breakfast

Luscious Lemon Muffins

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
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Mmm… I love these lemon muffins. I also love the the lemony aroma wafting from the kitchen when they are baking. Simple. Luscious. Aromatic. ‘Nough said. :)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • zest of 1 lemon* (about 1 Tbs)
  • juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup honey granules (or sugar)
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or butter)
  • 1/2 tsp lemon extract (or 2 more tsp of lemon zest)
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, buttermilk, honey granules, coconut oil, lemon extract, and eggs; beat well. Blend in the flour mixture until combined. Place muffin liners in 10 muffin cups, and pour the batter evenly into the cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool a few minute before removing from tin. Serve warm (these taste incredible warm), or cool on wire racks.

*You can get the zest from the lemon by scraping it against a cheese grater. But make sure that you do this before juicing the lemon!

makes 10 muffins

Banana Nut Muffins

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A glance at the over-ripe bananas in the fruit basket assured me that today would be a good day to experiment with a muffin recipe I’ve been formulating in my head over the past few days. A couple mashed bananas later, and here you have it–Banana Nut Muffins. I wasn’t sure there would be any left for a photo shoot after my family discovered them, but thankfully these three muffins escaped. Let’s just say, these muffins were a hit! :)

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Ingredients:

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey granules
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the bananas, coconut oil, honey granules, honey, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin liners, and pour the batter evenly into the cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes clean. Allow muffins to cool a few minutes before removing from the muffin tin.

makes 1 dozen muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins

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These autumn-spiced sweet potato muffins are a healthy breakfast treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked mashed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Cream the sweet potatoes, sucanat, almond milk, applesauce, honey, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Stir in the pecans if desired. Line 16 muffin cups with muffin liners, and pour the batter into the cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool a few minutes before removing from the muffin tin; cool completely.

Vegan Chocolate Milk

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment
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Here is a simple and yummy vegan rendition of chocolate milk. :)

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk, or other non-dairy milk*
1 frozen banana
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender (I use a Nutri-Bullet) and serve!

Makes 2 servings.

*Note: I love the creamy texture I get when I use 1/2 cup canned coconut milk and 1/2 cup almond milk.

Simple Honey-Oat Granola

~ Joy ~ 2 Comments
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Flavors from left to right: Cinnamon Pecan, Simple Honey-Oat, and Chocolate.

Here is a simple granola recipe that can easily be adapted into other flavors. I’ve included options below to make cinnamon pecan and chocolate flavored granola. Be creative! :)

Ingredients:

8 cups rolled oats
10 Tbs. butter
2/3 c. honey granules (or sugar)
1/4 c. honey

Directions:

Place the oats in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the honey granules and honey and stir over medium heat until the honey granules have melted and the mixture is combined. Pour over oats and mix.  Line two 15″ by 11″ baking trays with parchment paper. Spread the granola evenly on the two tray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent burning. Store in an airtight container.

Dehydrator Option: Spread the granola out on dehydrator sheets. Dehydrate at 145 degrees for at least 6 hours (it can be dehydrated longer for crisper granola).

-Other Flavors-

Cinnamon Pecan Granola: Add 1 cup of chopped pecans and 2 Tbs of cinnamon to the oats.

Chocolate Granola: Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the oats.

Joy’s Peanut Butter Granola

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Joy's Peanut Butter Granola
A sprinkling of chocolate chips turns this simple and yummy granola into a sweet treat.

8 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Place the oats in a large bowl. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, sucanat, honey, and vanilla. Pour over oats and mix. Spread granola on dehydrator sheets. Dehydrate at 145 degrees for at least 4 hours (or until desired crispiness). Let cool; transfer to an airtight container.

Oven-baked Version:

Line two 8″ x 11″ jelly roll pans with parchment paper. Pour the granola evenly on the pans. Bake at 300 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until crisp but not burnt, stirring halfway through to prevent burning (You can stir it more often for more evenly baked granola). Let cool; transfer to an airtight container.

makes about 10 cups of granola

[printme]

Coconut Granola

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Coconut Granola

Ingredients:

8 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)
1/2 cup sucanat
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract

Combine the oats, coconut, almonds,wheat germ,  sucanat, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine  the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut extract, and pour over the oat mixture; stir until combined. Dehydrate for 3 hours at 155 degrees in a dehydrator.

-Oven-Baked Version-

Line two 15″ by 11″ jelly roll pans with parchment paper. Spread the granola out evenly on the pans and press the granola together. Bake at 300 for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn.  I place the pans on the two middle racks of the oven and switch them around halfway after stirring. After cooling, store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Granola

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Pumpkin Granola
A flavorful pumpkin granola with a hint of maple syrup

8 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 Tbs cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs vanilla extract

Combine the oats, walnuts, raisins, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, sucanat, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour over the oats and stir. Spread out on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 3 hours at 155 degrees.

-Oven-Baked Version-

Omit the raisins. Spread evenly on two 15″ by 11″  jelly roll pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, or until crispy (Stirring every 15 minutes). Cool; add the raisins and mix.

Pumpkin Crunch Granola

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Ingredients:

  • 8 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup wheat bran
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup ground flax seed
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 cups olive oil
  • 3/4 cup sucanat w/molasses
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  1. Stir together oats, wheat bran, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flax seed, and flour.
  2. Combine remaining ingredients in sauce pan and stir for 4 minutes over medium heat.
  3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.
  4. Press granola into two 10″ by 17″ baking trays lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake at 325 for 38 minutes, then loosen the granola from the tray.

– makes approximately 16 cups

Vanilla Coconut Granola

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/3 cup wheat germ
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup sucanat w/honey
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  1. Stir together oats, coconut, almonds and wheat germ.
  2. In a saucepan melt the butter.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to melted butter and stir on medium heat till blended.
  4. Add butter mixture to oat mixture and stir.
  5. Spread the granola evenly into paper lined cookie sheets.
  6. Bake at 300 for 28 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

-Makes 10 cups