Making a healthier Muffin, will this work?

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Jeni78

Senior Cook
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
322
Location
Minnesota
I changed this muffin recipe around to be more healthful. Do you think it will work? Applesauce for the oil and honey for the sugar.

1 C wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1 C mashed banana
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 C honey
 
I've used applesauce instead of shortening/oil in many recipes for baked goods. The honey should work but, the only question I would have, since the honey is more of a liquid ingredient, it may have an impact on the texture. Just me, but someone else will most likely come along and offer more thorough advice.
 
You should be OK. Add a little more flour if it looks too goopy. Be warned though, that is going to be one HEAVY muffin. It also will likely not weather well. They will need to be eaten within a day or so.
 
Yes I mean very dense, chewy and they will feel heavy, not light and airy.

If you are making them for Saturday I would wait til Saturday morning and serve them fresh. They won't stand up to a few days in a tupperware container. They'd be lovely warm served with a little honey.
 
Hi Jeni78, I'm one of the original health nuts here, and I recommend using white sugar instead of honey. There really is no health advantage to using honey, and some disadvantages, cooking wise. I also have a personal bias against using a large amount of baking powder. I am looking at a whole grain muffin recipe that calls for 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 t. baking soda and no baking powder. It does call for buttermilk or yogurt to give some lift with the baking soda. I would add cinammon too!

Good luck, I was thinking of making muffins today...
 
I agree with Beth on this one. Go with regular sugar and perhaps drizzle the tops with honey.
 
So, substitute yogurt for the baking powder? I can do that!

My problem is that I can't use any refined sugar. That being said, what I am really looking for is just something sweet to add that is not refined. I also thought dates might be a good idea?

I really do appreciate your feedback, if you couldn't tell already, I am not very good at baking.

Thanks
 
What about adding dark chocolate?

I was also thinking of adding almond or cashew butter.
 
So, substitute yogurt for the baking powder? I can do that!

My problem is that I can't use any refined sugar. That being said, what I am really looking for is just something sweet to add that is not refined. I also thought dates might be a good idea?

I really do appreciate your feedback, if you couldn't tell already, I am not very good at baking.

Thanks

The yogurt would be a substitute for another liquid in the recipe, and I'm not seeing much in the way of liquids in this recipe. Did the original recipe call for milk? The yogurt/buttermilk works with the baking soda as a leavening agent.

If you can not eat refined sugars, what do you eat for your bread products?

Dark chocolate will contain refined sugar.

Yes, you can add dates, I would chop them up and dust with flour before you incorporate them into the batter.

Have you tried to make the muffins yet?
 
I haven't tried to make them yet. This is for Friday night.

It's not that I can't have refined sugar, it's just off my diet (has been for quiet some time). I allow dark chocolate. :)

And I don't eat very much break either.

Okay back to, no the original recipe did not call for milk but maybe I should add?

I just do not want to add white sugar/brown sugar or oil and still make muffins.

For the yogurt, how much do you think? Thank you so much for your help on this...more and more obvious that I am not a baker! (or cook for that matter) I am TRYING. :rolleyes:
 
standard whole wheat muffin recipes call for 2 cups ww flour, 1 cup yogurt/buttermilk and 3 T. oil. So I would suggest 1/2 cup yogurt and 1 1/2 T. applesauce, along with the one egg. And maybe 1/4 cup chopped dates if you are only using 1 cup ww flour. Try your recipe with no other added sweetener (no honey). Using honey in baking presents a whole nuther set of challanges. I am an experienced baker and gave up on trying to use honey in baking. And when I understood that the body can not tell if its glucose in food came from honey, apples, molasses, white sugar, brown sugar, or what ever, I happily went back to using white sugar in baking.
 

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