How to Bake Nutritious Muffins

Love to bake, but need a healthier alternative to the traditional muffin? This recipe is sure to add flavor while also adding nutrition and reducing fat.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups bulk bran muffin mix
• 1 cup bran
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 to 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• Optional ingredients:
• 1/2 cup dark raisins
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup diced apples
• 1 cup diced bananas
• 1/4 cup grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the muffin mix, bran, buttermilk and vegetable oil until well-blended. The amount of buttermilk and vegetable oil used depends on how many of the optional ingredients you will be adding to the basic ingredients.

2. Add one or more (I use all) of the optional ingredients to the muffin batter and mix just until blended. Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin tin cups. This recipe fills 12 to 18 standard-size or 9 to 12 large-size cups, depending on how many optional ingredients are used.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 23 minutes. Muffins are done when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin is without batter when removed. Allow muffins to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tin cups.