My 11-year-old daughter and I were feeling very confident in the kitchen after we successfully lightened up a family pumpkin bread recipe. Next we decided to tackle this wonderful maple pancake muffin recipe. The genius part of the recipe is the maple syrup glaze on top of the muffin. Really, you could do almost anything to the base, and the pure maple syrup on top would still make the whole muffin taste like a pancake. So I just boldly went for multiple substitutions in order to make a healthier muffin.
I used 100% whole wheat, reduced the sugar, took out an egg yolk, substituted almond milk, substituted oil, simplified the glaze, and tweaked the ratios. I wasn't flying blind; I used Michael Ruhlman's ratios as a guide for adjusting the proportions.
The result is a resounding success and is "kid-approved." The muffin is especially good heated which really makes it taste like a warm blueberry pancake. If you want to go maple syrup crazy, dip the muffin top a second time in maple syrup for even more maple flavor.
| Maple Syrup and Blueberry Pancake Muffins (dairy-free, whole wheat) | Print |
- 1-½ cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¾ unsweetened plain almond milk
- ½ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed or canola)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 tablespoons real maple syrup, divided
- 1 scant cup blueberries
- Preheat oven to 375F (or 365F convection oven). Line standard-sized muffin pan with paper muffin cup liners.
- In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt), and mix well with a whisk.
- Measure all the wet ingredients (egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup) in a 2 or 4-cup measuring cup, and leave the ingredients in the cup. Then gently whisk the ingredients together, and combine well.
- Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix or else muffins become rubbery. Gently stir in blueberries.
- Fill prepared muffin tins ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes (16-17 minutes for convection) or until tops are golden brown and the muffin springs back when gently tapped.
- Let cool slightly on a cooling rack. Pour 3 tablespoons of maple syrup into a small shallow bowl. Dip the top of each muffin into maple syrup to glaze. Let muffins continue to cool on a rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container for a couple days or freeze.
Sammie says
Just made these now, and the batter is good. Used coconut dream and butter flavored syrup instead (all I had), but the batter still tasted good. The finished muffins are nice and soft, moist. If you don't like that, bake them longer. I did it only for 18m because my oven tends to overcook. I wouldn't eat them without something to clean your fingers with, as the liners get sticky from the syrup. The blueberries can cause it to be a little crumbly, but a plate easily fixes that. Probably slightly undercooked. All in all, the recipe works and makes a satisfying muffin.
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Thanks for commenting about how the variations turned out. Hope you enjoyed. Dana