We all know that the most popular breakfast options include bread, eggs, cereal, smoothies, parfaits, pancakes and fresh fruits. You’ve probably been eating them ever since you were a kid. If you’re getting tired of these routine and mundane dishes, I wouldn’t blame you.
What if I told you that you could have delectable muffins for breakfast? And these are delicious yet healthy muffins I’m talking about. I bet you wouldn’t be able to resist them. They would seem like something straight out of a breakfast café menu and give you a good, much-needed break from the traditional breakfast.
Here are a few healthy and tasty muffin recipes, which are good enough to start your day with.
1. Sweet Breakfast Muffins
(Image credit: http://pixabay.com/p-449746/?no_redirect)
Makes: 12
Total time to Cook: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For the muffins –
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the topping –
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method:
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
To make the muffins, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a large mixing bowl (A). Make a well in the middle of this mixture and keep aside.
In another bowl (B), add the egg, milk and melted butter and beat till they mix properly. Add this mixture into the well created in bowl A and stir until the ingredients have just combined. It doesn’t matter if the batter is slightly lumpy (applies to all recipes).
Grease muffin tins/pans or line them with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into them.
Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Prepare the topping by combining sugar and cinnamon in a small flat dish. Keep the melted butter handy.
Remove the baked muffins from the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes and remove them from their pan. Dip the tops of the muffins in the melted butter followed by the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve warm.
2. Bacon, Corn and Cheese Muffins
(Image credit: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/43487952622170053/)
Makes: 12
Total time to Cook: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1¼ cups low-fat buttermilk
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup oil
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
In a large mixing bowl (A), add flour, cornmeal, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cumin and salt and stir. Add the bacon and the jalapeno and mix well. Create a small hole in the center of the mixture.
In another bowl (B), whisk together egg, buttermilk and oil and add this to the well created in bowl A. Stir till they have just combined.
Grease muffin tins/pans or line them with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into them.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the baked muffins from the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes and remove them from their pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve.
3. Scrambled Egg Muffins
(Image credit: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/206813807859444513/)
Makes: 12
Total time to Cook: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• ½ pound store-bought sausage rolls
• 12 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup onions, chopped
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup green pepper, chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Method:
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Chop the sausage into bite-sized pieces and cook them in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, onions, green pepper, salt, garlic powder, pepper, sausage and cheese. Mix well.
Grease muffin tins/pans or line them with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into them.
Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the baked muffins from the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes and remove them from their pan. Serve warm.
4. Banana Muffins
(Image credit: https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5161/5226133754_cf2aa7a73e.jpg)
Makes: 12
Total time to Cook: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 cup plain flour
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
In a bowl (A), sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Create a well in the center. Keep aside.
In another large mixing bowl(B), add bananas, egg, sugar and melted butter and mix well. Fold this into the well created in bowl A and stir till the ingredients have just combined.
Grease muffin tins/pans or line them with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into them.
Bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the baked banana muffins from the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes and remove them from their pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve.
5. Orange-Nut Muffins
(Image credit: https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6083/6150882978_85047c479e_b.jpg)
Makes: 12
Total time to Cook: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For the muffins –
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the drizzle –
• ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon orange peel, finely shredded
• 3 teaspoon orange juice
Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
In a large mixing bowl (A), add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix well. Make a hole in the center of the mixture.
In another bowl, mix together egg, buttermilk, orange juice concentrate and melted butter and add into the well created in bowl A. Stir will the mixture has just combined. Fold in the walnuts.
Grease muffin tins/pans or line them with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into them.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the baked muffins from the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes and remove them from their pan.
Meanwhile, prepare the drizzle by combining the powdered sugar, orange peel and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle this over warm muffins. Serve.
Conclusion
Eating a healthy breakfast is important for your mind and body to function properly for the rest of the day. A lot of people equate healthy food with uninteresting and tasteless meals. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Try the above mentioned recipes to put an interesting spin on your mundane morning munches. After all, life is too short to be eating boring breakfast!