Kendra's Treats

These muffins are a twist on the Cinnamon Oat Bran Muffins I made about a year ago. As I was looking back at the Most Popular Recipes of 2014, the Cinnamon Oat Bran Muffins caught my attention. While they didn’t quite make the top 10, they were a close runner-up and one of my personal favorites of the year so I thought it would be neat to make a spin-off sweet potato oat bran muffin this year. Then I added some toasted pecans because pecans and sweet potatoes go so well together I just couldn’t resist ;). They were just as good if not better than the original! Sometimes my wild ideas work out. Other times, not so much (For example: barley porridge this morning. YUCK!).

I love the texture of oat bran muffins – they’re hardy, without being overly dense or heavy. One muffin will definitely fill you up and these are muffins you can feel good about eating. Leftovers keep well in the freezer too. If you loved my cinnamon oat bran muffins you should definitely give this recipe a try. Enjoy!

Toasted Pecan Sweet Potato Oat Bran Muffins

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat bran*
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato*
1/4 cup fat-free (or low-fat) buttermilk
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray 6 muffin cups with non-stick spray.
2. In bowl, whisk together flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add in egg, sweet potato, buttermilk, and oil and mix just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix (batter will be very stiff). Fold in pecans.
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups and bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 muffins.
*loosely adapted from Hodgson Mill

Nutritional Info (per muffin): 221 calories; 8.3 g fat; 34.6 g carbohydrates; 7.1 g protein.

Notes:
1. Nutritional info will vary slightly depending on what brand of oat bran you use. I used Hodgson Mill brand and it has 120 calories for 1/4 cup dry.
2. I used leftover baked sweet potato. Alternatively, you could microwave a sweet potato for 4-5 minutes or until soft, cool slightly, and then mash.