Healthy Cornmeal Avocado Muffin Recipe with Cheddar Cheese

There are many blissful things about summertime. Lazy afternoon at the pool, long summer evenings…and not being required to pack lunch boxes every evening. As much as I love being able to tuck sandwiches and snacks into my boys’ lunch boxes, there are times when it seems downright tedious.

Is there such a thing as lunch maker’s block? I think I have a bad case of it. Really, there are only so many pb & j or turkey and cheddar sandwiches that two boys can handle!

This year I’m determined to “wow” my kids with my lunch-making prowess (ha!), surprising them with brilliantly re-purposed leftovers, leftover sandwiches and savory muffins. Please remind me of this when I start griping in the middle of the school year.

This healthy take on corn muffins combines whole wheat pastry flour with cornmeal. Regular whole wheat flour can also be used, resulting in a slightly denser muffin.

Some of the fats traditionally found in corn muffins, such as whole milk and butter, are replaced with low-fat buttermilk and mashed California avocados. The latter adds in healthy fats, along with fiber, potassium (more than bananas…really), vitamin E, folic acid and various B vitamins.

While there are green flecks of avocado in the muffins, the taste of the healthy fruit is subtle. And make no mistake – these are not your usual sweet corn muffins. Rather, they have a savory flavor from some shredded Cheddar cheese.

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and smashed avocado.

Stir the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture just until combined. Stir in 1/3 cup Cheddar cheese.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese over top of the muffins.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve or store in an airtight container.

• Other avocado recipes:
• Cookin’ Canuck’s Shrimp, Corn & California Avocado Pasta Salad
• Cookin’ Canuck’s Black Bean Sliders with Creamy California Avocado Sauce
• I Wash…You Dry’s Frozen Mango Lassi with Sweetened California Avocados
• Gimme Some Oven’s Grilled Pineapple, Chicken & Avocado Salad
• Dine & Dish’s Smoky California Avocado Tortilla Stacks
• A Southern Fairytale’s Creamy Avocado Sorbet with Candied Pistachio Brittle
• Healthy Cornmeal Avocado Muffin Recipe with Cheddar Cheese
• From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
• Ingredients
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup smashed avocado (about 3/4 avocado)
• 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and smashed avocado.

Stir the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture just until combined.

Stir in 1/3 cup Cheddar cheese.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese over top of the muffins.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Notes

Calories 150.2 / Total Fat 5.2g / Saturated Fat 1.8g / Cholesterol 52.4mg / Sodium 412.7mg / Total Carbohydrates 21.5g / Fiber 2.7g / Sugar 5.3g / Protein 5.8g / WW (Old Points) 3 / WW (Points+) 4

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