Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

So, I'm of the opinion that a muffin should actually be a relatively healthy thing. After all, the name "muffin" implies that you can eat it for breakfast, so it should be able to get you through the morning. These are full of hearty whole grains, juicy blueberries, and don't have very much sugar. They fill you up and keep you satisfied, without triggering a day's worth of sugar cravings.

You have your choice of making these with wheat germ or wheat bran. Both are part of the wheat kernel (the parts that get removed from white flour) and both are nutrient-dense. Wheat germ is higher in calories and is full of protein and fat-soluble vitamins. Wheat bran is lower in calories, high in insoluble fiber, and has a lot of healthy minerals. They have about the same texture, so pick the one that's right for you.

---

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins


Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground flax seed whisked with 2 tbsp water
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or a finely-ground regular whole wheat, like high altitude flour)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (the quick-cooking kind will give you the most tender muffin)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ or bran
• 2 tbsp baking powder (yes, tablespoons - with all the hearty grains you need a little extra oomph)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp agave nectar (you may want to add more if your blueberries are unripe and not very sweet)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla or plain almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Whisk flax with water in a small mixing bowl. Set it aside to let it gel.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, germ or bran, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the agave nectar, applesauce, almond milk and vanilla to the flax and whisk to combine well.
5. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and fold to combine, just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
6. Fold in the blueberries.
7. Fill a lightly sprayed muffin tin (or lined with paper muffin cups) 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes, until tops are firm and a toothpick comes out clean (unless you hit a blueberry). Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to continue cooling. They'll be quite moist at first, but will firm up as they cool.

Makes 12 muffins (only 2 WW points each!). Serve warm from the oven, or store in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days and reheat with a bit of Earth Balance.


For variations, try grating in some lemon or orange zest, or adding 1/2 tsp almond extract to the batter.