Recipe Adventure: Baking a Healthier Muffin

Store-bought muffins can seem like the perfect treat — unless you look at the nutrition label.

Don’t be fooled by the “healthy” sounding fruit- or vegetable-based names of some commercially baked muffins. Many of these baked goods are loaded with added sugar, saturated fat and calories.

Let’s face it: They’re more a glorified cupcake than a diet-friendly muffin.

That’s why we’ve rounded up this collection of eight easy-to-make muffin recipes. From pumpkin to chocolate to cranberry, each delivers the taste you want in a treat, without excessive sugar and fat.

As a bonus, each muffin on our list comes in under 200 calories — or less than half of many store-bought muffins.

So, grab a mixing bowl and get that oven pre-heated. We’ve got some baking to do.

Pumped for pumpkin

We get that pumpkins serve as a symbol of Halloween and fall, but don’t skip eating the super squash in other seasons. Take advantage of pumpkin’s nutritional resume year-round with these pumpkin spice muffins.

Small packages

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the little things in life — starting with these applesauce mini muffins. Ten minutes of baking is all you need to make a week’s worth of delicious bite-sized snacks.

S’more fun

Who doesn’t love s’mores, that ooey-gooey campfire delight? And we’ve already established everyone’s affection for muffins. So, s’mores muffins? YES, PLEASE! These chocolaty treats are perfect for snacking with or without a crackling campfire.

Feel the zing

Fresh cranberries add a tart-and-tangy punch to these whole-grain muffins. Behind that powerful flavor, though, hides serious nutritional value thanks to the low-fat cottage cheese, whole-wheat pastry flour and unsweetened applesauce on the ingredient list.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chia

Don’t be fooled by the diminutive size of a chia seed. That dot-sized seed is a nutritional powerhouse loaded with fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. You’ll get all that and more in this recipe for pumpkin-apple-chia muffins.

Get your veggies

When it comes to making a perfect muffin, consider zucchini a secret weapon. The Hulk-sized green vegetable adds moisture and texture to baked goods. See for yourself with these zucchini raisin muffins and check a serving of veggies off of your dietary to-do list.

Taste the sweetness

Move over, sweet potato pie — you’ve got company on the treat table dedicated to the orange root vegetable. These sweet potato-quinoa muffins will satisfy your sweet tooth without piling on calories.

Egg-cellent choice

These aren’t traditional muffins. They’re more of a baked egg white omelet in a muffin shape. But this breakfast option offers a dose of protein without many calories, carbs or fat. Load in veggies for added flavor and nutrition, too. Sound good? Then get crackin’!