Muffin Making with Mama

IMG 4966This morning’s activity involved baking a fresh batch of healthy muffins for the week.  Baking with a very busy baby isn’t always easy, so I try to have my ingredients {roughly} measured out before we actually get started. I find that it’s just easier if Grae can stay involved with the dumping and mixing and not have to wait for me to fetch and measure ingredients.

IMG 4963Today we sat on the floor next to the lazy susan and measured out the dry ingredients together and then she did this while I quickly gathered the wet ones.  There’s nothing like a little bowl of almonds and a drink to keep this little munchkin happy.

IMG 4974When I had everything out and ready, it was time to get to work.  First, Grae gave the dry ingredients a little stir by hand.

IMG 4979Then she added the walnuts.

IMG 4978In they go!  This may not be the fastest way of doing it, but I always try to let her do it her way first and then help her dump the rest in afterwards.

IMG 4986In with the milk and olive oil.

IMG 4989And now for the egg…

IMG 4991In it goes.

IMG 4993Then the fun part.  Adding the shredded carrot and zucchini!

IMG 4998She quite liked this step at first, but she didn’t love that her little hand was covered in grated carrot in between handfuls.

IMG 5004Once everything was in the bowl, it was time to let the mixer do its job.  Grae held the bowl, just in case. :)

IMG 5010This was the point when Miss G realized that she could see her reflection on the side of the stainless bowl.  Too funny!

IMG 5025With the batter finished, it was time to brush our muffin tin with olive oil.

IMG 5032Gracen waited patiently while I scooped the batter into the cups and then she sprinkled some cinnamon on the tops of the muffins.

IMG 5033Oops.  The result of overly enthusiastic cinnamon shaking.

IMG 5035The final step was placing a pecan on each muffin top.

IMG 5036Of course, Grae wasn’t shy about shoving some in her mouth when she got the chance.

IMG 5012With the muffins in the oven, it’s now time to wait…

IMG 5042Gracen made sure to check on them part way through.

IMG 5045They’re done!

IMG 5050Here’s the end result. You know how you sometimes bake some healthy and then end up eating it because you know its good for you and not because it actually tastes good?  Well not these!  They are actually really delicious.

IMG 5056Not to mention, they’re kid approved.  Gracen loves them!

If you’re in the mood for some yummy and mostly healthy (they do contain a small amount of sugar and salt) muffins, I strongly recommend you give these a try. I have issues following recipes as they are (hence the reason I’m not a great baker), but the recipe I used as a loose guide  can be found here.

Or if you want to try our version, here it is:

  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup organic brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 2 TBSP ground flax seed
  • 2 TBSP wheat germ
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp organic cinnamon (additional for sprinkling)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned organic oats
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large organic egg
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 3 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 small zucchini, shredded
  • 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
  • 12 pecans (for muffin tops)

Preheat oven to 350° . Prepare a 12 cup muffin pan by brushing it with olive oil.

In a large bowl, combine together the flour, brown sugar, flax, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oats and nuts. Add the oil, egg, milk, carrots, zucchini, and banana and stir until just blended.  Sprinkle muffin tops with cinnamon and place a pecan on top of each.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and watch your baby gobble them up enthusiastically.

*I actually added an extra 1/3 of a cup of milk because the mixture seemed like it needed a bit more moisture, only to realize later that I had forgotten my thawed banana in the microwave (again, bad baker). With the banana, I don’t think we would have needed the extra milk. OOPS!

8 thoughts on “Muffin Making with Mama

  1. Hello Gracen and Mama and Papa,

    Gracen, you are as cute as ever, and it looks like your Mama is as energetic and creative as ever! I haven’t been to this new site until now, and now I want to read all of the fun Grae stories. Alas, I must get to bed. You know how early the mornings come in Kuwait.

    Take care and keep writing and baking.
    Allison

  2. Hey Allison! We miss you guys! Don’t miss those early Kuwait mornings, however… Now getting up at 6:00 a.m. feels early. Hope you guys are having another great year in the desert. Maybe we’ll be able to meet up one summer soon… Miss G sends her love your way. :)

  3. Jen, I made these today, and they are delicious! We are visiting with some vegan friends this afternoon, so I used almond milk (2/3 cup) and omitted the egg. They are still very tasty, and a nice “veggie-fied” treat for T! Thanks for sharing! :)

  4. That’s awesome! I love recipes that still turn out well even if you mess with them a little. If you ever have your vegan friends over for dinner, I have the perfect desert for you – one ingredient “ice cream”. :)

    1. Oooh! So glad you made them! One tip – I’d suggest keeping them in the fridge or keeping half out and freezing the other half. They’re delicious, nutritious, and easy to make, but I do find that they don’t last as long as other muffins do when kept in a sealed container on the counter. I’m guessing it’s because of the amount of veggies in them, but I’m not sure. I’ve found that if I keep them on the counter, they only last about 4 days…

      1. Great tip! Thank you! I just tried my first muffin. DELISH! To the dry mix, I added a tablespoon of Chia. I feel like I could eat one of these muffins a day and be the healthiest person ever hehe. ;)

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