Cooking with Kefir: Strawberry Smoothie Muffins {Recipe}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KefirCreations #CollectiveBias

In January my husband went on a bit of a health kick.  Well, we both did actually.  We just decided that it was time to be a little healthier – we started watching what we were eating, eating out less often, and walking several times per week.   Sometime around February, he brought home a probiotic that he’d purchased at the store.  The package boasted that it would improve our digestive health and overall wellness, so we decided to give it a try.  But unlike our other healthy efforts, the probiotics didn’t go so well.  The pills were big, tasted bad, and I often forgot to take them…it also didn’t help that a month supply cost a small fortune.  After a few weeks I gave up.  I still wanted to take probiotics because I knew they were beneficial, I just needed another way to do it. And then, on a recent trip to Winn Dixie as I was picking up soy milk for Hazeline, I found Lifeway Keifer milk smoothies.Packed with 12 live and active probiotic cultures that support your immune system and better digestive health, Lifeway Kefir milk smoothies are delicious way to add probiotics to your diet.  Add them to your favorite foods or enjoy the smooth, tart flavor (similar to yogurt) on its own.  Kefir is naturally Gluten Free, 99% Lactose Free, contains no artificial sweeteners, and is high in calcium.  And to further their commitment to better health, Lifeway Kefir only uses milk from cows that are grass fed and GMO free.   Simply put, it’s full of all the good stuff you need, without the extra fillers that can be bad for you.  Kefir milk smoothies come in three flavors – Blueberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry – as well as Plain.  You can find them in the dairy case, just past the milk and near the non-dairy milk options.I decided to pick up a quart and figured this would be the perfect opportunity to make the Strawberry Smoothie Muffins that I’d been planning to make for quite a while.  You see, my kids have been addicted to smoothies lately, but smoothies don’t travel well – they’re often too thick to pour into their travel cups without making a big mess, sometimes my kids have problems sipping them because they’re too thick, and heaven forbid a one of them forgets their cup in my car when they go to school…because it isn’t even worth cleaning it after it bakes for the day in the South Florida sun.  But muffins?  They travel well.  And my kids love them.  And if left in the car, it’s not that big of a deal (although, still technically discouraged).  It also helps that I’m a huge fan of smoothies and this provides an easy (and delicious) way to squeeze probiotics in my day. So I got to work in the kitchen and created the most amazing Strawberry Smoothie Muffins that combine the sweetness of strawberries with the refreshing tartness of the Lifeway Kefir milk smoothies.  Now we all get our probiotics in a very delicious way!  Here’s the recipe: You will need  (makes approximately 9 large muffins) 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup light brown sugar, unpacked 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup Lifeway Kefir Cultured Lowfat Plain Milk Smoothie 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped and rinsed twice after being chopped ground cinnamon, to taste (optional) Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and liberally grease your muffin tin.  If you’d prefer to skip greasing the pan, make sure to line your muffin tin, as these muffins tend to stick. Step 2 – In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients except for the cinnamon – flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix until blended together.  Add the strawberries and stir so they are covered in the flour mixture. Tip: While muffins and breads are great ways to use over-ripe fruit, I don’t recommend it for this recipe.  My strawberries were definitely overripe and I felt that it caused the strawberries to get a little mushy when baked.  When I make this recipe again, I’ll use just ripe berries, cut them, double wash them, then put them in the flour mixture immediately. Step 3 – In a small bowl, combine the Lifeway Kefir Cultured Lowfat Plain Milk Smoothie, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.  Wisk until well blended. Step 4 – Add the Kefir Cultured Milk mixture to the flour and strawberries in large bowl and gently blend together. Step 5 – Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each three-quarters of the way full.  If desired, sprinkle the tops with cinnamon. Step 6 – Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the muffin springs back when touched.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan.  Serve with juice or Lifeway Kefir Blueberry Cultured Lowfat Milk Smoothie!  Want to try this recipe yourself?  Make sure to sign up for money saving Lifeway Kefir coupons on their website!