Muffin Madness

I am a muffin girl. Given the choice between a brownie, cookie or muffin, I'd go with the muffin. Something about their warm, crumbly goodness is so much more delicious to me than a gooey cookie or chocolatey brownie. One of my goals for the summer was to find and perfect an amazing muffin recipe. 

The first muffins my boyfriend and I made together when he visited a few weeks ago. Lemon Poppyseed muffins have probably always been my go-to muffin and I was excited to finally make them from scratch. The recipe as we made it is definitely traditional -- I'm going to experiment with healthier options soon!

The coconut cranberry lime muffins, on the other hand, are so bursting with wholesome goodness it's hard to call them an indulgence! Definitely a step in the right direction as far as my muffin journey goes, these mini muffs are sweet (but not too sweet), and flavorful despite minimal added sugar and zero butter. Woo! I made them for my book club meeting last night and I'm so happy I was able to come home with leftovers. You guys NEED to make these. The flavors are perfect for summer -- can anyone say BEACH? (The beach sounds so good right now, hopefully this darn weather will start cooperating.)

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins 

adapted from Annie's Eats recipe

- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour

- 2 T. poppy seeds

- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

-1/4 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. sea salt

- One stick unsalted butter at Room Temp

- 1 Cup sugar

- 2 large eggs

- Zest of 1 lemon

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 6 oz. greek (or normal) yogurt

(makes about 12 large muffins)

1) preheat oven to 350 F, line a muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray

2) combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. To the dry ingredients at 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and stir to combine.

3) In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in one at a time, blending well. Mix in lemon zest and 1 tsp. of the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low, mix in the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating each with the yogurt, beating after each addition until combined.

4) Fill tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to let them cool completely.

Coconut Cranberry Lime Muffins (Vegan)

adapted from Healthy Exposures

- 1 Cup + 2 T. rolled oats

- 1 T. poppy seeds

- 1 1/2 T. sugar

- 1/4 Cup shredded coconut

- Zest from one lime

- 1/8 tsp. sea salt

- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

- 1/2 Cup whole wheat flour

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- Juice from one lime

- 1 T. ground flaxseed

- 1 tsp. chia seeds

- 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

- 3 T. almond milk

- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1 T. canola oil (optional: sub coconut oil)

-1/4 Cup dried cranberries (I used craisins because we had them on-hand)

(makes about 30 mini muffins)

1) Preheat oven to 375 F

2) in a small bowl, combine the lime juice, flaxseed and chia seeds. Stir and let sit.

3) in a large bowl, combine the oats, poppy seeds, sugar, coconut, lime zest, salt, nutmeg, flour, baking powder and baking soda.

4) to the lime juice and flax mixture, add remaining wet ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir in the oil, combine everything and stir until well combined. Fold in the dried cranberries.

5) spoon the batter into sprayed/nonstick mini muffin tins until 3/4 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until crisp on outside.