Blueberry Muffins (&silicone baking cups)

No, this is not a "gender reveal" muffin post. I'm not even pregnant, so don't even think about asking (see my last post re: gaining weight in the winter). When did having a "gender reveal" party even become popular? Did I miss something?

Babies were all I could think about when I was using these new silicone baking cups. I mean, they are pink & blue for crying out loud! Besides all the baby thoughts, I was trying to contain my excitement over these new cups I splurged on. We are definitely a muffin family. I love having a simple, handy snack or breakfast when we need to be somewhere before 9:00 (have you ever witnessed how slowly my kid eats?) And if we're going to treat ourselves with muffins, I just make sure they're not "too" much of a treat. I really don't like the overly-sweet muffins that most people looove. Don't get me wrong, every once in awhile, they're fine, but they're definitely not something I want lurking around our house constantly. When I make muffins,  I make them full of as many nutrients as possible. I fill them with things like bananas, blueberries, whole wheat flour, usually 1/2 the sugar (honey), applesauce, wheat germ, flax & yes, even vegetables get tossed in there (especially sweet potatoes, zucchini, & squash!) And no one ever complains... at least to my face (these whole wheat, pumpkin, walnut & chocolate chip muffin & whole wheat carrot walnut muffin recipes are two of our current favs).

My friend Angela is a fantastic baker, so I asked her about using silicone baking cups before I bought them. Although she had never tried silicone cups, she suggested going with the Wilton brand (a link is over in my "Favorite Things" widget on the right) & I definitely have not been disappointed. One of the reasons why I wanted to go with silicone is because I make so many muffins & to be honest, I'm just so sick of buying muffin liners & throwing them away. It seems like such a waste of money! But if you start reading reviews, you will see them all over the board. Some people love them, some just can't conform.

But I'm a believer. All I did to "prep" these bad boys was wash them in warm, soapy water & let them air dry. Some people suggest doing an additional step of spraying them with vegetable oil the first time you use them, but I didn't & had no troubles. I also popped the muffins out immediately after I took them out of the oven & they came out quite easily. Some people will tell you to wait until they have cooled, but I had luck with the hot muffins (just be careful to not burn yourself on all of the gooey hot blueberriness).

What are your favorite muffins or go-to items for a quick, nutritious snack?

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup agave nectar (you could also use honey, but maybe a bit more than 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 3/4 cups blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line your muffin pan with liners (try silicone!)

In a small bowl, combine whole wheat flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, ground flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt & stir to combine. In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat together agave nectar, oil, bananas, eggs, & yogurt until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients just until combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Divide mixture between the prepared muffins cups, filling each one until almost full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. If using silicone baking cups, take the muffins out immediately & let cool at least 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from: Cherionice.com

(This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you purchase something from amazon, I will get a small compensation).