These whole wheat orange blueberry muffins are egg-free and refined-sugar-free, and get a nutritional boost from chia seeds and antioxidant-rich berries.
Whole Wheat Blueberry Orange Muffins
My kids and I are always delighted to start the day with muffins! It always feels like a treat… cake for breakfast, anyone? Am I really allowed?
Absolutely. Because the most amazing thing about muffins is how indulgent they can feel even when we use healthy, whole food ingredients, and minimal sweetener.
These muffins fit the bill perfectly: they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour, antioxidant-rich berries, and tiny chia seeds that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
They’re sweetened with honey and fruit, and for all our readers who plan meals around egg allergies, we created these muffins to be egg-free too!
In the process of testing this recipe, we learned a little something about egg-free baking. And we thought we’d pass along what we know. Ready? Here we go.
Egg Substitutes in Baking
Eggs provide three main elements to baked goods, that must be replaced by other ingredients in egg-free baking. These elements are:
In these muffins, we took care of moisture by soaking some chia seeds in orange juice. Easy!
For leavening (the rising-power of the muffins) we used lemon juice soaked in milk, plus baking powder. Together, these ingredients create a froth that translates to nice fluffy, well-risen muffins. Leavening: check.
Binding power is the easiest element to duplicate in egg-free baking, because grains usually have some binding power of their own. We used whole wheat flour, which is rich in gluten. (Gluten may have a bad reputation these days, but as long as you don’t have Celiac disease, don’t fear it!)
Using these techniques and ingredients, we were able to get a moist, fluffy muffin without eggs. Hooray!
Low Sugar Baking
Most muffin recipes call for a cup or more of refined sugar. But there’s really no need for a load of sugar that high (Unless you’re making me a birthday cake. Then we’ll talk.)
For an everyday breakfast recipe like this, we’re satisfied with the natural sweetness of blueberries, orange juice, and honey. They are PLENTY sweet, I promise!
They taste great right out of the oven, but if you’ve got leftovers, consider tossing some in a freezer bag for quick school-morning breakfasts. Just pull a couple of frozen muffins out of the freezer the night before, and by morning they’ll be ready to eat.
Treat yourself and your kids! Cheers.
1 tablespoon chia seeds1/8 cup orange juice2/3 cup milk1 tablespoon lemon juice1/3 cup coconut oil4 tablespoon honey1/2 teaspoon orange extract1 1/2 cup flour, whole wheat1/2 teaspoon salt2 teaspoon baking powder1 cup blueberries1 tablespoon orange zest
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place liners into muffin tin or spray with cooking spray.
Combine chia seeds and orange juice in a small bowl; place milk in a separate small bowl or cup and add lemon juice. Set both aside for 10 minutes.
Mix together chia mixture, milk mixture, oil, honey, and orange extract.
In a separate large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
Slowly pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened. Don’t over mix!
Fold in blueberries and orange zest.
Equally divide batter among muffin cups, and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
Serve with orange wedges on the side.
Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 106mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g
