I had a big container of blueberries that I was slowly making my way through, so – afraid they would go bad – I decided to use the remainder in homemade muffins. My goal was to make them a little bit healthier, cutting out some sugar but maintaining the flavor. Muffins would be great for a snack as well as an easy breakfast for my little girl.
I came across a recipe using oatmeal in the batter, but I was afraid the muffin would be too dense. After searching some more, I found another that used part-skim ricotta. Combining these two elements, I created my own version of a healthy(ish) blueberry muffin that was fluffy and delicious. The fresh blueberries are a burst of flavor in every bite, and I didn’t even miss the butter and extra sugar I saw in other recipes.
Blueberry Muffins
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 egg or 2 egg whites
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 Tbl. lemon juice
- ¼ cup part-skim ricotta
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, then add to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in blueberries.
Scoop batter into paper muffin cups or muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Fill each cup ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Yield: 1 dozen.
