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By Nutritionist and GoodnessMe Box Health Editor Melissa Fine.
There’s nothing like a healthy homemade muffin, but for some of us, a muffin’s not a muffin without a generous amount of icing. If you’re trying to clean up your eats, here are some nutritious, tasty and time-saving alternatives to butter and sugar-laden icing.
1) Nut Butter: To me this is better than icing…Try drippy, dry-roasted and salted almond butter on a banana muffin made with almond meal and you’ll see what I mean (Check out the good-for-you banana muffin mix by Bake Mixes for a last minute baking session or if you’re short on time). Vitamin E-rich almond butter will also boost healthy fat and protein content of your muffin if you’re making a meal of it.
2) Unsweetened Greek Yoghurt: Go for the full fat varieties – They’re much creamier and thicker and more icing-like than the watery, low fat kind. And because it’s a little tart, it will balance out the sweetness your muffin perfectly. Don’t do dairy? Try coconut yoghurt instead, a great vegan icing substitute.
3) Mashed Banana: An instant ‘icing’ packed with potassium, fibre and only natural sweetness, this is a much healthier option to any artificially coloured, banana-flavoured icing.
4) Coconut Oil: Spread a teaspoon of this nutty, nutritious oil onto a muffin fresh out of the oven and it will melt beautifully; I love how coconut oil adds a subtly sweet taste without the sugar.
5) Quark: Wondering what this is? Pronounced ‘kwark’, this is a soft cheese that resembles cottage cheese and which tastes a bit like tart yoghurt. A dollop of quark on your muffin will up its protein and calcium content; Try it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and if you’d like, a drizzle of rice malt syrup or honey.
To find out more go to: www.bakemixes.com.au