After my wisdom teeth saga was over, the baking fever took over. The days of lying around in pain were behind me, and all I wanted to do was bake!
Looking around the cabinet, I spied a half-used bag of oat bran. What better way to use up oat bran than by making bran muffins? There was even a recipe for “applesauce bran muffins” on the box. Of course, this recipe used white flour, brown sugar, and lots of vegetable oil, so I needed to make a few changes. I also decided to boost the nutritional content by adding carrots, coconut oil, and a few handfuls of raisins.
Most muffins are full of refined sugar, flour, and oil, but these contain none of the harmful ingredients! High in fiber, vitamins, and minerals to jump start your day and…
“Get up and Go!”
~Full of fiber and vitamins, these muffins will surely energize you for the whole day. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and sugar-free!
Ingredients
- Dry:
- 1 cup oat bran
- 1 cup oat flours (make your own by simply processing oats in a blender or food processor until smooth)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Wet:
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 apples (or 1 cup applesauce)
- 2 carrots, finely grated
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400* and grease or line 12 muffins cups. I used coconut oil to grease mine.
- Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.
- In a saucepan, chop the apples and add a small splash of water. Let simmer and cover for 5-10 minutes, or until soft. Smash with a fork until it resembles a chunky applesauce. Alternatively, you may use 1 cup of pre made, unsweetened applesauce. Mix the applesauce with the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Combine the wet and dry, and then fold in raisins and walnuts.
- Spoon batter into cup and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins sit in tin for one minute, and then cool on rack for five minutes before serving. The muffins continue to cook and set while in the muffin pan for the extra minute, and the cooling rack helps prevent the muffins from becoming soggy.
Enjoy with a drizzle of coconut oil, optional.
Mmmm…Nice and toasty straight from the oven.
Also great in mini-size! The baking time may need to be reduced for 10-12 minutes, though, when using mini muffin tins.
Health Benefits:
- Oats: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of oats.
- Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!
- Apples: a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones. The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and it supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body’s need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.
- Carrots: Carrots are best known for their eye-helping benefits. This is because the orange vegetable is full of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the liver. The antioxidant also has many anti-aging properties that can slow down the aging in cells. Helps prevent against sun damage, and can keep skin, nails, and hair healthy and vibrant.
My whole family devoured this treat. We ate through three batches in three days! I had to hide some of the muffins in order to take pictures. If someone ever tells you no-one likes unsweetened muffins, think again and try these!
Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:
What is your favorite muffin flavor?
I used to live near a bakery that sold all sorts of different muffins. They specialized in mini muffins, so I was able to pick three mini muffins in different flavors to try. My favorite was the chocolate cheesecake muffin. Now I cringe at the thought of eating a “muffin” full of sugar and cream cheese, much more of a cupcake than a muffin!
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