Maple-Pecan Bran Muffins

As a food photographer and recipe developer, and before that, somebody who just REALLY loved food and cooking, I’d be lying if I said it was easy to maintain a healthy diet while being surrounded by food for much of the day.

While I’ve developed a talent for being able to ignore crave-able food photos (they don’t even make my stomach rumble anymore), it’s much harder to ignore a big real-life plate of brownies or blueberry buttermilk muffins you just finished photographing in the middle of the afternoon. You know you just had lunch and that a healthy dinner is on the horizon…but…brownies.

That’s why I’ve found that it’s easiest for me to pack lots of nutrition and heart-healthy ingredients into my first meal of the day. Despite what temptations I might run into, I’ve done a good thing for my body with a healthy breakfast.

Most mornings, I make myself a huge green smoothie with lots of fruits and veggies. But, if I’m in a baking mood over the weekend, I might make a big batch of bran muffins that will last for the week. This recipe is wholesome and filling, with lots of good stuff like bran cereal, almond milk, low fat yogurt and pecans. Any extra almond milk can be thrown into a carrot cake smoothie.

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Maple-Pecan Bran Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups bran cereal
• 1-1/2 cups low fat vanilla or plain yogurt
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 12 paper muffin-cup liners
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In small bowl, stir together cereal and yogurt; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In separate medium bowl, whisk egg lightly; whisk in almond milk, maple syrup and butter. Stir yogurt mixture into egg mixture. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
3. Line 12 standard muffin cups with liners. Spoon batter into cups and sprinkle with pecans. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan 5 minutes; move muffins from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

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