Fiber Muffins with Fresh Fruits

By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

These wholesome muffins can be served as a breakfast, a snack or a dessert. They are full of good nutrients as well as fibers which are essential non-nutritive dietary compounds that play an important role in digestion and elimination. A diet rich in fibers has been linked to lower the risks of heart diseases, diabetes, and breast cancer.

2 cups finely chopped apples, pears, peaches, or a combination

11⁄2 cups unbleached white flour

11⁄2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup wheat bran

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1⁄2 cup raisins or currants
1⁄2 cup sunflower seeds or other seeds or chopped nuts

11⁄2 cups orange juice or other fruit juice

1⁄2 cup corn, safflower, or sunflower seed oil
1⁄2 cup honey or maple syrup

 or 3⁄4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Obtain two muffins pans with 10 or 12 wells (cups). Oil lightly the inside of muffin wells and set them aside. Chop the fruits and set them aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift the flours with the baking powder and then mix in the bran and cinnamon.  Add raisins or currants and sunflower seeds. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients; the juice, oil, and honey or maple syrup (or sugar) with a whisk. Add the fruits and mix them with wet ingredients. Then, mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients thoroughly but briefly. Spoon the batter into the muffin wells, bit more than halfway full. Bake the muffins for 35 to 45 minutes, until they are lightly browned on top. Remove the muffin pans from oven and cool them for 15 minutes. Gently scoop out the muffins using a butter knife. Serve the muffins hot or cold. Leftover muffins can be sliced and re-warmed on a hot griddle with a bit of vegan spread or oil.

Gluten-free Fabulous Fiber Muffins with Fruits

In place of the first two ingredients of wheat flours, use 3 cups of gluten free baking mix – the one that does not have baking powder or baking soda in it. You can also make your own gluten-free flour mix for this recipe, by combining 1 cup of rice flour with 1 cup of potato starch or tapioca flour, and a ½ cup of gluten-free oat bran. You may need to increase the baking powder by an additional teaspoon. Follow rest of the recipe as it is and bake as directed above.  The cooking time may vary for the gluten-free muffins, so look for the light brown color for the sign of doneness.

Makes about 20 to 24 muffins

Recipe copyrights by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff © 2021

Shanta  is a Sunset District resident and the author of “Cooking Together” and “Flavors of India,” both available at Other Avenues Food Co-op., Green Apple Book Store, Rainbow Grocery Co-op, and at other local bookstores. Shanta writes recipes and articles on food and teaches cooking classes. Currently she shares her recipes via videos on YouTube. To view the video of this recipe, go to the website of Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture or CUESA; www.cuesa.org.  Click on Eating Seasonally and then Seasonal recipes.