At the Virginia Renaissance Faire, I often get asked if I have anything diabetic friendly. And people dealing with diabetes are delighted when I say, “Yes! I do have diabetic friendly baked goods.” One of my taste testers, who is diabetic, once told me, ” I didn’t know diabetic friendly baked goods even existed” as she happily ate a Diabetic Friendly Cherry Almond Scone.
The Virginia Renaissance Faire runs from Mother’s Day in May for 5 consecutive weekends until early June. This post is coming shortly after the end of the Faire. And this recipe was a huge hit among both diabetic and non-diabetic patrons. Occasionally, non-diabetic patrons needed to be reminded to “please leave some for our diabetic patrons” because the word was out-those diabetic baked goods are yummy! And even better: these yummy muffins are only 13 grams of carbs each!
This recipe is presented as a suggestion and may not be appropriate for all diabetics. Please check with your doctor or dietitian to determine if food items made using this recipe can be safely incorporated into your diet.
The Inside Scoop
We cannot live by bread alone. Sometimes we need muffins! When I first set out to create diabetic baked goods, I knew I had to do something about the flour mix. All-purpose flours typically contain 21 grams of carbohydrates per 1/4 cup- far too many carbs to allow room for additional ingredients. My Diabetic Flour Mix was the result of extensive experimentation to produce a flour mix that was high in fiber, high in protein, low in carbohydrates and tasted good!
When both volumetric and weight measures are provided, the volumetric measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of Splenda is 24 grams. By volume, this measure will be less than 1 cup. Precise measuring is essential for diabetic baking to ensure accurate carbohydrate counts.
An apple a day? I use applesauce to replace some of the fat in most of my diabetic baked goods. I make my own applesauce; this allows me to control the thickness. If you are using purchased applesauce, place twice the required amount into a small saucepan and cook on a low heat until the applesauce is about the same thickness as egg whites and the applesauce coats a spoon. Cool the applesauce to room temperature.
Getting “Eggcited” about eggs? Warm eggs hold more air than cold eggs. Cold eggs, on the other hand, can result in a lumpy batter, and stodgy texture. To warm eggs quickly, place the eggs, still in the shell, in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes.
Crack eggs into a small bowl before adding to the batter. That way, it is easy to remove any bits of eggshell or bloody eggs. Whisk the eggs to break up the protein. The protein in eggs is the reason eggs are so important for the structure of baked goods; the broken protein molecules will try to recombine with the other protein molecules, thus forming a structure that helps to keep baked goods from deflating. (And believe me, trying to make baked goods without eggs can be VERY frustrating!)
I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill! For this recipe, do NOT use fresh blueberries; they add too much moisture to the recipe. Use frozen blueberries that have been thawed; much of the berries’ liquid will drain out when they are thawed.
Mix it up: Why do so many recipes tell one to whisk together the dry ingredients? This is important so that the leaveners and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which helps to ensure an even rise and texture.
GENTLY fold the dry and wet ingredients together. My Diabetic Flour Mix is very high in gluten proteins; any more than a gentle folding will cause it to become tough.
Chill out! Wheat bran is fiber and absorbs moisture poorly. It is essential to refrigerate the prepared batter for at least 4 hours to allow the flours time to absorb moisture and reduce the grittiness of the bran. I usually cover my batter bowl and refrigerate the batter overnight. Be sure to label your covered bowl with the name of the batter and the time of refrigeration.
I use a 2 ounce muffin as my standard when measuring out batter for diabetic muffins and cupcakes. However, with only 13 carbohydrates per two ounce serving, one can easily make this a larger 3 ounce muffin and still have only 19 1/2 carbs per muffin.
Due to variations in oven temperatures, begin checking for doneness after 18 minutes. If the muffins are firm to a gentle touch and appear baked, insert a metal cake tester into a muffin. If the metal cake tester is mostly dry, the muffins are done. If the muffins are not done, continue baking until a metal cake tester confirms that they are baked. I use a metal cake tester, rather than a toothpick, because metal cake testers are more accurate. Once done, place the muffin tins on a metal cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from tins to prevent condensation from forming on the bottom of the muffin.
Orange you glad you’re not a muffin? Although blueberries and lemons are usually combined in muffins, I used orange zest and orange extract in this recipe. Lemon zest and lemon extract gave the muffins a slightly bitter taste.
A Blueberry Orange Muffin that is not only delicious, at only13 grams of carbohydrates per muffin, it is Diabetic Friendly! Two Days Before Baking: Place approximately 300 g./ 2 cups Frozen Blueberries in a covered container; place in a refrigerator to thaw. If using commercial applesauce, reduce the applesauce by placing approximately 130 g./ ½ cup applesauce in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, and bring to a slow simmer. Let applesauce simmer until the sauce coats a spoon. Remove from heat; cool completely. One Day Before Baking: In a small bowl, whisk together My Diabetic Flour Mix, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest; set aside. Do NOT add the whole wheat pastry flour at this time. In a medium bowl, with a whisk or an electric mixer on low speed, mix together the eggs, Splenda Granulated Sweetener, granulated sugar, oil, 64 grams of the reduced applesauce, and orange extract. Gently fold the flour mix into the wet ingredients; mix until just combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When Ready to Bake: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 11 regular size cupcake/muffin cups with baking papers. Spray the baking papers with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Drain the blueberries. Place the blueberries in a paper towel-lined bowl and pat dry. Remove the paper towel and toss the blueberries with the 30 grams/ ¼ cup of reserved Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Gently fold the blueberries, and any flour remaining in the bowl, into the batter. Measure 2 ounces of blueberry batter into each baking cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a metal cake tester, when inserted into the middle of a muffin, comes out clean. Place muffin tins on cooling racks; cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from baking tins and place directly onto the cooling racks; cool completely. Enjoy!Diabetic Friendly Orange Blueberry Muffins
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition
Diabetic Flour Mix
Ingredients by Weight Grams of Carbohydrates
30.0g./ 4T Sprouted Whole Wheat
Or Whole Wheat Flour 21.0g.
27.5g./ 5T Wheat Germ* 12.5
16.0g./ 4T Wheat Bran* 7.0
7.0g./ 1T Amaranth *** 4.75
11.0g./ 2T Oat Flour** 10.0
Total: 91.5 g per cup 55.25 grams of carbohydrates per cup of flour
* Grind in a coffee grinder or a grinder specifically for grinding grains
** Look for oat flours with lower carbohydrate counts
***Amaranth can be found among gluten-free flours or at health food
stores. If not, substitute cornstarch, potato starch or tapioca starch, although the carbohydrate content is slightly higher.
Nutrition Information Per Cup:
Total Carbs: 55.25 g.
Total Fat: 4.75 g.
Total Fiber: 16.13 g.
Sugar and “other”: 23.00 g.
Protein: 17.10 g.
To make a larger batch to store for future use:
Ingredient x5
Sprouted Whole Wheat
Or Whole Wheat Flour 150.0g.
Wheat Germ 137.5g.
Wheat Bran 80.0g.
Amaranth 35.0g.
Oat Flour 55.0g.
Total weight for 5 cups: 457.5 g.
No Comments