Low Calorie Muffin Recipe

We can take our muffins into so many different directions whether we're dieting or not. We can make them sweet. We can make them corny. We can add all sorts of healthy Food Group candidates to them - from vegetables to fruit.

Another perk to muffin recipes is that the basic recipe requires only a few ingredients and can be assembled in a matter of minutes in one's humble kitchen.

Ingredients for Basic Low Calorie Muffin Recipe
1 ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
¼ to ½ cup of Splenda which measures like sugar (you control sweetness)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup of skim milk
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

Simple combine the dry ingredients; make a well in center and add the wet ingredients. Fill the muffin cups and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until golden brown - or until the batter is fully cooked. There are multiple methods for checking for doneness, but with muffins - just by glancing at these golden babies, we can judge quite well using our eyes - and of course, the sniffing power of our nose.

This entire low calorie muffin recipe contains about 1,050 calories and makes quite a few muffins. Your Muffin Mileage will depend upon the size of pan used; if a mini is put to use - then you can double the amount of muffins produced in comparison to using a regular-sized pan. If a grandiose pan is used, the number produced is further reduced in comparison to the regular-sized pan.

Recipe Tip: To make other varieties of muffins, simply add dried fruits, extracts and spices - like the following Diet Bites recipe.

Diet Recipe Ingredients for Apple & Cinnamon Muffins:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of Splenda (measures like sugar variety & add more or less to suit personal taste)
1/4 Tablespoons of Unsweetened Applesauce
1/2 cup of low fat vanilla flavored coffee creamer
1 egg, slightly beaten
Dried Apples - 1 Tablespoon soaked in a bit of warm water, then chopped before adding to recipe (optional)
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Whole Oats & Brown Sugar (light or dark)

Mix all of the ingredients into a batter; pour into greased muffin pan or cupcake holders. Sprinkle top of batter with dried whole oats and brown sugar. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until done.

If you're planning on serving soup, cornbread or chili on the menu - then a corn-based muffin is preferable and as with the flour-based recipe, this recipe also goes together very quickly. We recommend oiling the pan or tin that will be used in the oven - then heating the pan so that they batter takes on a crispy texture once baked.

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup of yellow cornmeal (or white)
1/4 cup of Splenda (measures like sugar variety)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup of skim or reduced fat milk
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil plus additional oil to coat baking pan

Combine dry ingredients; pour into heated pan containing the thin coat of cooking oil. Bake at 425 degrees in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown if a baking pan is used. For muffins, the cooking time will be shorter based on the size of the pan or tin used.