Now this is a topic I am truly passionate about and since I own a cupcake business, I get asked this question all the time. But let me set the record straight: MUFFINS ARE NOT THE SAME AS CUPCAKES. Allow me to elaborate.
Muffins are denser and heavier than cupcakes. They are also most commonly made with oil yet they can be made “healthy” quite often. Cupcakes, on the other hand, are lighter, fluffier, and most importantly, wear a hat. A buttercream, cream cheese, salted caramel, chocolate ganache type of hat aka frosting. Cupcakes are incomplete without their icing counterpart. Otherwise, they’d just be a very fluffy muffin. So no, they are not the same thing.
And as much as I dislike muffins, I do make them occasionally…like these delicious whole wheat superfood applesauce oatmeal muffins.
Even though muffins are drastically different from my first love, cupcakes, I like to whip up a batch of either muffins when I’ve got a quick 30 minutes. I like how convenient it is to make these and quite often, I will have these ingredients on-hand, not to mention, it’s a great on-the-go snack.
I also love pumping up food with superfoods. It’s pretty much taking something that’s ordinary and making it it healthier, better, and tastier. Like smoothies, it’s super easy to add a few teaspoons of flax, chia or hemp hearts that will boost its nutritional value without compromising the flavour.
And before you go ahead and bake these off, you can also easily make this recipe vegan but substituting the egg for flax seed or chia gel (1 tbsp flax or chia seed, mixed with 3 tbsp of warm water until it becomes gel-like).
Whole wheat superfood applesauce oatmeal muffins (adapted from Food.com)
What you’ll need:
– 1 1/2 cups quick rising oats
– 1 1/4 cup all purpose whole wheat flour
– 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
– 1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
– 3/4 tsp baking soda
– 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
– 2 heaping tsps ground flax seed
– 1 heaping tsp chia seeds
– 1 heaping tsp hemp hearts
– 1 cup applesauce
– 1/2 cup almond milk (or any other milk)
– 3 tbsp vegetable oil
– 1 free-range egg, slightly beaten
– 12 almonds (optional)
– Turbinado sugar, as needed (optional)
What you’ll need to do:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12 slot muffin tin and set aside.
2. Mix all wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Slowly combine all the ingredients and mix on medium-high for two minutes.
4. Fill muffin tin until 3/4 full and place and almond and/or sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.
Umami & Me 
Ooo…I love a new muffin recipe! I don’t know where I’d find hemp hearts — but who am I kidding? I live near Berkeley. I’m probably eating them every day without realizing it! I agree that muffins and cupcakes are getting conflated these days. Cupcakes are just that — wee cakes. I don’t like it when they get too muffin-y (carrot cake cupcakes are a definite outlier — not happy with them — but then not a big fan of carrot cake). Thanks for your post. I do love a nutty muffin!
You’re welcome!! 🙂
Haha, my dad ALWAYS calls them muffins and I always have to correct him. Sigh.
Hemp hearts can be found at Whole Foods, Costco, or any natural food store. I do find that Costco has the best prices though! And they’re not necessary but they do add a bit if protein to the muffin!
I was going to ask what they are for. Do they taste OK? I guess growing up in Berkeley, I’m careful about ingesting too much hemp!
They taste fine (to me atleast). They are for added protein and contain Omega 3s, fibre, vitamins, and minerals and are great in smoothies, salads, yogurts, cereal, energy bars/balls…and baked goods! I’m from Vancouver, BC so hemp is pretty much everywhere…if you know what I mean 😉 haha!