Pear Cardamom Muffins

I'm always looking for healthy breakfast and snack options to maintain variety.  Muffins are quick and delicious, but tend to be packed with sugar making them a less than ideal option for a nutrient packed start to your morning or pick me up throughout the day.  Therefore, I challenged myself to create a muffin that is healthy and flavorful!  And voila, I'm presenting you with my pear cardamom muffins.

These muffins are quick and simple to make, easy to snack on the go, and great for freezing.  They are packed with flavor and you wouldn't even know they are healthy too.

The base for these muffins is whole wheat flour.  It adds a pleasant nutty flavor and because whole wheat flour tends to dry out baked goods, I have paired it with Greek yogurt and coconut oil to maintain a moist muffin.  You will see that your batter will be on the denser side, but not to worry it will bake with a nice tender texture.  In place of refined sugar, I have used coconut sugar which adds a subtle brown sugar-like flavor.

I find that cardamom can easily become overpowering.  It goes well with pears, you can use any pear variety that you enjoy, and the addition of the orange zest is a nice balance to the spice.  If you are not a fan of cardamom, as it is unique flavor, you can easily substitute cinnamon.

The key to making muffins is not to over mix your batter otherwise your muffin will come out tough and unpleasantly chewy.  Always carefully fold your fruit in as the last step.  You can omit the sprinkle of turbinado sugar, but I think you will enjoy the added subtle crunch on top of your muffins.

These muffins are perfect with a hot cup of coffee in the morning.  And if you want a balance to the healthy muffins, you can always schmear a tiny bit of butter or cream cheese in the middle of these muffins while they are still slightly warm.

Pear Cardamom Muffin

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• Yield: 18 muffins 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 cup (250 g) plain Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup (70 g) coconut oil, melted
• 2 large (100 g) eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 ½ cups (210 g) whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup (130 g) coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (150 g) diced pear, plus extra for topping
• Turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.  Grease a standard muffin tin and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt.  Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until completely combined.  Fold in diced pear.
4. Fill the tins ⅔ full.  Place small slices of extra pear on each muffin and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
5. Bake for 14-16 minutes.  Remove and cool completely.