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Maple Banana Flax Whole Wheat Muffins

February 19, 2016 By Jill Campbell 15 Comments

Maple Banana Flax Whole Wheat Muffins_Jill Campbell_Image2I just love baking with my daughter. As soon as she could stir a spoon, a chair has always been dragged over to my kitchen counter, her tiny frame poised over the large mixing bowl. Cooking with kids is such a great experience – not only does it create food to be consumed, but it engages children and allows them to get hands-on with their grub. Yes, it’s messy, and my daughter has dropped an egg or two, but the pros far outweigh the cons and we get some mommy and me bonding time.

Today was the perfect setting. Fat snowflakes and howling winds made the ideal backdrop for baking. My adaptation of a recipe from Myra Goodman’s Food to Live By is a foolproof baking adventure for those snowy, cold afternoons when you just don’t want to go out.  These yummy muffins pair the sweet flavor of mashed bananas with pure maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar. The whole wheat flour and flax add fiber and omega-3s and the oil makes them moist and not too heavy. Team one up with a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea and these muffins make a superb snowy afternoon snack!

The health benefits of my Maple Banana Flax Whole Wheat Muffins include:Maple Banana Flax Whole Wheat Muffins by Jill Campbell

  • They contain no butter (a saturated fat), but rather sunflower oil, which is an unsaturated fat and better for your heart health (plus the oil makes the muffins moist and prevents the development of gluten in the flour!)
  • They contain whole wheat flour, rather than bleached white flour. Whole wheat flour has more fiber than its refined white counterpart
  • They rely on the bananas and maple syrup for sweetness (along with a bit of brown sugar) rather than refined, processed white sugar (maple syrup also has a lower glycemic index than white sugar and even contains a few nutrients and antioxidants!)
  • They contain milled flax seeds which are a rich source of micronutrients, dietary fibre, manganese, vitamin B1 and the essential fatty acid known as omega-3

PLEASE NOTE: I am not trying to condone muffin-consumption here, but this yummy home-made version contains a few beneficial ingredients and kids love them (not just mine)! My daughters prefer the mini-muffin version which are perfect for little hands,and we throw in mini-chocolate chips too (chopped walnuts are another great addition).

5.0 from 3 reviews
Maple Banana Flax Whole Wheat Muffins
 
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Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
24 mins
Total time
39 mins
 
Author: Jill Campbell
Recipe type: Muffins
Serves: 14
Ingredients
  • 2 cups (260 grams) whole wheat flour (you can use all purpose flour too)
  • ½ cup ground or milled flaxseed
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/ 2 cups (360 ml) mashed banana (about 3 large brown/ripe bananas)
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup (preferably Canadian Grade eh!)
  • ½ cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) milk
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) sunflower oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the centre of
  2. the oven
  3. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or you can use butter to line them instead
  4. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt,ground flax and ground cinnamon (optional: chocolate chips, nuts)
  5. In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients: mashed bananas, lightly beaten eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, milk, oil and vanilla extract
  6. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (a little bit at a time) just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky.This is a crucial step that I messed up on many times until my mom demonstrated the proper 'folding technique'. Check out this YouTube clip to see how it is done. The important thing is not to overmix the batter. If you stir it until smooth, it will be overmixed and the batter will yield tough, rubbery muffins
  7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins and fill just to the top of each tin
  8. Bake for about 15 minutes for mini muffins or about 18 -20 minutes for regular size. Usea cake tester or toothpick and insert in the centre of muffin. If the tester/toothpick comes out clean, your muffins are done! Place cooked muffins on a wire rack or plate to cool for a few minutes
  9. Makes about 14 regular sized muffins or 24 minis. ENJOY!
3.5.3208

 

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Filed Under: recipes

About Jill Campbell

A mother and lover of all things practical, Jill Campbell (aka Pragma Mamma) is a 30-something, former educator, world traveler and self-proclaimed pragmatist trying to navigate this journey called life. Her blog www.pragmamamma.net covers news and views that are relevant and important to busy families on the go. Featuring simple and healthy recipes, family friendly product reviews, original photography and hot parenting topics, her goal is to inform and hopefully inspire. Jill currently works as a part-time tutor/mentor, aspiring writer and full-time wife and mother of two fabulous daughters near Toronto, Canada. Join Jill as she pursues her PhD in parenting and all of the chaos that comes with it!

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Comments

  1. Terra Dawn says

    February 19, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    Oh, yum!! That sounds delicious!!

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    • Jill Campbell says

      February 19, 2016 at 10:17 pm

      Thanks! Hope you try them 🙂

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  2. Sofia says

    February 19, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    These look awesome!

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    • Jill Campbell says

      February 19, 2016 at 10:11 pm

      Thanks! They taste as good as they look 🙂

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  3. Leanne says

    February 19, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    Lucky enough to have tried these! Sooo delicious!

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    • Jill Campbell says

      February 20, 2016 at 2:04 am

      Thanks lady! Appreciate it 🙂

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  4. Cathy says

    February 20, 2016 at 12:54 am

    I love baking with my boy! Am definitely going to try these! Thanks for the great posts an recipes!

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    • Jill Campbell says

      February 20, 2016 at 2:04 am

      Cheers Cathy, you are da BOMB! Keep baking with that gorgeous boy indeed 🙂

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  5. Cath says

    February 20, 2016 at 1:32 am

    Can’t wait to try these!

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    • Jill Campbell says

      February 20, 2016 at 2:04 am

      Merci beaucoup Cat! 🙂

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  6. ewillis says

    February 20, 2016 at 3:37 am

    love the recipe and never go lax on the flax!

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  7. Carmen says

    February 20, 2016 at 5:29 am

    These look yummy!!! Can’t wait to try them tomorrow with my girls. They love baking with me too and I love that you have reduced the fat and added in the flax. Thanks for the recipe.

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  8. Victoria says

    February 20, 2016 at 7:51 am

    These look yummy!

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  9. judi Allbury says

    February 20, 2016 at 8:20 am

    Looks yummy, I’m going to try this recipe this afternoon with my Grandson Harry .

    look forward to trying more of your fab recipes.

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  10. Jean Rogers says

    February 20, 2016 at 9:52 am

    Nice to have a recipe with natural sugars. Good job Jill.

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