Low calorie muffins may be purchased commercially or prepared at home. The different flavor types include bran, fruit, vegetable and chocolate. Savory rather than sweet low calorie types include cornmeal and English muffins. Cutting the fat as well as sugar in muffin recipes can create low calorie options. Non-fat milk, oil instead of butter and egg whites rather whole eggs are ways to reduce fats, while substituting applesauce for some of the sugar can also lower the calorie count.
Fruits such as bananas and berries are popular additions to muffin recipes designed to be low calorie. Vegetables such as zucchini or sweet potatoes may also be used when baking low calorie. Sweeter varieties such as those that contain chocolate may also be suitable if the calories are controlled. Rather than chocolate chips or sweetened baking chocolate, low-sugar or even sugar-free varieties are often used in low calorie muffins. Also, using applesauce can not only take the place of some of the sugar to cut calories, but it's thought to bring out the taste of chocolate as well.
Sweet potato and zucchini used in muffins can add flavor and vitamins without a lot of calories. In these vegetable low calorie muffins, cinnamon can do a lot of sweetening which can reduce the amount of sugar needed. Some bakers like to add other flavorful spices to zucchini or sweet potato muffins, such as ginger and nutmeg. Since brown sugar has a richer taste than the white variety, less of the sweetener may be needed.
Blueberry low fat muffins are one of the more common types available. These may be made with white flour which may be low calorie, but doesn't offer the nutrition of whole grains such as wheat or bran muffins. Strawberry and raspberry are other fruit-based low calorie muffin options. Some cooks like to make a filling of these fruits by scooping some cornmeal batter partway into muffin tins, then adding the fruit and topping it with more batter.
Cornmeal low calorie muffins may also be savory by filling them with salsa rather than fruit. These types of reduced calorie muffins may be served with a dish such as stew or soup. Typically, savory corn meal muffins don't require very much sugar, and oil may be used rather than butter. English muffins are also typically not too sweet, but they differ from the other low calorie muffins in that they aren't baked in the oven, but rather made on a griddle. Metal rings are placed on a heated griddle before the English muffin batter is added.