One of the things I love about blogging is that it introduces me to a host of new foods that I may not have otherwise bothered to pick up. Take my latest purchase, for instance…
Back in my pre-blogging days, I wouldn’t have given coconut yogurt a second glance. On the rare occasion that I actually ate yogurt, it was always either strawberry, cherry, or peach and I wasn’t all that open to trying anything new. Besides, the idea of coconut and yogurt combined wouldn’t have meshed well with my easily skeeved out mind.
Thankfully, the wonderful world of food blogging made me a lot more open to experimentation and introduced me to what are now some of my favorite foods…
… as well as giving me a lot more confidence in the kitchen. Back in the day, my idea of cooking a meal involved ripping open a box of KD, throwing it in a pot of water, and mixing in the “cheese” when it was done. I was a little better with baking, but I always followed recipes to the tee. Now though? Heck, I’m coming up with recipes of my very own, with the latest addition being these bad boys right here…
Say hello to what has become my newest muffin obsession.
In addition to bursting with blueberries and bananas in every bite, they also might just be some of the fluffiest muffins that I’ve ever had, and they’re healthy enough to eat for breakfast. What more could you ask for? A recipe? Of course, of course; but first, a bit of back info…
A little while ago, Xyla contacted me to see if I’d be interested in trying some of their products.
For anyone unfamiliar with Xyla, they’re a manufacturer of xylitol, which is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that’s commonly used as a replacement for sugar. I have to admit that I’m a little iffy on the whole sugar-that’s-not-sugar thing, so I wanted to do a little bit of research before I accepted their offer. Some things I learned:
- Xylitol is naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables. Once extracted and processed it yields a white, crystalline granule that can be used in any recipe that calls for sugar [source].
- Xylitol is not completely calorie-free, but only contains two thirds of the calories found in sugar.
- Xylitol is a natural insulin stabilizer with a glycemic index of 7. It does not cause abrupt rises and falls in blood sugar levels, making it a safe sugar alternative for diabetics.
- Xylitol tastes sweet but, unlike sugar, it is not converted in the mouth to acids that cause tooth decay. It reduces levels of decay-causing bacteria in saliva and also acts against some bacteria that cause ear infections [source].
- Xylitol is safe for human consumption and has no known side effects other than a mild laxative effect if taken in high dosages.
Sounds good on paper and all, but how does it taste?
Sugary and sweet, with no strange chemically aftertaste to speak of. Wonderful, but now for the ultimate test – how does it bake? It would be bad science for me to conclude that it bakes amazingly well based on a single experiment, but if these muffins (which are now all gone) are any indication, then I’m extremely tempted to say that it bakes amazingly well – I honestly couldn’t detect any difference in taste or texture at all. But enough of my endless babbling – recipe time!
. – . – . – .
. blueberry banana breakfast muffins .
Ingredients (makes 12)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup quick oats
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup xylitol (or other granulated sugar)
- 1 cup mashed banana (~2 large/3 small)
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and lightly oil a muffin tray, or line it with 12 paper/silicone liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar until fully combined. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring gently. Do not overmix. Fold in blueberries.
5. Use a spoon to divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. It may seem thick and will not pour, but this is how it’s supposed to be. Bake muffins for 20 minutes. When finished, remove them from the muffin tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.
. – . – . – .
Even though I don’t have any problem with eating real sugar in moderation, it never hurts to have alternatives. Xyla proved to be an excellent replacement for sugar, both on its own and in baking, and while I won’t be abandoning sugar completely, I’ll definitely be using Xyla in some of my future baking endevours; and I’ll definitely be making these muffins again…
Disclaimer: I was given this product free of charge but not compensated for my review. All opinions are my own.
. – . – . – .
What new foods has blogging introduced you to?
What’s your favorite flavor of yogurt?
Do you consider yourself a good cook/baker?
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
amanda your baked goods are always my favorite. i’ll probably still use real sugar, but these are on my to do list! yum!
Sara @my less serious life recently posted..a serious interjection: on solitude
I made them again with real sugar and they’re just as good
Another glorious recipe from miss Amanda, thanks as always for inspiring me to get my patooty baking! Plus it’s interesting learning about different sugar replacements out there… because of course there are ones that are 100% fake and 100% not okay for you, but this particular one sounds alright.
There are SO MANY different foods that blogging has introduced me too! Almond butter and on that note, any other nut butter besides peanut. For some reason I never thought it possible to make cashews/walnuts/etc into a spreadable consistency… doof. Also greek yogurt was first brought to my attention via the blog world, although I am sure I would have tried it at some point if not for blogging. Basically you know what greek yogurt is unless you live under a rock, it is everywhereeee
Quinoa and other odd grains, nutritional yeast (blarghh), almond milk, and my love for avocados can all be attributed to zeeee blog world
Tessa @ Amazing Asset recently posted..When Doubtful: Part 1
I want muffinnnnnnsssssss! I was seriously already looking up my local bakery’s menu for the day to see if they have my favorite (pumpkin choc chip… and yes, they do), and now I see these morning glories. Guess who’s probably getting a muffin today!
Tiff @ Love Sweat and Beers recently posted..New Suit
Ooo do I get two guesses?! Okay, here goes. First first guess: you. My second: me :mrgeen:
Uh, yumm! The muffins look superdelish, but that yogurt?? I want it. Another thing I am just drooling over with the fact that I will never get to taste it unless I take plane and travel far. Must taste so good!
I did not know anything about almond butter before starting blogging. So imagine, I am eating almond butter only since about half a year. I have no idea how I managed to survive without it!
Lucie recently posted..One Lovely Blog Award
Can xyla be found in regular grocery stores? or only specialty stores or online? I’m always interested in trying sugar substitutes that taste good and aren’t super unhealthy for me. I’ve recently started eating greek yogurt and so far love all the flavors except vanilla.
Robyn recently posted..Why Scale WHY?!
Yup! I’ve seen it in most of my regular grocery stores. It’s either in the baking supply section with the rest of the sugars or in the healthy food section.
I’ve seen xylitol floating around lately, but I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. I have no problem with sugar in moderation, but I like having some alternatives around too!
I couldn’t even begin to list the foods that blogging/bloggers have introduced me too. Greek yogurt in general, (including that coconut one! Love it), almond butter, coconut butter, coconut oil, squash (I’d eaten it before, but blogging taught me how to prepare it properly), green smoothies, froyo…it’s a long list.
I don’t think I’m an expert cook or baker, but I think I have a decent amount of skill in the kitchen. And…those muffins look amazing. Blueberry and banana in baked goods is one of the my favourite combos!
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted..Once, I Met a Celebrity’s Mother.
Boy do those muffins look tasty!! I am a sucker for banana muffins, and the added blueberries really put them over the top!
Blogging has introduced me to foods like almond butter, nutritional yeast, coconut oil, and my love: pumpkin butter!! Gotta love the blogging world and my blogging friends!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted..Guacamole Cauliflower Crust Breadsticks
Your baked goods always look delicious! Blogging has introduced me to almond butter, but sadly I am not a fan
Awwr sad face! Have you tried different brands/types? I know there are a lot out there that I’m not really a fan of, but I have one in particular that I’m kind of obsessed with: Maisie Jane’s roasted almond butter. I find that roasted AB’s in general have a way better flavor.
This looks prettyyyyyy tasty! I think I need to get my baking on when I get home from vacation. I feel like I’ve become more willing to try things but I’m not necessarily baking what I see on the blogs.
Sarah @PickyRunner recently posted..Ready to Rock n Roll
Dying. These look insanely delicious!!! Hopefully I can replace the egg with a chia egg. Stupid egg allergy ha.
) I don’t even know where to begin. PS Hope you got my e-mail, I can imagine you’re trying to catch up on everything while you were away though!
Yikes, blogging has got me interested into SO many odd foods (say my family
Lisa recently posted..These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things – Giveaway
I did! And I’ll be responding soon because I kind of have some super exciting news to share about a [potential] upcoming trip… Mum’s the word
Thanks Amanda…thanks a lot for further fuelling my muffin/cake craving
! This looks like a winning recipe, definitely enough to hit the spot! Do you think strawberries would work in place of the blueberries? As much as I love the latter, its lack of availabily in India limits my consumption to only when I travel.
Blogging has introduced me to so many new products, meal combos, recipes and has also encouraged me to tap into my culinary side. Some worth mentioning include (Overnight) oats in a jar, sweet potato with nut butter, eggs, jam & cheese sandwich combo, KIND bars and chia seeds!
Khushboo recently posted..Excelsior: an epic run
Strawberries would definitely work! Honestly, I’d imagine any fruit would be good. I’d go as far as to say that any add-in would work (raisins/nuts/chocolate etc.) but it would probably make them a lot less… err… moist
Well your blog introduced me to the idea of combining cereal with my greek yogurt… I honestly had NEVER thought about that before reading your blog. I really like Stonyfield strawberry yogurt or Chobani plain Greek. I consider myself a great cook and a decent baker, but cooking is definitely my forte. Even if I’m following a recipe, I find a way to make it my own and it’s usually just an adaptation of what the original recipe was.
Rachel @ Undercover Diva: A Sitcom recently posted..St. Patrick’s Weekend Recap
Shut the front door, these are gorgeous! I absolutely love baking, but I don’t do it as often as I would like.
Food blogging has taught me that I can put cereal, peanut butter, granola, coconut flakes, and flax seeds into my yogurt. What a concept!
Carly @ Snack Therapy recently posted..Reporting Live
I’ve never tried Xyla before, but it’s great to know that there’s another healthy sugar alternative out there. Some of the foods I’ve been introduced to through blogging: almond butter, quinoa, tempeh, spaghetti squash… the list goes on!
Lisa @ Lisa the Vegetarian recently posted..Random Friday Thoughts
i have only seen that stuff on blogs but never had it myself, sounds tasty though. i do have to say blogging exposes you to some strange but sometimes good foods I would have never tried before
Alex @ therunwithin recently posted..Trade em Up Tuesday: Let Go Your Head
These look so delicious. I love blueberry muffins!
These look delicious! I’ll have to try xylitol
Courtney recently posted..Style Spotlight: Windsor
Aaaah, I.need.those.now. Seriously, I swear it’s a conspiracy of supermarkets to rise the price of fresh blueberries just this week. I might still give in, though, or use frozen and don’t mind the look
.
Impossible to list all the wonderful foods blogging has introduced me to. Some of my favourites would be almond butter, coconut flour/butter/oil and, oh, I can’t forget about this one: Oat bran!
As for yogurt I always buy plain (Greek or soy) and go wild mixing my own flavours. Coconut banana (sometimes with added blueberries) being my current favourite. Mmmh, yogurt bowls.
How did you like the Xyla cinnamon gum?
Miss Polkadot recently posted..WIAW with [not quite] green confessions
I wasn’t a big fan, but then again I’m not a big fan of cinnamon gum in general, as sad as that is. I like my gum either minty or fruity… not spicy
Coconut yogurt sounds amazing! I really do love anything and everything coconut and actually used to hate it as a child. You never know till you try it I guess
Danielle @ Clean Food Creative Fitness recently posted..Chocolate Banana Paleo Frosty
Since blogging I have tried so many new things also, almound flour in so many recipes, greek yogurts, coconut, almond butter etc.. I used to HATE coconut, now I love it! I want to make these asap, blueberry muffins are one of my weaknesses- aka the healthy blueberry muffin bake that I got from you, with a few additons of my own
Thanks again for that! I also really want to try xyla too.
sara @ fitcupcaker recently posted..Paleo Protein Pancakes
Xyla sounds interesting! I’ve only ever tried those candies (not the actual powder form)
I can’t remember the last time I followed a recipe
And btw, I love coming up with my own recipes too
Picky Nicky recently posted..Alcohol Poisoning
Whoa baby! I want to try! Looks interesting. I am a stevia w**** currently but I could always MIX IT UP!
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted..Coming In For A Landing
I loveeee Xyla’s products!! I am a huge fan. The gum looses flavor a bit quicker than others, but that’s ok with me!! These muffins look TO DIE FOR!! YUMMM!!! Blogging has introduced me to all KINDS of things. Most recently would be my love for nutritional yeast. I read about it at least a year ago on a blog, and just now got around to trying it. Never again will I wait that long.
Brittany recently posted..Falling in Love
Maaaaan. I love nutritional yeast, but it’s been way too long since I’ve had any. I kind of went crazy with it for a while there and it’s spent the past couple of months in the back of my fridge. That needs to change…
Oh my gosh… I’m salivating. I need to rush out and buy some blueberries stat! Thanks for sharing! The blog world is totally responsible for my addiction to (1) pancakes, (2) cupcakes, (3) oatmeal, (4) running. Ha! And I don’t mind at all.
Brennan @ Yum Run recently posted..Sometimes I look bad while I run–worse than I thought
These muffins look fantastic! Excellent recipe and baking experiment. I just ate lunch but now I’m somehow hungry for a muffin..
Meghan @ After the Ivy League recently posted..One Lovely Blog Award
These look amazing. I’m sure it occurred to you to put almond butter on them, but I’m so going that route. Unfortunately, I have zero patience when it comes to baking and always end up burning something. Come visit us in D.C. and share your wealth of baking knowledge?!
Megan @ runningonjava recently posted..Since we last talked…
Those look super delicious AND healthy – thanks for the tip on the xylitol, too!
Michael recently posted..How to Answer the Question “What Do You Recommend?”
YUUUMMMMMYYYY!! Im with you on the sugar replacements. I dont mind using Stevia and what not, sparingly. Sometimes I do even bake with it. But nothing beats the real stuff in my opinion
These muffins look super delicious! Gosh blueberry is seriouosly my favorite, and now you’ve got me dreaming up a blueberry, coconut and lemon muffin. Good lord I need to bake!
Kat recently posted..Weekend’s Best.
hey hey, i spy TRILOGY! YES! and i just received that sugar. Kinda addicted to those candies now.
lindsay recently posted..Blog Carnival: Going Greek
Love the candies, but not so much the gum. I never thought I’d see the day where cinnamon failed me
I love all these muffin pictures- they look absolutely delicious!
I’m not sure this counts in answer to your question but I’ve heard so much about that cookie butter through the blog world and I’ve just been trying to avoid it! Haha.
De @ Cooking for the Other Half recently posted..another snow day
I saw you tweet about these and was just waiting for you to mail me some.
Cori @ olivetorun recently posted..Fuel Feedback
I must agree-blogging has introduced me to a whole slew of foods I would have never thought of or known about otherwise. Being diabetic I actually use a lot of that too. With working out, using splenda makes a lot of things too low calorie for working out but this has some of the calories without the same effects that sugar does!
Those muffins look absolutely Delicious by the way.
Hollie recently posted..Shamrock Half Marathon (1:25.14)
I am definitely a baker. Although I like to cook, my heart is in cookies and pies. Blogging is a good/bad reason to find new foods. You just have to learn to decipher between what is ACTUALLY healthy versus just… Not right. I’ve come to love nut butters to limited edition bagels because of the blogging world. I love to just see things I miss in grocery stores!
These look delish but I only have one brown banana! ><
Lauren recently posted..Shut.The.Front.Door.
My bananas weren’t super, super brown, so you could probably use your one brown banana and another yellow one.
Those Muffins look delicious. I will make them as soon as I am back from Istanbul – but I will use brown sugar, somehow I just do not like the taste of sugar replacements. Brown sugar, honey, agave – even Stevia tastes strange to me.
Stevia tastes really strange to me as well, but I didn’t get the same strangeness from xylitol.
Baking and pancake making are the two skills I feel confident in cooking wise (oh and topping froyo…I make some mean combos there)…you KNOW I’ll be making these this weekend…someone is ditching me for time with his friends (whatever), so I’ll need something to keep me busy/torture him with pictures of while he’s away
The muffins look awesome! I’m the same way about not following recipes. I haven’t quite mastered this approach with baking though. My throw-it-together baking is usually pretty strange but still edible! Blogging has taught me so many cool recipes. I’d say the 2-ingredient pancakes are my favorite so far. And the random desserts that incorporate healthy foods too!
Alex @ Cookie Dough Katzen recently posted..A childhood favorite
Oh my, you always make the best looking muffins and baked goodies!
I need to buy some blueberries so I can try these out. Your chocolate chip oatmeal muffins is one of my favorite recipes! I use it all the time. Xyla sounds really interesting. I’d like to try it sometime. Blogging introduced me to almond butter (I’d had it before, but not any of the varieties that are seen on blogs), overnight oats, chia seeds, green smoothies, larabars, yams, too many things to remember actually. I’m probably any oddity because of this, but I hate yogurt. I always have. I really wish that I liked it, because it’s so good for you, but I can’t get past the smell. I’m definitely a baker! I don’t know whether I’m good.. but when I make regular desserts rather than vegan, my family always loves them. 
Stephanie recently posted..Live Your Life
Your approach to yogurt sounds like the one I have towards fish – I want to like it because it’s supposedly so healthy for you, but I definitely can’t get past the smell. At least there are a whole slew of other healthy foods we can reap the benefits of
I haven’t done much baking with sugar substitutes. These look amazing though. I love Greek yogurt, I haven’t seen coconut near me, I would love to try it.
Nicole @ Fruit ‘N’ Fitness recently posted..London 2010
I’ve never baked with xylitol before! I have baked with truvia though, which also turned out good. These look delicious1 blueberry and banana are one of my favorite combos… next to PB and chocolate
Alysia @ Slim Sanity recently posted..Women Need More Sleep Than Men?
These look freaking amazing!
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..Sunday Breakfast
Oooooh these muffins look delicious- I love anything blueberry – especially muffins!
That coconut yogurt also looks really good – haven’t seen it in my neck if the woods yet
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe – I think I might have to try them this weekend!
If you can’t find coconut flavored yogurt, I’ve found that mixing coconut milk (from a can) with plain yogurt tastes really similar!
Hungry…again…after reading your blog. I want these in my life. I love to bake so much. I am not a great cook, unless you consider grilled cheese impressive
Kate @ Quarter Century Southern Living recently posted..Little Things to Love
I definitely consider grilled cheese impressive
I love xylitol! It is good for your teeth too… can’t break it down so it doesn’t cause cavities!
I need to find xyla!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted..Warm or Cool Toned?
Oh, you’re such a tease! There’s that coconut yogurt again! I love both coconut and Greek yogurt, so I can’t help but be jealous that I haven’t spotted this flavor in the U.S. My favorite (available) flavors are pineapple and chocolate chunk–both made by Chobani–however I think my favorite yogurt concoctions are those that involve vanilla or plain 2% plus plenty of nut butter and toppings.
The muffins look perfect, and even more perfect is the fact that they contain two of my very favorite fruits.
Unfortunately, sugar alcohols make my stomach wonky, so I can’t eat xylitol, but I may try playing around with the recipe, and substituting sugar or stevia.
Happy Tuesday, Amanda! <3
Sara @ Nourish and Flourish recently posted..Figuring Out FODMAPS: A New Diet Plan
Have you ever tried adding coconut milk (from a can) to plain yogurt? I’ve done that a few times in the past and it was really similar to this yogurt!
I love that coconut yogurt!!! I just wish I could find it in larger tubs because those tiny single servings definitely aren’t big enough for me.
Blogging has introduced me to so many foods too… Greek yogurt, chia seeds, nut/seed butters, and dates to name a few.
These muffins look so good! Banana + blueberry is one of my favourite combinations – I eat them together in oatmeal all the time. I’ve never tried cooking with Xylitol but I know the bakery where I work uses xylitol in some of its sugar free baked goods. I’ve tried them and they’re all really good!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin recently posted..Celebratory dinner at Abruzzi
i always have trouble storing homemade muffins – this is going to sound gross, but i feel like after a day or two i get nervous there’s going to be tiny mold lol is there any special way you’re supposed to store muffins? (needless to say, i don’t buy a lot of muffins haha)
Jessica @ Prayers and Apples recently posted..Duke University’s Spirituality and Health Workshop
I’m pretty sure they’re safe for at least 3 or 4 days, and maybe a couple days more if you store them in the fridge. If you need to keep them for longer than that then freezing them is a really good way to make sure they last! That way you can just take one out and let it defrost or pop it in a toaster oven whenever you want one
I love baking with xylitol!! I’m sooooo making these muffins…they look absolutely scrumptious!
kim@hungryhealthygirl recently posted..Light Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Oikos was my go-to brand of Greek yogurt when I was still doing the yogurt things–and I think I would have died over a coconut flavor!
I’ve always been interested in xylitol, I bought a bottle on a whim last year and haven’t used it much other than to sweeten iced tea, but I’ve wondered how well it would hold up in baking.
Ashley @ AlmostVegGirlie recently posted..Just a Number
Once again, another AMAZING recipe. I love that you’ve gained so much confidence in the kitchen and are able to come up with your own recipes now. That’s such a talent! I’m still working on it. I’m a lot better than I used to be but half of my “recipes” are still complete failures. I’ll get there though!
I’ve actually never baked using xylitol- I usually stick with stevia, honey/agave, or regular ol’ sugar. But, I’m definitely going to have to try it!
Emily recently posted..cheesy smiles
You are the muffin queen, Amanda! These look amazing. And Thanks for the great review
Sunnie@moderngirlnutrition recently posted..Always in the Cart!
This recipe might actually be easy enough, and the product looks beyond yummy, that I actually might just be enticed to try giving them a go! Shock. I know.
Just wondering … do you think that maple syrup could be subbed for the sugar? How much do you think I would need?
I’m honestly not sure if subbing in maple syrup would work since it’s more liquidy. It would probably still taste good, but the texture might be a bit off. If you want to give it a go, I’d try 1/4 cup.
Those muffins look amazing! I haven’t made muffins in ages, but you’ve inspired me to make some soon. They’re such an easy thing to grab for breakfast or a snack. Banana blueberry sounds so good!
Jenn @ Running and Lifting recently posted..Muddy Track and Speed Work
I am definitely going to try making these soon! I love a good blueberry muffin. When it’s healthy it’s even better
Molly@This Life Is Sparkling recently posted..Nashville: The Food
I actually had started a small baking company a couple years ago, but had to semi-abandon it due to family health issues I had to help with. I’ll be making cupcakes tonight, though! Were there any GI issues with the Xyla you noticed? I know some of the “tols” take a “toll” on my belly.
Cassie @RedLetterDaye recently posted..Die Hard, Live Harder.
Nope! I didn’t notice any negative effects from eating these guys.
oooh I love muffins made with greek yogurt! It definitely gives them a denser, creamy texture which I love. I’m so glad you started experimenting more with baking – your recipes always sound delicious!!
My dear, dear Amanda…have I told you lately that I FRICKIN’ LOVE YOU?!?! I’ll even excuse the fact that you started this post by (yet again) taunting me with your coconut yogurt! Lol As you know, I had the opportunity to work with Xyla a few months ago and, although I was a bit leery at first, I was MORE than impressed with it! I swear my Coconut Banana Bread that I made with it is one of the best things I’ve ever made! And I am in NO way a baker! I have so many cardboard, rubber, and sponge-like things come out of my oven, it’s not even funny! Sometime I just HAPPEN to get lucky!
And seriously, blogworld has opened my eyes to SO many foods I never EVER would have tried in the past! I can’t even imagine going back to a world where I never knew peanut flour, flavored nut butters, and nutritional yeast existed! And that’s just to name a FEW!
I don’t usually go for too many flavored yogurts because so many of them are overly sweet for my wimpy tastebuds, but I’m really liking Chobani’s new pear flavor!
Your blueberry muffins are the most wonderful idea for breakfast.
Found you through Lean Green Bean’s PinIt Party! These muffins look awesome…talk about a power breakfast. Am totally making for me and my family. WE make muffins about once a week…so these will be added to the rotation1
{ 2 trackbacks }