Three of our Fave New Superhero Muffin Recipes from Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky

Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky are back, three years after releasing their second cookbook Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow., with a book that aims to help readers master the morning. Loyal fans of their other two cookbooks have already integrated Superhero Muffins into their morning ritual, so it comes as no surprise that these nutritious little flavor bombs would make an appearance yet again in Rise and Run—in the form of 24 new recipes.

At Women’s Running, we took it upon ourselves to try them all (read all about that wild baking saga and what we thought about each) and we wanted to share three of our favorite recipes.

Pumpkin Streusel Superhero Muffins

Who needs a pumpkin latte when you have these Superheroes?! The buttery pecan streusel topping is not to be missed, as it seals the deal on this recipe. These are the muffins you’ll want to take to fall-themed festivities or a holiday brunch. Your friends and family will surely ask for the recipe, and you have our permission to share!

Makes 12 Muffins

GLUTEN-FREE: Use certified GF oats. // VEGETARIAN //

Ingredients:

1¼ cups oat flour
1¼ cups rolled oats
1 cup almond flour or almond meal
½ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon Chai Spice Mix (recipe below) or pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted
1⁄3 cup maple syrup

TOPPING
1⁄3 cup finely chopped pecans
1⁄3 cup rolled oats2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, oats, almond flour, pecans, chai spice mix, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, melted butter, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
4. To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine the pecans, oats, butter, sugar, and salt. Use your fingers to work the butter into the oats and sugar until the mixture begins to clump.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the topping onto each muffin. Spread the topping evenly over the top and lightly press down so it sinks into the batter. Bake until the muffins are firm on top and a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool.
6. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or microwave on low power for 30 seconds.

Chai Spice Mix

Makes about 5 tablespoons

GLUTEN-FREE // DAIRY-FREE //VEGAN: Substitute maple syrup for the honey (store in the fridge). //

Warming spices are incredibly healing—soothing to digestion, inflammation-fighting, immune-boosting, and naturally stimulating. We always keep our favorite chai spice mix on hand. See a list of all our recipes that celebrate chai below.

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
½teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and turmeric in a ½-pint mason jar. Store in the pantry for up to 6 months.

Spelt Blueberry Yogurt Superhero Muffins

Blueberry muffin recipes, even the healthy-sounding whole-grain ones, are often made with an entire cup of sugar and cheap vegetable oil. Our fluffy blueberry muffins are sweetened naturally with just honey and grated apple. When you bake with real butter, you can use a lot less sweetener because the butter adds a delicious richness. Also, if you’ve read our first two cookbooks, you know why we love butter (see the Nutrition Tip for a recap).

Make these muffins with any whole-grain flour, but don’t skip the almond flour. By incorporating a small amount of almond flour, you’ll get a much fluffier result (trust us, we’ve tested hundreds of flour combinations).

Makes 12 Muffins

VEGETARIAN

Ingredients:

1½ cups spelt flour or whole-wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup almond flour or almond meal
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 eggs
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup grated peeled apple1⁄3 cup honey
1½ cups frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, oats, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, yogurt, apple, and honey. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in the blueberries. The batter will be thick.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them to slightly above the brim. Bake until the muffins are golden brown on top and a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or microwave on low power for 30 seconds.

Nutrition Tip: Yes, butter is good for you! High-quality (grass-fed or organic) butter provides vitamins A, D, and E. Butter is also rich in antioxidants and conjugated linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid for recovery.

Vegan Red Velvet Superhero Muffins

Eggs and butter will not be missed in this antioxidant-rich dark chocolate muffin, definitely our best-ever vegan Superhero variation. The beets and cocoa powder add rich flavor and help replace minerals lost after a sweat session.

We named these red velvet muffins because the batter has a deep red hue thanks to the grated beets. If you were to top these muffins with homemade, you could easily pass them off as healthier cupcakes.

Makes 12 Muffins (Or 24 Mini Muffins)

Ingredients:

1½ cups grated peeled raw beet (about 1 medium)
1 cup canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (see tip)
1⁄3 cup coconut sugar1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups oat flour1½ cups almond flour or almond meal
½ cup dark chocolate chunks (chopped from a bar) or chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin or a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beet, coconut milk, sugar, and lemon juice.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, almond flour, chocolate, walnuts (if using), cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake until firm on top and a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes for large muffins or 25 minutes for mini muffins.
5. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or microwave on low power for 30 seconds.

Nutrition Tip: If your coconut milk is solidified on top or separated, empty the contents of the can into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or heat in a small saucepan on the stovetop just until warm. Stir together before measuring.

Time Saver Tip: This batter can be made the night before; cover the bowl and store in the fridge, then bake the muffins fresh in the morning. If the batter is refrigerated, add 5 minutes to the baking time.

RELATED: 

• Mastering Meal Prep with Elyse Kopecky
• Shalane Flanagan’s “Superhero” Muffin Recipe
• Shalane Flanagan’s Favorite Marathon Training Meal

Recipes reprinted from Rise and Run with permission. Copyright 2021 by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. Food photography copyright 2021 by Erin Scott. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.