Apple & Carrot Wholegrain Muffins
How do you make a healthy muffin? Add whole grains! But unless you know how work with whole meal: it’s also the surest way to make a dense muffin! Here are some rules: so that you can cut out refined white-flour and pack in whole grains, for a healthier heart and a satisfied tummy!
Rule #1: Start small. Cut white flour by 50%, so if a recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, make it 1/2 cup white flour & 1/2 cup wholemeal flour. You can gradually work your way up, but only after you tried and tested the recipe so that you can know how to tweak it.
Rule #2: Add more liquid. Wholemeal flour will soak up more liquid. Depending on your recipe you can tweak it by adding a bit more water, milk, almond milk. Also sour cream and honey are great for adding moisture!
Rule #3: Don’t overwork it. If you stir and work the batter too much, it will develop the gluten, which makes for a tough cookie!
Rule #4: Undercook it. If the recipe calls for 20 minutes, take it out at 18. Cook it just under the recommended time.
Rule #5: Know your flours. Wholemeal flour is great in quick breads and muffins – it’s high in protein (gluten) which is what gives that denser, more chewy texture. Wholemeal pastry flour is lower in protein and gives a lighter and crumblier texture, great for cakes and pie crusts.
Rule #6: Go for it. Whole meal flour is a great way to get in the benefits of a whole grain, and now that you’ve started, why not kick it up a notch! There are so many whole grains that you can experiment with and that lend their own unique flavor. Pick up a new flour that you’ve never tried before and experiment in the kitchen!
| Flour | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Amaranth flour | Strong, sweet & spicy, nutty-flavored flour. Best used as an accent flour in waffles, pancakes, cookies or muffins. It can be used to replace 25% of the flour in your own recipes. |
| Blue Cornmeal | Cooks to a lovely lavender color. Use it in pancakes, muffins and to make blue tortillas. |
| Buckwheat Flour | Strong, unique flavor. Great in quick and yeast breads. Big source of plant protein. |
| Corn Meal | Rich buttery flavor, use it in cornbread and corn muffins. |
| Flaxseed Meal | Nutty flavor. Sprinkle in pancake, muffin and bread recipes or use in shakes, over salads and sandwiches. Great source of Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. |
| Graham flour | Best known for graham crackers, great in bread recipes too. |
| Millet Flour | Subtle Flavor, adds a creamy color to food. Substitute 1/4 cup for white flour in any baked good. Packed with vitamins and minerals. |
| Oat Flour | Adds an oat flavor to pancake, muffin or bread recipes. All around, great wholesome nutrition. |
| Quinoa flour | Great for baking, substitute half of the white flour or all of the whole wheat flour. Great source of calcium, protein and iron. |
| Rye Flour | Low in gluten, mix with whole wheat flower to help in rising |
| Spelt Flour | Deep, nut-like flavor, almost like a peanut. Start by using it to replace 10-20% of wholemeal flour in a recipe. It is much higher in protein so be careful not to overwork this flour. |
| Wheat germ | Add to pancakes, pastries and to savory loaves. Rich in minerals and vitamins. |
| Whole wheat pastry flour | Absorbs less liquid than wholewheat flour.Use it in non-yeast recipes for cakes, muffins, cookies, crusts andother pastries. |
