Red, White, & Blue Skinny Muffin

If you can't tell, I'm really into skinny muffins. They are so good for you and so versatile! You can pretty much throw anything in there as an experiment, and it almost always ends up amazing.

For the 4th of July I decided to take my patriotism to a new level via the skinny muffin, of course. A red, white, and blue muffin just so happens to be good on any day of the week, though, even the 5th of July, which I found out for myself this morning.

Here's how the Red, White, & Blue Skinny Muffin is made.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1-ince slice of a medium banana, mashed
1 cage-free egg
2 packets Xylitol natural sweetener (Xylitol comes from the fibrous parts of plants, and compared to table sugar, it has a very low glycemic index and 40% fewer calories. I buy XyloSweet.)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 medium strawberry, diced
10 small fresh blueberries

1. Stir together everything except the strawberries and blueberries in a coffee mug.
2. Carefully fold in the berries.
3. Microwave for 75 seconds.
4. Remove from microwave and turn mug upside down to let muffin fall onto a plate.
5. Enjoy, and maybe even exclaim, "Happy birthday, America!" if you so desire.

The Banana & Nut Butter Skinny Muffin

Can you tell I'm enjoying the Skinny Muffin concept? I was in a peanut butter mood this morning and thought, "Hey! Why not make a peanut butter muffin?" I think most of my enjoyment in eating something I've created is in knowing that I was the artist of my food. It's so fun! Have you come up with any new food combos lately? I'd love to hear.

Serves one

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon all-natural nut butter (almond, peanut, etc.)

2 tablespoons mashed banana

1 cage-free egg

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 packet stevia

1. Put coconut oil and nut butter in a coffee mug and pop in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or till coconut oil is melted.

2. Add banana and egg to mug and beat. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. 

4. Microwave 70 seconds. 

5. Remove mug from microwave and turn upside down over a plate to let muffin fall out. And, literally, it slips right out! This muffin is a beautiful golden brown.

6. Cut muffin in half and take a bite! Prepare to be amazed.

The Friday Muffin

So it being Friday and all I was craving more of a "party" muffin. You know, like a muffin to let me start my Friday off with a little thrill and excitement. And that's when the perfect idea came to me. This Skinny Muffin I've been eating all week long for breakfast needed some chocolatey goodness!! Who's with me?

I looked in my fridge and what did I behold but a mason jar filled with Homemade Vegan Hot Chocolate I'd made the night before. (Basically when this hot chocolate recipe says it's "vegan," it means it's dairy free. I don't know any hot chocolate recipes to date that call for meat.)

Over night the hot chocolate I'd made had solidified a little, making it resemble a runny chocolate pudding. Perfect! So I added 2 tablespoons to the Skinny Muffin recipe and then spread a little more hot chocolate pudding on top with some coconut oil. So perfect for getting Friday started off right in a healthy-yet-chocolatey sort of way! Move over donuts. We've found The Friday Muffin.

Serves one

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon mashed banana

1 cage-free egg

2 tablespoons cold Homemade Vegan Hot Chocolate

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Put coconut oil in a coffee mug and pop in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or till coconut oil is melted. 

2. Add banana and egg to mug and beat. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. 

4. Microwave 60 seconds. 

5. Remove mug from microwave and turn upside down over a plate to let muffin fall out. And, literally, it slips right out! 

6. Cut muffin in half and spread coconut oil and more hot chocolate pudding over top. 

Happy Friday to you!

The Skinny Muffin—as seen on Dr. Oz

If you're looking for a fast, easy, and healthy breakfast, here's Jorge's Skinny Muffin as part of his "lose 80 pounds belly fat" diet. This muffin is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian, and it's oh-so good. Who knew flax seed would make such an amazing flour! This muffin is light and fluffy, unlike any gluten-free recipe I've tried.

The recipe you see below is after a little tweaking on my part. My first attempt at the recipe created a muffin that was too bland and too dry for my liking, so I experimented with adding apple sauce and then some banana, along with some more stevia. See what you think about my changes and feel free to do your own tweaking.

Serves one

1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons mashed banana
1 cage-free egg
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 packets stevia (I'd avoid the Steviva brand. I personally am repulsed by the taste.)
2 tablespoons blueberries

1. Put coconut oil and banana in a coffee mug and pop in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or till coconut oil is melted. 

2. Add egg to mug and beat. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries. Stir well. 

4. Now add blueberries, mixing without crushing the berries. 

5. Microwave 60 seconds. 

6. Remove mug from microwave and turn upside down over a plate to let muffin fall out. And, literally, it slips right out! 

7. Cut muffin in half and spread coconut oil over top. Add honey if you'd like it a little sweeter. ¡Buen provecho!