These healthy breakfast muffins are jam-packed with nutritious ingredients, and are easily flexible to whatever add-ins you have on hand.

Dad’s morning muffins

Ingredients:

2 tsp vinegar
2 cups 1% milk
1 cup canola oil
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
1 cup white flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup bran
1 cup quick oats (alternatively you can use 1/2 cup spelt and 1/2 oat bran)
1/2 cup frozen or fresh fruit
Small chunks of banana, granola, toasted pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds (optional)

Method:

1. Stir vinegar into milk in a two-cup liquid measuring cup. Let stand. (This sours the milk.)

2. Meanwhile, blend together oil, brown sugar, eggs and molasses in a large mixing bowl or ice cream bucket using an electric hand mixer or a spoon and a good strong arm, until smooth.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt on a large piece of waxed paper. (You can also use white flour if that’s what you have.) Alternate adding dry ingredients and the soured milk a bit at a time into the brown sugar/oil mixture. As my mom taught me, always start with dry and end with dry. Stir in bran and quick oats to combine. You can make these right away or cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to make fresh.

4. When ready to bake muffins, preheat oven to 350º F. Scoop out enough batter to make the amount of muffins you want. Gently stir in frozen or fresh fruit a bit at a time. (You don’t want to water down the batter with too much fruit or the muffins won’t cook properly.) Scoop into sprayed muffin tins or use paper liners. Fill approx 2/3 full. We like to top these with a little granola, toasted pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds. It gives them that nice bistro look.

5. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes clean, approx 20-25 minutes.

Courtesy Sandi Richard, www.cookingfortherushed.com