Blueberry Muffins

I remember that blueberry muffins were the first thing I ever posted on Michelle's Healthy Bites. I was only sixteen years old and I had started a food blog for my photography class (which was taught by the mother of my boyfriend at the time, so I basically wanted to make it really really good so she would be impressed and let me hang out alone with him at their house. Which, shockingly, didn't really work). I remember sitting back and thinking, "What's a recipe that everyone loves but that isn't normally healthy?"

The first thing I thought of was blueberry muffins. Most of us grew up the boxed or bagged kind; or at least, in my family we all grew up on it. I remember walking downstairs with bare feet in the morning and begging my mom or dad to let me mix the batter (because licking the spoon went to whoever did that and duh the batter is always the best part). The blueberries were from the can and the batter didn't have even a pinch of whole grains but damn, they were good.

These are even better. I say that as someone who has eaten blueberry muffins for years, and made this recipe too many times to count. It started off as just a lower-sugar, lower-fat version, and now I've gone full-out vegan on it. They're fantastic, with a hearty-yet-tender texture from the oats and just a touch of sweetness from brown sugar, applesauce (instead of calorie-dense oil) and blueberries. Almond milk adds in some healthy fats, while lightness is achieved with a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. They're so good. They're the first thing I ever made for my old blog, and I couldn't resist sharing them any longer.

Blueberry Muffins
Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (3 ¼ oz) oats (quick cooking)
• 1/2cup (2 ½ oz) all-purpose flour  (Plus 1 tbl. if using frozen blueberries)
• 3/4cup (4oz) whole-wheat flour
• 1/3c. sugar (I like using Splenda instead, but to each her own)
• 1/4c. (1 ¼ oz) brown sugar, unpacked
• 1 tbl. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4c. no sugar added applesauce
• 1c. sweetened plain almond milk
• 1/2 tbl. vanilla
• 1 and 1/3 cup blueberries (use only 1 cup if they are large) (fresh or frozen- I recommend frozen) rinsed and drained
• Cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix together the oats, flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the applesauce, milk, and vanilla. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir together until half-moist. If using frozen blueberries, mix them with 1 tbl. flour until they are coated. If not, skip adding the flour and fold them into the batter. Mix until just moist (over-mixing can cause unpleasant texture).
5. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, and fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way full with batter (Tip: I like to use a ice cream scooper to fill mine. Just spray the scooper with cooking spray beforehand, and the batter will slide out easily). 
6. Place the muffins in the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes: this changes depending on where you live and such, so make sure to keep an eye on them! (Tip: To test if they are done, either stick a toothpick in and see if it comes out clean, or touch the top of the muffin and if it springs back it is ready). 

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 226mg
Total Fat: 1g
      Saturated: 0g
      Trans: 0g
Sugar: 13g
Protein: 3g
Calories: 137