Applesauce Blueberry Muffins

I used to bake a lot! I used to really find a lot of my identity in baking delicious treats that people really loved. Especially at Christmas time. It was a bit sad when I changed our diet and I realized that baked goods truly are one of the worst things for us to eat. White flour, white sugar, brown sugar, oil, salt, did I say sugar already? So knowing that I couldn't give them up for a life time I have learned to "fix" recipes! Now I can have my cake and eat it too, he he!! It has presented a new challenge for me when it comes to baking and it is kind of fun, plus my kids are starving after school! Evan eats lunch at 10:45 so we need some acceptable healthy snacks around here by 3pm! So here is what I made last night.......

Whole wheat, applesauce, blueberry muffins!

Mini, because everything tastes better in mini form!

I am serious about the mini thing! I have made things before that my family and friends are just okay with but I will make the exact same thing another time in mini form and they will be devoured before you can say yummy! Weird, I know and somewhat frustrating!

So now how to fix a recipe! I will say that this one didn't start out too bad to begin with but I still tweaked it a little. Here is the original recipe:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

So like I said not the worst recipe I've ever seen since it did start out with whole wheat flour. That is usually my fist switch, the flour. Try mixing it half and half to begin with if you think your family won't eat it. In addition to whole wheat flour, I also sometimes use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour that comes from a naturally occurring albino wheat. Each flour is good for different things and it takes a little experimenting to get it right. This recipe had oats in it too which is great. Use old fashioned oats though not quick cooking. The next switch I usually make is replacing all the oil with unsweetened applesauce. Since this recipe already did that except for 2 Tbsp. I figured I'd better keep those 2 Tbsp. Using almond or pecan oil would improve it even more than vegetable oil. The salt is usually the next thing I fix. I will either omit it all together, halve it, or use sea salt. I usually never miss the salt! You might think that I would next replace the buttermilk with something but buttermilk is surprisingly just fine. It's name is deceiving. It is low in fat so go ahead and use it. I did however use Vanilla Soy milk last night because I didn't have any buttermilk. Yummy! Next the recipe lists brown sugar. I am the sugar police around here. Sugar does bad things to our bodies. I almost always replace the sugar! I like to use Stevia instead of Splenda since Stevia is a natural product not man made. So that is what I did to this recipe. I did add a little agave nectar as well. Sometimes I also use Sucanat which is dehydrated cane juice. Splenda does make a brown sugar that you can use. It doesn't measure cup for cup the way regular Splenda or Stevia do but it does work fine. Again though, I try to use it sparingly since it is not a natural product. The eggs are a 50/50 thing for me. Sometimes I replace them with egg beaters and sometimes I don't. If I need just the white then I use the liquid eggs rather than wasting egg yolks. If I have already messed with too much in a recipe then I usually leave the eggs. It just saves some calories if you use the egg beaters.

So here is how my fixed recipe looks. I challenge you to get out one of your favorite baked goods recipes and "fix" it as well. Maybe start with one or two fixes the first time like the flour and sugar or the sugar and oil and wean yourself down!

My kids couldn't wait until today. They ate some last night. Their new question to me is always, "Is it healthy?" and their response when I answer yes is, "Yesssss!" with arm gesture that goes along with such an excited yes. I like this. It feels like they are excited about healthy food.

They like it because it means they can have more then just one.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk or vanilla soy milk

1/2 cup Stevia and 1/4 cup Agave Nectar

2 tbsp oil (almond, pecan, or canola)

1 large egg, lightly beaten or egg beater equivalent

3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) (I used only 1/2 cup blueberries since I was doing mini muffins

I also think chopped up apples would be delicious.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases or spray with nonstick cooking spray. (I used 24 mini muffin pan)

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, Stevia, oil and egg. Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake for 16-18 minutes for large muffins and 13-15 for mini muffins.

P.S. Please share your fixed recipes and or invite me over to sample your masterpieces! I have more free time now you know!