Blueberry Muffins

In my efforts to create healthier meals and snacks, I recently purchased my first bag of whole wheat flour. To be honest, I was hesitant about trying such a healthy looking recipe for fear they would be bland, but I gave it the old college try anyway... and I'm glad I did!

The muffins turned out to be delicious, and I received a few requests for the recipe from friends and co-workers. Then it dawned on me that this would be THE perfect recipe for my first blog post! The muffins have just enough sweetness to be satisfying, and are perfect for breakfast or a bedtime snack. I am going to consider this my new "base" muffin recipe, and try it again with different berries and mix-ins. The original recipe is from Allrecipes.com, however the recipe below includes my adjustments. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oat bran (may grind oats in blender as a substitute)
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (I added another 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 banana, mashed
1 cup buttermilk (may sub 1 tablespoon white vinegar in 1 cup milk)
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, oat bran, quick-cooking oats, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir in the blueberries and walnuts. In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed banana, buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups, filling all the way to the top.
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.