Oatmeal Raisin High Fiber Muffins
Do you usually make time to sit down for breakfast? Many of us don’t. If you’re rushed in the morning, it’s easy to skip breakfast or grab something on the fly. Unfortunately, many grab-and-go breakfast options aren’t the greatest. Fast food breakfast sandwiches and coffee shop pastries can leave you crashing before lunch. To avoid that early afternoon crash, you need a breakfast that’s high in fiber and protein while being low in sugar. This recipe for oatmeal raisin high fiber muffins checks all of those boxes.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post I developed for NuGo Fiber d’Lish. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Nutrition Tidbits
Muffins – Part of a (not so) Complete Breakfast
At some point in time, muffins gained traction as a breakfast staple. I’ll admit, I’m totally satisfied having a coffee with a pastry on a lazy weekend morning, but they just don’t do it for me during the week.
Most muffins are really just a cupcake without the frosting. For example, a chocolate chunk muffin from Starbucks has more calories, fat, and carbs than a chocolate chip cookie, with the same amount of fiber…
Now, I’m not hating on cupcakes or cookies (love you guys) but sweet treats aren’t the best fuel for an action-packed weekday.
How to Build a Better Breakfast
An ideal breakfast should include all 3 macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat) and should also be:
- High in fiber
- Low in sugar
Why? A balance of macronutrients ensures that you’re getting the fuel you need for sustained energy levels throughout your day. Refined carbohydrates (sugar, refined flour) can spike blood sugars, especially when eaten in isolation. Blood sugar spikes and subsequent blood sugar crashes can lead to decreased energy levels and increased hunger throughout the day.
Conversely, fiber and protein help to stabilize blood sugars and maintain feelings of fullness. Sustained energy and satisfaction are definitely what we want on a busy weekday!
Soluble Fiber vs Insoluble Fiber
When you think about fiber, you might think of cloudy Metamucil drinks or bran flakes, but it’s so much more than that. Fiber can be categorized in multiple ways, but two of the simplest categories are soluble and insoluble. Each type of fiber comes with its own set of benefits, but both types keep you full, which helps you make better food choices throughout the day.
Soluble fiber aids in fueling gut bacteria, slowing digestion, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and lowering LDL cholesterol (aka “bad” cholesterol). You can find soluble fiber in oats, beans, and seeds, as well as certain fruits and vegetables.
Insoluble fiber aids in digestion by speeding the transit of food and waste through your GI tract. Insoluble fiber can be found in whole grains, nuts, and seeds, as well as certain fruits and vegetables.
Why I Love this High Fiber Muffin Recipe
These high fiber cinnamon oatmeal raisin breakfast muffins are my answer to your busy morning blues. They’re low in sugar, high in fiber, and contain a bit of protein and healthy fats to make them a more well-rounded breakfast choice.
I added a NuGo Fiber d’Lish bar to bump up the fiber content in these muffins and add some texture and flavor. I’m not usually a big raisin fan, but dang… these things are good.
Did I mention this recipe happens to be vegan?
Many baked goods can easily be made vegan. For this recipe, all I had to do was swap out eggs and milk for almond milk and a flax egg. Super easy.
These muffins will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days. You can also freeze them and reheat them for a convenient meal or snack.
Recipe Modifications
- Make it with a smaller muffin tin – check after 15 minutes instead of the full 20 minutes
- Make it with eggs instead of a flax egg – substitute flax egg for 1 large egg
- Make it without quinoa flakes – substitute with 1/4 cup oats
- Make it higher in protein – add 2 scoops protein powder
- Make it with a different type of milk – dairy milk or another non-dairy milk would work just fine
- Make it a different flavor – these would work great with any Nugo Fiber d’Lish bar (banana walnut or cranberry orange would be so yummy!)
Oatmeal Raisin High Fiber Muffins
Equipment
- jumbo muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar unpacked
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large ripe banana mashed
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup quinoa flakes
- 2 Nugo Fiber D'Lish bars oatmeal raisin, crumbled
Instructions
- Prepare a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water. Refrigerate the mixture for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare a 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mix whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, add flax egg, almond milk, canola oil, mashed banana, and sugar. Mix well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Add oats, quinoa flakes, and Fiber D'Lish bars. Mix until ingredients are just incorporated.
- Add 1/4 cup of the muffin batter to each prepared muffin cup. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Serve warm or keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
