairy-free/
https://www.littlebroken.com/2016/09/21/healthy-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-muffins/
https://cookieandkate.com/2014/healthy-maple-pumpkin-muffins/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy-wholewheat-flour-vs-white-3305.html
http://joythebaker.com/2014/05/baking-101-the-difference-between-baking-flours/
https://detoxinista.com/maple-pecan-glaze-dairy-free/