My muffins need some help.

[davisme]

I need some help my muffins are too flat/condensed, meaning there is not enough fluff in them. I don't have my exact recipe on hand however I can tell you what is in them. I bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes (depending on what pan I use)

1 /4 cup Oil (I use coconut oil)
Flax seed (to help replace some of the oil that is used in the recipe)
3/4 cup of honey
wheat germ (around 1/4 cup) Could add more if I feel like it.
2-3 bananas
Blueberry soy yogurt (1/2 cup)
If I have blueberrries on hand I also put some in that have been pureed
1 cup + 2 table spoons of white flour
1/2 cup of wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of baking soda
Couple of handfuls of choc chips

Should I add in more baking soda? More flour?

[Chinese Pistache]

Do you not add eggs or egg substitutes? That helps with leavening and binding.

[davisme]

oops! Yes 2 eggs.

[Carley]

I see a lot of dense ingredients in relation to the flour! Waaay too many bananas! The total "oil" ingredients should probably be around 2 1/2 to 2 1/4 cups to 3 cups flour to compensate for the honey in lieu of granular sugar. I also don't see any baking powder!

What is the original recipe? Are you blending the flax seed with water?

This is what I would try:

Originally Posted by davisme

2 cups pastry flour
1 cup of wheat flour
wheat germ (around 1/4 cup - cut flour amt by 1/8 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
2/3 - 1 tsp of baking soda

Combine the following to equal 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups
Oil
Flax seed (use less - very dense)
bananas (use less - very dense - consider applesauce)

3/4 cup of honey

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt or 1 cup buttermilk/kefir

If you have blueberrries on hand don't puree them

Couple of handfuls of choc chips

I would also try reducing the temperature slightly to compensate for the honey. I'd bake at 360 & check them at the normal time.

[cristeen]

Where's the baking powder? Baking soda alone will not do it.

From what you posted, you should expect a denser "tea bread" type of texture, rather than fluffy muffins, though. The pureed fruit will do that - you have far too much liquid for the amount of flour (honey counts as a liquid for this purpose).

And flax seed is not an oil replacer, it is an egg replacer, so that may also be affecting your texture.

[davisme]

so try more flour, more baking soda, and put in some baking powder.

See this is why I don't try to convert my recipes into something healthier. I don't know what I am doing. I do swear thought that I had read on the back of the Bob Mill's ground flaxseed bag that I could use ground flaxseed in a 3:1 ratio to oil in a recipe. Hmmm, never knew it could be used as an egg replacer. Awesome!

Thanks ladies. I knew I could get some help from you. Of to experiment some more. For what it's worth they have realy nice flavor right now.

[Carley]

^Hey! No... you are right... it can be used as an oil sub... just cut down the amount of oil and oil substitutes (the 4 I listed) to equal the amount called for in the recipe. Just make sure to convert each substitute too. You can look up online to find ratios (e.g. 3 Tablespoons ground Omega Golden Flax Seed = 1 Tablespoon Margarine, butter or cooking oil.) Then, if your muffins are still as dense, you can try lessening the amount of substitutes.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...r+oil&aq=f&oq=

If you use flax to replace *eggs* however, you are going to add more density to the muffin. Personally I would stick with eggs, for sure.

Bananas are especially dense. I think you'll find that if you use less bananas and more flour (& leaveners) you'll have a much lighter muffin.



Good luck!! Post back with your new recipe!!! :