What makes these muffins healthy? The same ingredients that make them so moist and flavorful, that’s what.  The base to the batter is nut flour (I used almond flour, but you can use hazelnut flour if you have that instead) and cake flour and very little of both.  The cake flour is what makes these muffins so light and airy; the use of agave nectar instead of sugar gives them a tiny bit of sweetness, and the muffins bright, fresh flavor comes from the natural sweetness of fresh orange juice and zest.  (I recently purchased hazelnut extract so I also added about a 1/2 teaspoon of that to enhance the muffins’ nuttiness.)  Overall, a lightly sweetened, moist muffin that is very cake-like in texture.  I can’t wait for breakfast again tomorrow!

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/healthy-muffin-recipes/orange-hazelnut-snack-muffins)

Tagged: agave nectar, almond flour, breakfast, cake flour, Cooking Light, hazelnut extract, hazelnut flour, muffins, orange juice, orange zest, orange-hazelnut muffins