Most of my previous muffin recipes like my Carrot Apple Oat Muffins and my Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins use oat flour. But for this recipe I decided to switch it up by using whole wheat flour.
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR VS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Unlike all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour uses all parts of the wheat grain: bran (protective coating of antioxidants, B-vitamins and fiber), endosperm (protein, minerals, healthy fats and B-vitamins) and the germ (carbohydrates, protein and small amounts of vitamins, minerals and fibre). The bran and endosperm are stripped away to make all-purpose flour which is usually enriched with iron, thiamine, niacin, ribloflavin and folic acid.
Since whole wheat flour uses the entire grain it is nuttier and denser than all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour has about 4 times the amount of fiber than all-purpose flour. Which means you will stay full longer with whole wheat flour; this difference can be very helpful with weight management. The higher density of whole wheat flour also means that it does not rise as much as all-purpose flour.
The major advantage of all-purpose flour is that it is easier to work with. Your baked goods will have more rise and a moist texture with all-purpose flour than with whole wheat flour.
WORKING WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
Whole wheat flour absorbs liquid more slowly than all-purpose flour and therefore needs additional moisture to be added to the recipe. For example, in this recipe I added 1 Cup of water to help with texture; this amount of water in a similar recipe with all-purpose flour would be disastrous.
For this recipe, I only used whole wheat flour, but you may want to first try combining whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour to give your taste buds some time to adjust to the new texture and taste. For example, instead of using 1 Cup of whole wheat flour, try 1/2 Cup of whole wheat flour and 2/3 Cup of all-purpose flour; you will have to reduce the liquid.
Try this recipe and let me know what you think.
Prep Time: 15 minutes . Cook Time: 15-25 minutes Yield: Serves 6
[ezcol_1third]INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 Cup Dark Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Wet Ingredients
2 to 3 Ripe bananas, cut in half or thirds
3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt
1 Cup Warm (not hot) Water
1 Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla[/ezcol_1third][ezcol_2third_end]METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Into a large bowl sift in the first 5 dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Save some chocolate chips for topping muffins. Pour the oats and the remaining chocolate chips into the bowl; give the dry ingredients a quick stir and set aside.
3. In a bowl combine wet ingredients: bananas, peanut butter, greek yogurt, vanilla, egg and water. Using a hand mixer, mix until smooth.
4. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients. Fold ingredients together; do not over mix. Batter will be lumpy.
5. Pour batter into 6 jumbo (or 12 regular-sized) lined muffin cups; fill about 2/3 of each cup. Top each muffin with a few chocolate chips. Bake for 15-20 minutes until toothpick or fork tester comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!
