Today, I’ve got the most amazing soft and fluffy simple almond muffins. These muffins are filled with almond flavour and are similar to an almond croissant flavour wise without all the fat and butter. The most delicious muffin to snack on.
Almond is one of my absolute favourite flavours and these almond muffins absolutely deliver on that. They are packed with almond flavour while also being higher in fibre and protein than a typical muffin. These muffins are easy to make ahead and freeze and work great for breakfasts or snacks on the go.
If you like to do brunch, these are also a great healthier option to make for a crowd. Easy to dress up with some icing sugar on top or some citrus zest for Spring or Easter. These muffins are an easy crowd pleaser and look so cute on a brunch tray or table.
For some other brunch options, check out my healthier chocolate chip muffins or my vanilla cupcakes with lemon marshmallow frosting for a lighter dessert option.
What Kind of Almond Flour?
For these almond muffins and most baking recipes, you want a fine ground almond flour. This is different then almond meal which is made from ground unpeeled almonds. Fine ground almond flour is made from blanched almonds and will be a much finer texture. If you don’t want to spend too much money, Costco’s big bag of almond flour is what I use and it is generally much cheaper.
Are These Almond Muffins Gluten Free?
No, while they have almond flour, they also have regular flour which contains gluten.
If you’d like a gluten free muffin or bread, try my chocolate almond banana muffins or my oat flour peanut butter bread.
How to Get the Tall Muffin Tops
There’s a couple important steps here besides the recipe itself that will assure you tall bakery style tops. First is letting the batter rest for 15 minutes.
Next is starting the oven temperature higher at 425°F, forcing the muffins to rise quickly. Just make sure to turn the temperature back down after 5 minutes or they’ll become dry.
Third, is filling each one so it’s almost overflowing. This is also why you need to let the batter rest. The water molecules will start to absorb leading to a thicker batter. Then you can overfill without making a big mess.
Last is optional and it’s only filling 6 of the muffin cups in your pan. So you fill every other cup. This allows heat to better spread and gives the muffins more room to grow. You can skip this step but your muffins won’t rise as much. The muffins pictured were all baked at once in a 12 muffin tin so I skipped this last step.
How to Properly Measure Flour
So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!
If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.
1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.
2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)
4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.
How to Store Muffins
When storing these oatmeal banana chocolate chip muffins, follow these steps:
- Fully cool the muffins, otherwise they’ll get gummy and soggy.
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of an airtight container or bag.
- Put the muffins on top of the paper towel.
- Lay another paper towel on top of the muffins.
- Seal and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze Muffins
If you want to freeze these, follow these steps:
- Fully cool the muffins
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of an airtight container or bag.
- Put the muffins on top of the paper towel in a single layer.
- Lay another paper towel on top of the muffins.
- Seal and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To eat, take amount you need out and let thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or heat in the microwave in 20 second increments. Be cautious if using the microwave when feeding children or toddlers, it can leave hot spots.
Benefits of Whole Wheat vs. White Flour
When baking healthier snacks, treats or breakfasts, I’m a big fan of using whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, also known as white flour. There are many benefits to this including a higher concentration of minerals like copper, magnesium and iron. This is important for me personally as like many women, I’ve had issues with low iron in my life.
There is also a larger source of B vitamins in whole wheat flour which provides energy. Whole wheat flour has a higher protein content as well as more fibre, both of which can keep you feeling full longer. Another great thing about whole wheat flour is it can add a little extra flavour bringing a hint of nuttiness to certain bakes.
The only cons of using whole wheat flour that I know of is sometimes it can make a recipe more dense, which is why I typically add more moisture to my recipes. In doing this, I generally don’t notice that I’m eating a whole wheat flour muffin instead of a white flour muffin.
The other downside is I know everybody doesn’t keep whole wheat flour on hand. Well, I never used to either and now I can’t imagine not having it in the house. I buy a large 10kg bag for the exact same price as an all purpose bag of flour and have never had it go bad on me. I highly recommend keeping some on hand so you can make guilt free muffins, quick breads or whatever you want! In saying this, if the recipe doesn’t call for it, I don’t recommend swapping whole wheat flour for white flour, they’re generally not a 1 to 1 substitute.
If you’d like more information on the nutritional benefits, head to https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/whole-grains/. There are lots of great sources of nutritional information on the Harvard website that is backed up by multiple sources.
Baking Tips
- Make sure not to overmix the batter or you will end up with a very tough, dense muffin. Gently fold the batter until just combined.
- Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature for the best bake and texture.
- Make sure you are using a superfine ground almond flour for the best texture.
- Don’t use almond meal for these muffins, only almond flour.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Whole Wheat Muffins
Today’s song is by one of my favourite all time bands. Here’s Rivers and Roads by The Head and the Heart. Happy baking! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Simple Almond Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 2 tsp (6g) cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (45g) canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 cup (220g) unsweetened almond milk (or any kind of milk)
- 1/3 cup (75g) plain Greek nonfat yogurt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
- Zest from 1 lemon or 1 orange (optional)
Optional Topping
- 1/4 cup (25g) sliced almonds
- 1/2 tbsp (5g) icing sugar
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Whisk until well combined. Add the oil, milk, yogurt, vanilla extract and almond extract and whisk until combined. (if you're adding orange or lemon zest, add that here as well and whisk it in)
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and fold until just combined. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 425℉ while you wait.
- Line or spray 12 muffin tins. Fill each tin to almost overflowing. Use all of the batter! As we've rested the batter, it won't actually spill out the sides. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of each muffin if you like.
- Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes and then without opening the oven door, drop the temperature to 350℉ and bake for an additional 10-13 minutes or until they spring back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean. Once fully cooled, add icing sugar to a small strainer and sprinkle over top of the muffins if you like. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days and enjoy!
I love a simple almond flavoured bake and these muffins are that. Great for breakfast or snacking on the go!
If you give them a try, leave a star rating and review and let me know what you think!