DIY Muffin Mix + Printable

I'm pretty much in love with DIY alternatives to store-bought products for cooking. I've made DIY Bisquick (biscuit/pancake/waffle mix) several times already. I have other ideas pinned.

I also fairly enamored with muffins. My husband likes to point out just how many muffin pan I own whenever he's trying to get something out of that particular drawer. I think it stems from my love of mini/ individually portioned foods. I have a whole pin board for such things.

Well it just so happens that I was wondering (read: aimlessly clicking around Pinterest) what to make today while Little Miss was sleeping, a light went off in my brain. DIY muffin mix.

The brilliant Jess at Lost Button Studio was kind enough to share her recipe for DIY muffin mix. I didn't want to buy a bunch of plastic to store the portions of mix, though, so I decided reuse a (clean) empty spaghetti sauce jar. We go through a lot of spaghetti sauce at my house! Spaghetti is a favorite of all three of my kids.

Of course the jar was too small for the whole recipe, which makes 24 muffins. Jess suggests freezing leftover muffins. I know if I froze any, I'd end up eating frozen muffins standing in the kitchen at midnight. I decided a dozen muffins would be plenty for us, and ta-da... Half the recipe fits very nicely in a spaghetti sauce jar. Not only that, but I was able to also put the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla powder in. (You can find Cook's or Nielsen Massey powdered vanilla in the spice aisle at the store right next to the regular liquid vanilla.) And since I like cinnamon in my banana bread, I also included that in the jar.

Problem solved. But I can never just leave well enough alone! I had to make a label to plaster on the jar, so I can't lose the recipe either. And I am sharing it with you. I think we'll be making these for the boys' teachers Valentine's Day.

Just in case you're bad with halving recipes on the fly, here's how I did it.

In the Jar

3/4 c white whole wheat flour

3/4 c unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp powdered vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

I went ahead and fiddled with the recipe just a bit to make it easier to prepare. Instead of half vegetable oil and half applesauce, I changed it to just vegetable oil. I always sub applesauce for half of the oil in quick breads when I have anyway, but if I'm giving them away, I don't want the jar to sit unmade because my friend doesn't have applesauce on hand!

I can't wait to make the muffins!