breakfast nirvana
Update: This recipe has been wildly popular. It’s part of my series on “single serving foods.” Watch for others in the future. Let me know how you like it.
This is breakfast bliss. Nirvana. It’s a perfect single serving breakfast in one little muffin that you make in the microwave and enjoy guilt free. It’s portable, flavorful and so easy a youngster can make her own. This muffin is packed with fiber and protein with the bonus of cinnamon that helps stabilize blood sugar. And it tastes amazing. Promise. I’ve been working on this recipe for several weeks and I can’t wait for you to try it.
I started on this quest after I discovered the Chocolate Cake in the Cup.
After this I had a request to make a Caramel Apple Cake in a Cup, which has now been posted and is delicious.
skinny muffin was too dense
Then I thought about breakfast. It can be such a stressful meal, with people trying to eat right and still get out of the house in breakneck time. Along the way, Dr. Oz had a guest on his program that offered his Skinny Muffin
I tried it, but it used ¼ cup ground flex and no flour and the texture was too dense – at least for Ken and me. It also used Stevia and every time I experimented with the Stevia, a chemical taste was present.
My next experiment was a muffin that used only oats (my recipe) and it was too heavy as well.
blueberries were great, but muffin was doughy
I went in search of other bloggers who make either muffins or cupcakes in single servings. Let’s face it, the difference is that muffins have a smidge less sugar and cupcakes have frosting. I tried a three minute muffin from Midwestern Moms but we found it doughy and lacking in flavor.
stevia didn't taste right either
I analyzed the proportion of wet and dry ingredients and experimented with different fats – coconut oil, canola oil, butter and even no fat. I played with sweeteners like Stevia, honey and agave nectar. My goal was to avoid sugar for the morning muffin.
Zoe liked them all
You might ask why I don’t just make a dozen muffins. Several reasons:
• This muffin recipe uses an entire egg in each muffin, so they have more protein.
• We all like baked goods right out of the oven when they’re warm.
• I wanted to create something so healthy that even my grandkids could whip them up in a few moments and be satisfied all morning.
• Why turn on the oven for twenty or more minutes when you can have these in under two minutes?
getting closer
I finally hit pay dirt. A recipe that I’ve duplicated four times now and we love it. So I want to share it with you.
Tips
• You basically need three tablespoons of dry ingredients. These could be white flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax seed meal, oats or wheat bran. I recommend making at least one tablespoon flour or the texture will be very heavy. If you use all flour, the muffin will be lighter, but you won’t stay full as long. You need the oats and/or flax to help you stay full.
• Don’t care for whole wheat flour? Use either white whole wheat or pastry flour.
• No yogurt? Add 1 TBS canola, safflower or coconut oil.
• If you need more protein, use Greek yogurt, which has double the protein content of regular yogurt.
• Don’t be tempted to put two eggs into the muffin. We tried it and the egg taste dominated the other flavors.
• Mornings are always hectic; if you like, put the dry ingredients in the cup the night before. In the morning, whisk the egg in a small bowl and then add it along with the honey and yogurt.
Time Saver Figure out which dry ingredients you enjoy and make a mix. This cuts down on the number of steps each morning and the ingredients you need to assemble. Here’s the mix I use along with a recipe for a Blueberry Almond Muggin.
add dry ingredients the night before
whisk egg
blend well
breakfast muffin in a mug
1 TBS flour
1 TBS ground flax meal
1 TBS quick oats
2 TBS chopped walnuts
½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 TBS honey
2 TBS vanilla yogurt (I used low fat and low sugar. You use whatever you like.)
Optional: add fruit, such as raisins or a few pieces of chopped apples or dried apricots.
disappearing muffin
Directions
Whisk the egg in the cup.
Add the dry ingredients and the yogurt and stir well until blended.
Put in microwave for about 90-100 seconds. Don’t overcook.
Tip out onto a plate and enjoy.
This is a breakfast muffin with great flexibility and nutrition. The walnuts, flax and oats are all super foods. I hope you try it and make your own changes. Let me know what works for you.
