Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

I have never been a muffin person.   I always regarded them to be an over glorified, sorry substitute for a cupcake.  Yeah, a cupcake.  Think about it-- they have so much sugar, fat, and calories you might as well eat a delicious cupcake instead. And really, muffins are a sweet bread.  Sweet breads shouldn't be equivalent to the nutrition facts of a cupcake.

But that all changed when I moved to Maine.  There is a cute mom and pop shop where I go to school that sells the best homemade muffins I have ever had.  They're wholesome and you can tell they don't use a lot of sugar.  Now that is the type of muffin I can get  down with first thing in the morning. I am partial to their Vegan Blueberry Apple Oat Muffin (I am currently working on recreating these and sharing them on the blog soon) and I get it every time I go in there.  That is, if it's not sold out.  I think these muffins are catching on because for the past couple of months, if I come in any later than 8:30 (am!!) they're gone! Except on Fridays... She always seems to have at least one or two in the afternoon.

Can you tell I'm obsessed? 

Last summer, inspired by the muffin mentioned above, I decided to create a low sugar muffin.  A muffin I could eat for breakfast that I knew was healthy and full of yummy ingredients.  I have experimented with several recipes and came up with my own version below.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins 

• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of sugar (use 1/2 cup if you would like a sweeter muffin)
• 1/4 cup of butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• Optional: Nuts (I used pecans), ground flaxseeds, or whatever you dig  

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Add all dry ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together softened butter and sugar.  Add egg and beat well, followed by the milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.  Now add dry ingredients and stir until moistened, being careful not to overmix {overmixing will create a tough muffin}.  Fold in the blueberries.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until done.

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do.  They'd be perfect with a cup of coffee and this song in the morning.