36 Amazing Recipes That Prove Muffins Are Actually Healthy

By Anisha Jhaveri

Cupcakes are great (OK, they’re amazing), but we’re having a muffin moment. These light, fluffy handhelds are perfect any time of day—even for dinner if they’re savory! And as long as they’re not the size of softballs and made with wholesome ingredients (read: not a pound of sugar), they can be healthy.

To prove our point, we rounded up 36 simple and nutritious muffin recipes. From classic blueberry and crumble-topped treats to ones hiding vegetables and made from mac and cheese (oh yeah), these simple, lick-the-bowl-clean recipes will have you hit with muffin mania too.

Fruit

Photo: Cookie and Kate

1. Double Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

With just a half a cup of sugar in the entire 12-serving batch, this recipe is pleasantly sweet rather than cloying sweet like so many processed poppy seed varieties in the muffin market. Also, unlike their conventional white-floured counterpart, these use white whole-wheat flour to retain fiber without adding too much density. The “double lemon” factor comes from using both the zest and the vitamin C-rich juice of the fruit, giving these treats a little sunshine to wake up any sleepy weekday!

2. Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Who would pass up the chance to start the day with a food that has “shortcake” in its name? These muffins may be dessert-like in taste, but they don’t contain a drop of oil, pat of butter, or any flour. Low-fat Greek yogurt and eggs keep them moist and fluffy, while oats bind everything together. And no mixing needed: The batter is made in a blender!

3. Gluten-Free, Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins are like the little black dress of the baked good world—they work in any situation. This blogger gives the timeless favorite a modern-day nutritional makeover, swapping white flour for the gluten-free version; oil for applesauce; and a significantly reduced sugar serving to make each muffin less than 200 calories. One thing she doesn’t cut back on? The blueberries. Bursting with the fibrous, potentially metabolism-boosting fruit, each bite tastes like the classic (despite being way healthier).

4. Skinnier Mango Coconut Walnut Muffins

Mango plus coconut is a no-fail combination, and you can find the delicious duo in the batter and crunchy topping of these muffins. Bananas add a touch of potassium while also working as the replacement for oil or butter, walnuts provide heart-protecting omega-3s, and the coconut contributes both tropical notes and filling fats.

5. Grain-Free Vanilla Pear Muffins

Just a fourth a cup of high-fiber coconut flour forms the bulk of the dry ingredients in these …read more

Source:: Greatist