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healthy whole wheat blueberry banana muffins

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Healthy whole wheat blueberry banana muffins are lightly sweetened and packed with moist bananas, sweet applesauce, and juicy blueberries.

Healthy whole wheat blueberry banana muffins are lightly sweetened and packed with moist bananas, sweet applesauce, and juicy blueberries.

Let’s be honest. A real blueberry muffin, the kind with white flour and tons of sugar, is nothing more than an unfrosted cupcake. Sure, we like to pretend that muffins are somehow healthier than cake or cookies, but in most cases, they aren’t.

Except for these. Healthy whole wheat blueberry banana muffins are sweetened mostly with bananas that, along with applesauce, keep the muffins moist in the absence of loads of oil or butter. Regular flour is nixed in favor of a heartier white whole wheat version, and each muffin is dotted with juicy blueberries for a pop of freshness.

These muffins are the best kind of healthy; the kind that doesn’t taste like you’re sacrificing anything.

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blueberry lemon pound cake with lemon glaze

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I don’t remember fully appreciating the culinary combination that is lemon and blueberries when I was younger. Sure, I loved a good glass of lemonade, and I never turned down a blueberry muffin. But neither flavor was my favorite, and I certainly didn’t willingly pair the two together.

That’s all changed. Now, I actively seek out foods that marry the lovely sweet-tart flavor of berries and the refreshing citrus zest of lemons. And if that food is also topped with a rich glaze flecked with ribbons of lemon zest? Well, then I have to make a pan. Or two.

A moist and sweet pound cake, dotted with blueberries and smothered with a rich lemon glaze. This lightened up version swaps some of the butter for Greek yogurt and calls for less sugar. You'd never know by the taste, though!The original version of this recipe called for more sugar and butter than I felt was necessary. I’ve been known to bring the butter when the recipe really calls for it, but in this case, I felt certain that the whole thing could be lightened up without sacrificing moistness or flavor.

Don’t get me wrong; this recipe is in no way light and healthy. It’s just lighter and healthier than the original version.To make it that way, I took out a stick of butter and used Greek yogurt instead. I also reduced the sugar by a half cup.

The pound cake, on it’s own, is buttery and moist and studded with juicy blueberries. It can hold it’s own as a stand alone treat. But when adding a glaze is an option, I always choose it. Which is why these little guys were finished off with a glaze of powdering sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and milk. The glaze is just rich enough to stand out against the moist cake, but not so decadent as to overpower it. They play well together.
A moist and sweet pound cake, dotted with blueberries and smothered with a rich lemon glaze. This lightened up version swaps some of the butter for Greek yogurt and calls for less sugar. You'd never know by the taste, though!

[Read more…]