Okay… so I’m definitely not the world’s healthiest eater… by a long shot. The combination of a hectic schedule and a serious sweet tooth has resulted in a diet that’s heavy skewed towards whatever is super fast & convenient, which almost always does NOT = “wholesome”.

A drastic overnight change is just not going to happen though, and truth be told I really don’t have a desire (or discipline) to start eating just like Madonna or Demi anyways. Instead, I’ve just started to try incorporating more natural products, ingredients, & recipes into the mix to help balance things out – easy changes like opting for raw cane sugar and all-natural coffee creamer. One of my first steps was the recent purchase of the cookbook Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson of 101 cookbooks fame. There are zillions of “natural” cookbooks out there, but I chose this particular one partially because I love to support other bloggers and partially because I knew it promised to delivery gorgeous, mouth-watering food photography, just like Heidi’s blog.

So today I’m going to share one of my favorite breakfast recipes from this cookbook with you – which still happens to fall into both the sweet and convenient “grab and go” categories – while utilizing all-natural ingredients like raw cane sugar, pure maple syrup, whole wheat flour, and unprocessed oat bran. (I also added chopped dried dates as the mix-in.)

And don’t let the “Bran Muffin” title fool you, because these are REALLY GOOD! Promise. In addition to being a quick, good-for-you breakfast choice, these muffins would also make for a thoughtful homemade hostess gift or tasty addition to any brunch. Read on for the full recipe & pictorial below…

1. Combine eggs, butter, maple syrup, and buttermilk (or yogurt). I think this step looks kind of artsy & pretty…

2. Whisk the wet ingredients together.

3. Sprinkle the oat bran and cereal on top of the wet mixture and stir together.

4. Let the above mixture sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, mix the dry ingredients (cane sugar, wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt) together in a separate bowl.

5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir well to combine.

6. Add your mix-ins (this is optional). I added chopped dates here, but Heidi also suggests currants or the grated zest of a couple lemons or oranges. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sunflower seeds or finely chopped walnuts before baking.

7. Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups, and bake for 18-22 minutes.

Ta-da! This is 18 minutes of cooking looks like for me:

BRAN MUFFINS

via Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk OR plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup pure/organic maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran OR oat bran
• 1.5 cups plain, unsweetened bran cereal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 natural cane sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 tsp fine-grain sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup. Sprinkle the bran and cereal across the top, stir, and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.

3. In the meantime, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the top of the wet and stir until just combined. Immediately fill each muffin cup three-quarters full.

4. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges of the muffins begin to brown and the tops have set. Let cool for 5  minutes in the pan, then turn the muffins out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Now you can enhance the coffee flavor you love with Coffee-mate Natural Bliss, a new all-natural dairy creamer made with only milk, cream, a touch of sugar and pure natural flavor. Flavors like sweet cream, vanilla and caramel add just the right touch of sweetness and delicious flavor for your perfect cup every time.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by COFFEE-MATE via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of COFFEE-MATE.