We are huge breakfast muffin fans around here, especially now–during fresh, local berry season. My absolute favorite muffin recipe is one of Martha Stewart’s, loaded with butter, sugar, buttermilk, and other lovely things. The muffins weigh about a pound each, and come out of the tins almost dripping with melted fat. Heavenly. But not for everyday, alas. I like to make super-healthy, reasonably tasty, multi-grain muffins for my family, but Muffin Enthusiasm does not run nearly as high for such things. Today I’m sharing my favorite compromise “very-yummy-and-almost-healthy” recipe: mixed flours, no white sugar, chock full of local blueberries–a true super-food. Some mornings (like today) Claire works the compromise further, wooing me into streusel topping. But why not? Harvest season blueberry muffins are cause for celebration.
Here’s my recipe, adapted over time from Ginny Callan’s Horn of the Moon Cookbook (no longer in print):
Tangled Nest Almost-Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Mix together dry ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
In a separate bowl, mix well:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup honey (if your honey is crystallized, warm it to liquid before adding to the mix)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make a well in the dry ingredients, add wet ingredients. As usual with muffins, stir just enough to moisten–don’t overmix.
- Fold in 1 1/2 cups of blueberries, fresh or frozen, with a few strokes.
This recipe makes 12 standard size muffins. Fill muffin tins and if you’re feeling celebratory, add a sprinkle of your favorite streusel recipe, or use this one–
Mix together with your fingers until crumbly: 5 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter; 2/3 cup flour; 2/3 cup confectioners sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; dash of salt. Press lightly onto the tops of muffins before baking.
Bake 20 minutes at 400 F, until golden brown on top. Let the muffins sit for a few minutes before removing from tin, and cooling on a baking rack. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! I trust that it’s great.
Perfect Timing! This just the thing to use up some of those blueberries we picked today!
Those are beautiful and I have a few gallons of blueberries here I need to use. But do you have the link to the Martha full fat ones? I’d like to compare both recipes. 😉
I thought I’d stop by again and let you know that I made these, and very odd for me, didn’t even change the recipe! They are delicious, even without the streusel.
Maurie–so glad you enjoyed them!
Eats–I’ve had many requests for the extra-butter muffins. I’m out the door camping, but as soon as I get back, I’ll post the recipe!
They sound delicious! Just f.y.i: it’s best not to heat honey at all, you destroy the enzymes that reward any health benefits of using honey (my father is a beekeeper).
Thanks for the tip, Angie!