These moist muffins are packed with fibre from whole grains, squash, apples and pecans. Although they don’t have any refined sugar, they do have a few tablespoons of molasses which provides some sweetness as well as minerals like calcium and iron. This is a great recipe to double so you can freeze some for easy breakfasts or packed lunches.

Makes 1 dozen

2 eggs

¼ cup plain yogurt

½ cup olive or avocado oil

3 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

¾ c cooked/pureed or canned squash (e.g. butternut, pumpkin)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole grain flour

1 cup rolled oats

¼ tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 apple, diced or grated

½ cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a muffin tin by greasing or lining. In a large bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, oil, molasses, squash and vanilla. Mix well. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, oats, soda, powder and spices and mix well. Stir this gently into the liquid mixture, being cautious not to over-mix. Fold in the apples and pecans. Spread evenly into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes then remove from tin and cool a little longer.

By Nicole Fetterly, RD