Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Things That Make Me Go Mmmmm....Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

You would think we'd be into some summer recipes about now, right? Well, the rain is relentless, so I just want warm and cozy still. Plus, this recipe is BOMB.
 
Workout today:
90 minute intervals on the elliptical 
10 mins of core work
Usually Wednesday nights are spin nights for me, but I have to work tonight due to some surprises this weekend that I can't WAIT for...more on that tomorrow :)

I am totally chilled to the bone because of this dreary weather, and I was feeling the need to bake some warmth back into my life! Just having the oven on and the smell of baked goods warms my soul. My friend SB was watching me cook yesterday and she said..."Your favorite spice must be cinnamon." I laughed because she is TOTALLY right. I put it in everything...my oatmeal every morning...my protein shakes. I bake with it constantly. The smell makes me so happy, and let's not kid ourselves, it tastes divine. 

Cinnamon has also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, and help regulate blood sugar levels. Some studies also show it has an anti clotting effect on the blood, and may help decrease belly fat. Not bad if you ask me.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Muffins 
Makes 12 Muffins 

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small mashed ripe banana
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup splenda (or agave/honey/sugar free syrup)

Cinnamon Swirl Topping
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl combine mashed banana, skim milk, vanilla, and splenda. Mix that together. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the wet and combine. In another small bowl combine white sugar and cinnamon.
Spray your muffin tins or line tins with muffin liners. Put a large spoon full of batter into each tin. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover with another spoon full of batter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture. You can swirl each muffin with a toothpick to create swirls in the batter if you like. Bake in oven for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

I loved these muffins because they are dense and delicious. They have a sweet crisp outer shell, and are soft and moist inside. I ate mine with a little spray butter and it was YUMMY! Oh, and my kitchen smelled heavenly!

Nutrition Facts for One Muffin: 101 calories, .3 grams of fat, 21.6 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, 4.3 grams of sugar, and 2.9 grams of protein.
I think next time I will add a cup of greek yogurt to boost up the protein content and increase the moisture even more.

Do you like cinnamon as much as I do? What are your favorite uses for it? If not cinnamon, what is your favorite spice?

14 comments:

Jen said...

OH man, I just made banana bread with some iffy looking bananas or I would make these right now. I'm bookmarking it for sure though. YUM!

Mrs. JM said...

you did it again! you're so good at it ... making me drool. those look like some dEElish muffins. i'm trying super hard to up my protein for the month and lower my carbs. the last thing i need is to be tempted by a batch of these muffins so i'll wait 25 day before i get my baking on. i love cinnamon!

Rachelle Wardle said...

Yum! Those look delicious...can you make me some? I will definitely have to try this recipe sometime because I am a cinamon fanatic for sure.

Thanks for sharing and awesome workout! I can't help but be jealous of all the stellar workouts I read during my little taper.

Chelsea said...

I LOVE muffins... and these whole wheat ones look absolutely awesome.. I may have to try these!

The Hungry Runner Girl said...

I need those RIGHT NOW!!! Girl, I need to know the good news asap!!!!!! I will miss you tonight but meet us after at Yogurtland!??!

Emily @ Life On Food said...

I love cinnamon. I add it to so much of what I bake. My favorite is mixed in and on top of banana bread. My favorite splurge is cinnamon scones. Cinnamon ice cream oh my! I will definitely be trying these muffins.

Elle said...

I am not normally a fan of muffins cause they are so high in calories but these look really good. Copying that recipe for sure.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices too... on fruit, in my Rooibos tea, in coffee, on hot breakfast cereals, French toast, and on sweet potatoes... love the aroma. Makes me smile.

ruth said...

um I LOVE CINNAMON!!!! I am definately trying this recipe!!! it looks sooo good!

Anonymous said...

LOVE cinnamon. It's a lifesaver!!!

I cant wait to try making these muffins! YUM!

Holley @ Lunges and Lashes said...

how the heck did you get 90 mins on the elliptical! you have some serious stamina. the longest i can go is an hour and at the point i feel pretty amazing about myself.

COLORADOctor said...

I am totally obsessed w/ cinnamon. The muffins look deeelish I hope I have some time to bake this weekend so I can re-create. Annnddd whenever I feel like I worked out hard I see your daily workouts, which put me to shame! You rock girl!

*Allie* said...

Hi! I'm your newest follower and these look amazing!!! I can't wait to try one of your recipes!

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