Every once in a while there is a new star food in town. It gets everyone's attention and is added to just about every recipe and titled "healthy" and "super-food". All of a sudden this ingredient starts showing up at all the cool dinner parties, leaving the regulars waiting outside in the cold (in the back of the pantry).
In this case the star is coconut sugar and the regulars are white sugar. I know this one is going to be called: "so, 2016 in a few years". Well it is true I just had a baby and haven't been keeping up on the newest food trends, but it seems like this one has come out of nowhere. So I decided to do some research and find out for myself what this was all about.
To summarize: sugar is, sugar, is sugar…But in case you want the details, here they are:
Palm sugar is a fancy way of saying it is the sugar that comes from the sap of a palm tree. Coconut sugar comes from the sap of a type of palm tree, the coconut tree. For comparison, maple syrup come from the sap of the maple tree. White refined sugar is the sugar we most commonly think of when you think of sugar and it is the sucrose product that is extracted from sugarcane. Brown sugar is simply refines sugar with some of the molasses either left in it or added back. Molasses is the product that results when refining sugar cane into sugar. I think you get the idea, all these sugars are sucrose and they have the same calories per serving. I read in some articles that coconut sugar may have some more nutrients left in it than other sugars, but they are negligible and definitely not enough to make it a health food.
Too much sugar in the diet on a long term basis is known to be unhealthy as it causes various ailments, including diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay. Even when consumed in moderation, it can have a negative effect on health and overall well being. I know for me, on days where I overdo it on chocolate or sugary cakes I feel weighed down and fatigued once the sugar rush dies down. Also, the more sugar your body is used to eating the more it wants.
That is why most people that try my recipes for the first time complain that it tastes "too healthy" and that it is "not sweet enough for my sweet tooth". That is because their taste buds have normalized to a high amount of sugar and now they need more of it to get their "fix".
In most of my recipes I use a very minimal amount of sugar and that is because I feel as though if I can control it, why not use less. That is not to mean I don't enjoy the occasional bakery cupcake or chocolate bar. But then I know that I shouldn't over eat because I know I won't feel good after it. It's all a matter of habit and I promise you can change it too if you want.
They say it takes 60 days to change a habit so why not try making these whole wheat muffins to start you off on the right track. I did end up buying a bag of coconut sugar just to give it a try and I discovered a great use for it. It works great to use to top muffins for that extra sugar crunch on top. Isn't this why they invented muffin tops? Hope you enjoy. :-)
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
Tools
1 cup, 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup measuring cups
1 teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoons
2 medium sized bowls
Whisk
Soup ladle or large spoon for measuring into pan
12 muffin pan
Ingredients
2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour (spoon & levelved)
1/2 cup (40g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/4 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
1/4 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup*
1/4 cup (60ml) milk (any kind)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons oats and 1 table spoon coconut sugar for sprinkling
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 175 C (350F). Line 12 muffin pan with paper baking cups or grease with oil. Also, take out 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar for the topping if you keep it in the fridge so it can thaw.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt
3. Mix together the wet ingredients - banana, eggs, oil, maple syrup, milk
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Make sure not to over-stir as this can make the muffins stiff.
5. Using a soup ladle pour the batter evenly into the 12 pans.
5. Mix together the coconut oil, oats and coconut sugar and sprinkle the tops of the muffins.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Sources:
https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2017.1011
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323047.php
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