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These easy two-minute low calorie English muffins make the best quick and easy breakfast fix! Toast them up and add your favorite toppings.
Craving fluffy and crisp English muffins but watching your calories? This low calorie English muffin recipe will be your ultimate healthy bread fix. It’s tender on the outside but has soft, fluffy pockets in the middle.
The best part? Thanks to the microwave, it takes just two minutes to cook and contains a fraction of the calories and fat that store-bought ones have.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Healthy. No butter, oil, sugar, or flour! This recipe is as healthy as it gets. We have used oats for protein, chia seeds for fiber, unsweetened applesauce for binding, and milk to adjust the consistency.
- Quick and easy. Unlike the traditional muffin that takes hours to make, this recipe takes less than 5 minutes (including prep, cooking, and cooling time). You can even batch-cook them and have them on hand for quick breakfasts.
- Versatile. Spread peanut butter on them, make a breakfast sandwich or even make muffin pizzas- use them like traditional muffins.
Ingredients Needed
You only need six ingredients, a blender, and a microwave to make this simple low calorie muffin at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Rolled oats. Also known as old-fashioned oats. Avoid using steel-cut oats as their texture will produce tough and flat muffins.
- Chia seeds. For a bit of texture, fiber, protein, binding, and omega-3. Ground flax seeds could also work, but I sometimes find the flavor can be a little overpowering.
- Baking powder. Gives the muffins the necessary rise.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Adds moisture and softness to the dough. You could use mashed bananas, but be wary that it will make them a little sweet.
- Milk. Use any dairy or plant-based milk to bring the dough together.
- Salt. Just a pinch to add some flavor.
How to make a low calorie English muffin
What I love about this recipe is that you can scale it up if you want to make a big batch or want it as part of a meal prep!
Step 1- Blend the dry ingredients. The key to perfectly fluffy muffins is to blend everything to a fine powder. Add the oats, chia seeds, baking powder, and salt to a blender and blend until a powdery texture remains.
Step 2- Make the dough. Transfer the dry ingredients into a bowl, then slowly stir through the applesauce and the milk to form a thick and smooth dough.
Step 3- Microwave. Grease a 4-inch ramekin or small cereal bowl, then carefully pour the dough into it. Microwave for around two minutes or until the edges separate from the ramekin.
Step 4- Cool, slice, and serve. Letting the muffin cool for a minute or so makes it easier to remove from the ramekin. Slice the muffin in half, toast it, and serve immediately.
Recipe tips and variations
- Always grease the ramekins. Trust me on this- nothing is worse than cleaning up ramekins with half the muffin batter baked into them.
- Allow the muffins to cool down. Allowing the muffins to cool for a minute or two makes it so much easier to remove them from the ramekins.
- Make them in bowls/ mugs. If you don’t have a ramekin, you can use flatter bowls or bowl-like mugs to make them. I have tried them, and my muffins came out great!
- Add a layer of cornmeal! If you’re craving the classic corn smell and the nostalgic crumble, dust the greased ramekins with cornmeal before adding your dough.
- Flavor your dough. Instead of plain English muffins, make them with garlic powder and Italian seasonings for a savory option or cinnamon and raisin for a sweeter breakfast option.
Storage instructions
To store. Because this English muffin recipe takes a few minutes, I often make them fresh. But they keep well in the refrigerator for almost a week.
To freeze. If you wish to enjoy muffins longer, freeze them in freezer-safe containers/bags for up to three months.
To reheat. Toast the muffins in a toaster, oven, or pan until heated through and crispy.
More ways to English muffin
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Portion the dough in greased, oven-safe ramekins and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F until fully cooked. It usually takes 10-12 minutes to get the golden brown tops!
There are just 88 calories in each low calorie English muffin.
Low Calorie English Muffins
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons rolled oats
- 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the oats, chia seeds, baking powder, and salt. Blend on high until finely ground.
- Transfer to a bowl, add the applesauce and nondairy milk, and mix to form a sticky dough.
- Place the dough in a greased ramekin and smooth out the top.
- Microwave for 2 minutes on high.
- Let it cool for about 1-2 minutes before removing from the ramekin.
- Slice in half, toast, and enjoy with toppings of choice.
This was a great gluten free bread/English muffin recipe! I’m definitely putting it in my GF collection. The chia seeds are a nice unique change. Tastes great!
cheers Andrea!
Why are these so high in calories?
These aren’t high at all. Everyone’s caloric needs are different.
Beci. Make your own baking powder. For a teaspoon of baking powder use 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
These look great. I’ve never used a ramekin before so I’m going to go out and buy one so I can make these english muffins. What size do I need? thanks
Hi there! 6-8 inch is best!
can I sub baking soda for the baking powder or any other sub? I haven’t found a baking powder my daughter tolerates yet…
I haven’t tried it myself!
Made this just now and subbed the applesauce for pumpkin purée and added a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Unbelievably delicious! Thank you
😀 YUM!
Hi! Can I use carrot pree instead applesauce? It works the same? Ths
I don’t see why not 🙂 It will just be a slightly orange color 🙂
WOW what a brilliant recipe. Had some everyday this week with peanut butter, guacamole or scrambled tofu. Thanks so much
That sounds fabulous!
Somewhere in the comments I saw you can use an egg instead of chia seeds. I had no chia seeds on hand this morning when I stumbled upon this recipe, so I used an egg. It did have a slightly “eggy” taste, but wasn’t overpowering. The texture after toasting was so similar to an English Muffin. This recipe is definitely going to be repeated. Putting chia seeds on my grocery list to try it that way, too. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and ideas! I enjoy your website a lot!
This looks delicious! Does anyone know the calories in This? TIA
Sure thing! check out myfitnesspal and plug in the ingredients and it will provide it for ya!
These are delicious! I will sometimes add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon & 1 1/2 tbsp of raisins before blending the dry ingrediants.
That sounds amazing!
After letting it sit to cool for five minutes, when I take it out the bottom is moist. Is that normal?
Wow! I had my doubts but made this recipe tonight and absolutely LOVE it. I followed the recipe exactly and then toasted – yum! It was way better than the store bought ones I got once (only once, they were so oily!) Now a “bread” product that is quick and easy to make on demand!
😀 LOVE IT!
Hi Arman! I really like your blog. I love your simple, healthy and delicious recipes, especially the ones with oatflour. Do you think this recip would scale up well? I want to make these in bulk to store in the feezer. Thanks!!
Hi! It sure does- Just ensure you slice them in half pre-freezing and ensure you toast them before eating 🙂
Hi! Can coconut flour be substituted for the oats? If so, how much? Thanks!
Not for this recipe, sorry!
Could I use oat flour?
You can, increase by an extra tablespoon 🙂