If I make an attempt and try to eat healthier, all I crave are donuts, chocolate, and wine. The idea of not being able to eat copious amounts of sugar makes me want to do just that. In order to compromise, I decided to make a healthier muffin that can still satisfy my sweet tooth. By using whole wheat flour, incorporating fruit, and cutting down on the oil and sugar, I created what I call "the way to start the new year" muffin. Presenting chai spiced pear muffins with oatmeal streusel and vanilla honey butter! Okay so the butter may defeat the purpose of being healthy, but IT'S SO GOOD. So good in fact, that I have served myself a muffin every morning for the past week.
Chai Spiced Pear Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel
Ingredients
Oatmeal Streusel
- ¾ cup rolled oats (60 grams)
- ½ cup whole wheat flour (65 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup melted butter (113 grams)
Vanilla honey butter
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chai Pear Muffins
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130 grams)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (130 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (14 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (150 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk (250 ml)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (62 ml)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups pear, peeled and chopped (200 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter until well combined. Chill in the fridge while you make the muffin batter.
- Whip together softened butter with honey and vanilla. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients for chai pear muffins including all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together milk with vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Stir in chopped pear.
- Fill muffin pan ¾ full and top with streusel topping. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla honey butter.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Whenever I make a warm fruit baked good with lovely spices, I can't help but top it with a streusel. The pumpkin apple streusel cake I made a couple of months ago just wouldn't be the same if it wasn't finished with a streusel. These chai spiced pear muffins are the same in that effect. To make it a little healthier, I decided to make it an oatmeal streusel (plus oats and pears just sound like a great combination).
These muffins are pretty standard in the way you prepare them. First, mix together your dry ingredients, then your wet ingredients, and combine everything together. The only difference in this recipe is the blend of spices. To make a chai spiced muffin, add cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and cardamom to the batter.
Even though most streusel recipes call for you to use cold butter, I prefer to use melted because it's easier to mix. Just pop the streusel in the fridge to chill the butter while you make the muffin batter.
I used Bartlett pears for the muffins but you can also use Bosc and Anjou. Make sure to peel the pears for the best texture and cut them into small chunks. If the fruit is cut too large you won't get an even amount of pears in the muffins.
Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the muffins are baking, make the vanilla honey butter. Whenever you make flavored butter, remember to use softened butter, but make sure it's not completely melted. Side note, did you know that a lot of the honey sold in America is not real honey? I recently discovered this on a Netflix food documentary and am now very wary about the honey products I purchase. Anyways, whip up the ingredients and set them aside.
Let the muffins cool slightly before serving. I personally like my chai spiced pear muffins with oatmeal streusel served warm with a nice smear of vanilla honey butter. If you want to be extra fancy, drizzle on some extra honey!
I am in love with these muffins and for good reason. Now if someone can take these away from me...
For more muffin inspiration check out these blueberry cheesecake muffins!
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