The Perfect Peanut Butter Muffin

The quest for "The Perfect Peanut Butter Muffin"  has ended, and  I am thrilled to share this fabulous recipe with you.

 If you have any peanut butter fans in your home, you simply MUST make these wonderful little gems.  They are super moist, and possibly even better after they have been around for a day.  This is passing awesome if you are a super busy mom, like me!!!  

The male populace here has not complained  about all the test tasting, as I searched for  Peanut Butter Perfection.

Peanut Butter does not happen to be one of my favorite ingredients, but in this home I am out numbered 5 to 1.
EVERYONE else  (and I mean every single person, even down to the little Itty Bitty) adores peanut butter.
The concept of a Peanut Butter Muffin is lovely because it packs some extra protein and nutrients and makes it perfect for a quick breakfast. I was amazed how hard it was to actually fill all my requirements and come up with a truly wonderful muffin.

My requirements include:

• Freshly ground, Whole Grains
• Raw Sweetener
• Natural Peanut Butter
• Healthy Oils/Fats

 I made more than a few muffins.

• Too dense.
• Too dry.
• Too crumbly

Like these peanut butter muffins pictured below.

Uggh! they look exactly as crumbly as they were.  But they were not wasted. The men just poured milk on them and asked for more.

I finally created my own recipe, an adaptation/combinatioin of several recipes that I found online.  The hardest part was the whole grains which tended, when combined with the peanut butter, to make the muffin dry and crumbly.  These are most certainly anything but dry, and even I (the non-peanut butter fan) will eat one of these muffins with  pleasure.

If you are struck with the unaccountable urge for some peanut butter in you life..  These muffins just might be what your looking for.

Perfect Peanut Butter Muffins

In a large bowl combine:

• 1 1/2 cups freshly milled Whole Wheat Flour - (preferably soft white wheat, finely ground a.k.a. Pastry Flour)
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or Real Salt
• 1 1/2 c. Raw Sugar (Demerara, Turbinado, or Sucanat), Brown Sugar could be substituted.

In another medium sized bowl wisk together:

• 1/2 cup applesauce -( I may try adding 1/2 cup of mashed banana and see how that works)
• 1/2 cup oil (coconut/ sunflower/or palm oil) or whatever you normally use.
• 1 cup All Natural Peanut Butter - crunchy peanut butter is nice, but smooth is fine
• 2 eggs -Free Range is my choice, naturally
• 1 1/2 cups Raw Milk (we use our own fresh goat milk)
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Make an indentation in the flour bowl and pour in the wet ingredients and if desired add:

• 1 cup mini choc chips (optional)

Gently stir both mixtures together just until combined, using a gentle folding motion.  Do NOT over stir, or your muffin crumb will be dryer and more crumbly.

Spoon into muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with cupcake papers.  An icecream scoop works nicely for even proportions.  This is exactly the right amount of batter for 24 muffins.  These muffins do not rise as much as some muffins and you need not be alarmed at the rather full tins.  

Bake at 350 until set, which I believe is about 20 min but I will be honest and tell you that I have yet to time them.  I am so sorry.  I Always forget to time and just check them "at the right time".  So maybe set your timer for 15 min and then keep checking them until they are set and no longer soft in the center.  Then do me a favor and leave a comment and let me know how long that was for you. Grins.

Enjoy! 

If you like peanut butter, you might also love Peanut Butter Granola Clusters.