Whole wheat pumpkin bran muffins with dried cranberries
I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately on whole foods, trying desperately to cut out any and all processed foods from our diet. I’ve gotten pretty good at all the snacks, chips, crackers, tortillas, etc. But the thing that’s the hardest for me to rid my kitchen of is processed white flour and refined sugar. It’s so hard for me because I love to bake so so much. Thankfully there are so many healthy (and tastier) recipes out there using whole grains. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this recipe, these were super good, and although there is refined sugar, next time I make these I’m gonna try honey. These were plenty sweet enough, plus the dried cranberries also were some natural added sweetness.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bran Muffins with Dried Cranberries
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup wheat bran
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil or paper 12 muffin cups.
In a medium bowl mix together pumpkin, eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. (over mixing will result in tough muffins). Gently fold in dried cranberries. Scoop into muffin tins and bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
*I sprinkled raw sugar on top too*
Images: sammyw
Kat replied:
I just wanted to say that I stumbled across your blog via a link on the Nest and I am so impressed with all the creative recipes and lifestyle ideas that you are sharing! Your blog has immediately become one of my “daily hits” and I am definitely going to try some of your recipes. Would you be willing to share your particular take on how you meal plan for the week? You seem to be so on top of everything and I remember in one of your older posts you mentioned that your mom had given you some great advice. Overall you are an inspiration! Keep it up! :)
October 20, 2008 at 7:40 pm. Permalink.
sammyw replied:
Kat: Thank you for your kind words – your to sweet… well let’s see a typical week for me strives to make the most of what’s in season(fruits and veggies). An easy way to tell what’s in season is by looking for weekly deals in the grocery store ads. I plan my meals around what’s on sale and try to incorporate meat only about 1-2 times a week and some kind of fish at least 1-2 times a week if not more. The rest of the week I try to find protein rich recipes without meat (since good quality meat is pricey) by using, whole grains, rice, beans, legumes, etc. I’m fairly new to this way of eating so it’s been a challenge finding recipes that look interesting to try. But cutting out the processed junk is key… going back to basics… ‘eat mostly plants’ as Micheal Pollan’s book says. It’s definitely a lifestyle change and does take thought when planning meals, but it gets me so excited. I’m thoroughly happy to have you come and ’stay a while’ at my blog – it’s great meeting you!
October 20, 2008 at 8:42 pm. Permalink.