Triple Berry Chia Seed Muffins

August 28, 2014 | | | |
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5 from 3 votes

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healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffinsIn case you haven’t noticed, it’s been full-blown back-to-school mania on the interwebs over the past two weeks, and it’s getting to me. I’ve been out of the classroom for five a few years, yet advertisers have successfully managed to make me feel like I need all manner of fancy school supplies and a new lunchbox or my life is going to end.

Kudos to the Staples marketing team.

Truth be told, I really miss school, and I wouldn’t mind going back for a bit. The real world is scary always sometimes, and school sounds like a nice vacation. Doesn’t it?

To be clear, when I say “school,” I’m not talking about college. I definitely couldn’t do kollege again. When my roommate asked me last night, “How sweet would it be if we were going back to college this week??!!!” I got a little itchy/anxious. My old woman liver (and soul) felt actual pain just thinking about it.

(FYI: Logan, who is almost four years my senior, believes he would “absolutely CRUSH” a second round of college. Terrifying.)

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-2I’d be pretty psyched to relive my elementary school days though—preferably kindergarten through second or third grade. God knows I love me some chapter books, freeze tag, and art class, and I would “absolutely CRUSH” juice boxes and naptime. Ahhhh to rock shortalls and butterfly clipped cornrows again…

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-3For better or worse, reminiscing about my grade school glory years inevitably leads to an intense craving for a muffin. I know that may sound random, but it actually makes total sense because I ate a truly ridiculous amount of muffins as a child.

In fact, some of my fondest childhood memories involve trips to a bakery in our LA ’hood where my sister and I inhaled warm Cherry Streusel muffins and kiddie hot chocolates before school. I can’t remember the name of the bakery (which will annoy me all day), but those muffins were epic. Fluffy, studded with perfectly tart-sweet cherries, and topped with a crunchy, brown sugar-y crumble, they were all kinds of love and happiness on my young taste buds.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-4Between the aforementioned Cherry Streusel bad boys, Mrs. Beasley’s lemon mini muffins (if you live in LA and have never tried those, get on it), and the Costco blueberry muffins that my mom always stocked in our pantry (don’t judge, you know they’re dank), I probably consumed at least one muffin a day for like five years.

Confessions of a childhood muffin addict.

So yesterday morning, when yet another “back-to-school” ad popped up on my computer screen, I figured it was as good a time as any to make muffins. However, because traditional muffins are essentially giant cupcakes and less than thong bikini-friendly, I decided to give mine a more nutritious spin. Enter: Triple Berry Chia Seed Mini Muffins.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-5I made several batches to get these muffins just right, and sweet baby Jesus, they are glorious. The batter is thick enough to keep all the luscious berries from sinking to the bottom (the worst!), and each bite is light, fluffy and perfectly sweet.

Most baked goods involving flour, sugar, and fruit are pretty good, but it’s the little things that make these muffins so addictive. A pinch of cinnamon, a sprinkling of lemon zest, a splash of vanilla, a drizzle of honey, three different types of berries—All these tiny things combine to give the muffins some serious depth in the flavor department. It’s magical.

Plus, they’re surprisingly healthy! Instead of butter, I used a combination of heart-healthy coconut oil and non-fat Greek yogurt, which keeps the muffins incredibly moist (sorry). You’ve also got plenty of antioxidant-rich berries in there, and superfood chia seeds provide an added boost of protein, fiber and omega-3s. (For more information/fangirling on chia seeds, see here.) Joy of JOYS.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-6As always, feel free to adapt these muffins to suit your tastes. I originally wanted to make them with cherries, but they didn’t have any at my market, so I went the berry route. I think fresh cherry muffins would be just as delightful (let me know if you try them), as would peach, nectarine, fig (?!), or straight up blueberry. Add some nuts if you like. You do you.

If you want to get really wild, you could even try topping your muffins with the walnut crumble from this banana bread. That would be awesome.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-7These easy Triple Berry Chia Seed Mini Muffins are the perfect on-the-go breakfast or smart snack, friends. I imagine that they would also be very popular with small children, so if you happen to have one or more (yikes) of those running around, do them a solid and pack a couple in their lunchbox. You should also take these muffins to sports games when it’s your snack day because everyone loves the parent with the good snacks (aka not orange slices).

Happy back-to-schooling!

Triple Berry Chia Seed Mini Muffins: (Makes about 20 mini muffins)

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-8Ingredients:
1 large egg
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup liquid coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen berries (I used equal parts blueberries, raspberries, and diced strawberries)
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Preparing your Triple Berry Chia Seed Mini Muffins:

-Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

-In a medium bowl whisk the egg and sugar for about a minute.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-1-Add the yogurt, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and lemon zest and whisk to combine.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-2-In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-3-Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-4-Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix, people. (Over-mixed batter=dense muffins) The batter will be pretty thick, almost like cookie dough. It’s a good thing.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-5-Gently fold in the berries and chia seeds.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-6-Spoon heaping tablespoons of batter into the prepared muffin tin. You should have enough batter for about 20 mini muffins. (Obviously, double or triple that amount if you’re using a standard or large muffin tin.)

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-9-Bake for 15-17 minutes until the tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-step-8-Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Or just eat them warm. They’re really, really good warm…

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-10

Triple Berry Chia Seed Muffins

Author - Serena Wolf
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup liquid coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen berries I used equal parts blueberries, raspberries, and diced strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl whisk the egg and sugar for about a minute. Add the yogurt, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and lemon zest and whisk until well combined.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix, people. (Over-mixed batter=dense muffins) The batter will be pretty thick, almost like cookie dough. It’s a good thing.
  • Gently fold in the berries and chia seeds.
  • Spoon heaping tablespoons of batter into the prepared muffin tin. You should have enough batter for about 20 mini muffins. (Obviously, double or triple that amount if you’re using a standard or large muffin tin.)
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes until the tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
  • Let the mini muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Or you could just eat them warm...

healthy-triple-berry-chia-seed-muffins-11MUFFIN PORN.

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16 Comments

  1. Kate Godlewski on May 8, 2022 at 5:31 pm

    Hi! Could I sub maple syrup for the honey? I want to make for my son but babies can’t have honey for a little. Thank you!

  2. Emily on July 8, 2020 at 6:21 am

    Just made these and tried to make a few substitutions with what I had on hand and wanted to report back! I used coconut sugar and almond flour but kept measurements and other ingredients the same. The flavor is insanely good! However, the batter was a little liquidy and so the muffins weren’t as firm. I’ll try again with regular flour and sugar – delicious recipe!

  3. Bronwyn Weekes on July 8, 2020 at 6:06 am

    Do you have a calorie count for these?

  4. Maria Bishop on July 8, 2020 at 6:04 am

    I made these this weekend. I only had raspberries and strawberries, so it was more of a double berry muffin, but it was so good! Bonus, they were a light shade of pink, which is basically perfect for the week of Valentine’s Day! I didn’t have a lemon either, so no lemon zest. But considering how wonderful these tasted without the extra berry and lemon zest, I can’t wait to make them again! I shared a few with my mom (reluctantly, but it is nice to share, am I right?) and she immediately texted after she ate them that they were so good. These are also husband approved, he even helped bake these, that’s a winner my friends.

  5. Courtney on March 27, 2017 at 10:16 am

    Just made these last night…will be making again in the VERY near future. Holy crap. BEST MUFFIN EVER. I am not a health-food nut. I am super out of shape. Circus peanuts are one of my favorite snacks. I was afraid these muffins would taste too healthy (wow, I feel a kind of shame writing that…) but they really are the best muffin I’ve ever made. Usually my muffins come out like little biscuits…kind of crumbly, a little salty, etc. These are moist, the taste is excellent, the texture is awesome. I can’t say enough good things. The fact that they also contain lots of really good ingredients is an excellent perk!

    • Serena Wolf on March 29, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      YESSSS, so happy to hear of this muffin victory!! And thank you for reminding me to work these babies back into my own rotation–I forgot how awesome these are! xo

  6. Ashley S on June 25, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    I tried this recipe using mixed berries, and lemon juice instead of lemon zest (juice from a whole lemon), and it turned out delicious! These will definitely be a regular around here, and a popular lunchbox item when my son starts school this August! Thanks for the recipe =)

    Happy Modern Hippy

  7. Ashley S on June 24, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    This sounds delicious! Is there anything I can use instead of lemon zest, such as lemon juice? My attempt at getting zest with a peeler turned into zest peels, and I wasn’t able to cut them very fine with a knife.

  8. Katie on June 3, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    I’ve made these twice, both times with fresh cherries, and they were the best muffins I’ve ever had! I pitted the cherries and then ran them through the blender for about 5 seconds. I even made a batch to freeze for easy breakfasts (although I’m tempted to eat them all right now, straight from the freezer. They’re that good!)

    • Serena_Wolf on June 5, 2015 at 6:59 pm

      AH, I’m so happy you made them with cherries. It’s what I initially wanted to do for these and I’ve never gotten around to it!! Question–are you pureeing the cherries and swirling them in? Or are they just sort of chopped by the blender?? (Inquiring minds want to know…)

      • Katie on June 6, 2015 at 12:42 pm

        Well, my initial plan was to chop them with the blender because I was too lazy to do it by hand. I turned the blender on low for 5 seconds and thought they would be nicely chopped. I think it’s because they’re so juicy, but they ended up more like a puree with a ton of cherry juice. I still mixed it into the batter and didn’t need to add any extra flour! So the muffins turned out more purple from the cherry juice with little pieces of cherries throughout instead of larger chunks of fruit. I hope that makes sense!

  9. Meredith Eng on March 31, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    These are insanely easy to make, and I had basically everything in my pantry already (except the chia seeds, which I bought from the bulk bin at Whole Foods so I didn’t have to commit to an entire package.) I have to say, the batter is amazing, and I got a ton of compliments on the muffins themselves! I thought the muffins were tasty but I liked the batter a little bit better. Regardless, so easy to make that I suggest everyone try it!

    • Serena_Wolf on March 31, 2015 at 2:35 pm

      Thanks, Meredith! Psyched that these were a hit. I don’t actually think I tried the raw batter, but very happy to hear that it was delicious…

  10. thea on August 29, 2014 at 5:23 am

    Chia seeds are great to use in muffins. I’d love to make a gluten free version of these!

    • Serena_Wolf on September 1, 2014 at 7:06 pm

      I was thinking of experimenting with a gluten-free version as well, Thea! Let me know if you have success on that front!

5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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