Savory Cayenne Muffin

Our Savory Cayenne Muffins are spicy! So what possessed us to use cayenne pepper in muffins? No idea, but these are the BEST muffins we’ve ever eaten. Not only do they have a surprise kick, but they are also healthy. We didn’t use any processed sugar in them. The sweetness comes from the raisins, carrots and unsweetened applesauce. (My kids don’t generally like raisins so I tried these without, and I didn’t think they were quite sweet enough.)

So we worked on this original recipe ourselves and had fun with it. If there’s another similar recipe, we haven’t found it – and we’ve looked. We think it has a great combination of sweet and hot; decadent and healthy. Even our kids – who don’t generally like healthy things – love them. I personally like them with the full teaspoon of cayenne pepper, but you can decrease that if you want. Please let us know if you like them! We always appreciate feedback.

Update on this recipe: I’ve found that 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper is too much for most people. Using just 1/2 teaspoon still provides a nice kick and warmth to the muffins and, in my opinion, doesn’t overdo it. If you find the 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper is still too much, just reduce it to 1/4 or even a sprinkle. No matter how much you use, having a cayenne bran muffin with butter on it is an unbeatable and healthy breakfast.

Recipe

Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C oat bran (I use Bob’s Red Mill oat bran.)
• 1 C flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 C milk
• 3/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 C molasses
• 1/2 C shredded carrots
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a twelve-muffin tin with non-stick spray.  It’s best to NOT use paper liners because we’ve found these muffins stick to the paper. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients together, except for the raisins.  (Cayenne pepper amount depends on your preference.)
3. In a large bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended.  Stir in the raisins.
4. Fill twelve muffin tins evenly and bake for 15 minutes.