When people tell me that they love to cook but don’t like to bake, the reason they give me is usually that they don’t like how baking involves such exact measurements. In cooking you can easily add a little of this and a little of that. Well I beg to differ….. at least in some cases.

Let’s take the Health Muffins that I sometimes make for my family on the weekends. I have a list of base ingredients but then I always add others, whatever I’m in the mood for. This weekend I made them with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Last time I made them with spinach and carrots. Often times I add some applesauce, cinnamon and cardamom.

I love to experiment. Having a sense of what goes well together and what the end result should taste like, it’s fun! Measurements become approximations. I take a little of this and a little of that.

With that in mind, it’s not easy to pass on such recipe but in case you would like to try these muffins, here goes….

Anne’s Health Muffins

Base Ingredients

1 cup oat bran

1 cup white whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

¼ cup vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)

¼ cup honey or a little more if you like it sweeter

1 cup yogurt or buttermilk

2 eggs

1 cup raisins (I often use golden raisins)

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping

½ cup old fashioned oats

¼ cup brown sugar

1-2 Tbs ghee (clarified butter) or melted butter

Added Ingredients

 Pumpkin version

1 can of pumpkin puree

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

dash of allspice

 

Veggie version

1 handful of spinach

2 carrots or 1 handful of mini carrots

½ cup chia seeds

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cardamom (optional)

 

Instructions:

Turn oven to 380⁰. Add all dry ingredients, including the spices.

For the pumpkin version, mix vegetable oil, honey, yogurt or buttermilk, pumpkin puree and eggs in a separate bowl.

For the veggie version, add vegetable oil, honey, yogurt or buttermilk, eggs, chia seeds, carrots and spinach in a Vitamix or blender and puree.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix. Stir in raisins and nuts if using.  Pour mixture into a greased muffin pan.

Mix all topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of the muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!