Our 20 Best Whole-Grain And Whole-Wheat Baking Recipes

January 09, 2019
Photo: Oxmoor House
We tend to associate baking with decadent cookies, brownies, cakes, and other indulgences. But delicious baked foods don't have to be bad for you! Don't believe us? Just try out one of our 20 favorite whole-grain and whole-wheat baking recipes—you won't regret it. 
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Herbed Whole-Grain Yeast Rolls

Jennifer Causey
Herbed Whole-Grain Yeast Rolls Recipe

Golden whole-grain yeast rolls get a fresh, fragrant hit from a host of seasonal herbs. Make ahead and freeze for up to a month, saving the butter-herb finish for after reheating.

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Whole-Grain Spelt and Cornmeal Biscuits

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Whole-Grain Spelt and Cornmeal Biscuits Recipe

Gently pat the dough flat instead of rolling with a rolling pin. Patting preserves all the pockets of fat needed for flaky biscuits, whereas rolling pancakes them into small, dense pucks. Cut the biscuits into squares to avoid any leftover scraps. Spelt flour adds a deep nutty flavor, but you can use white whole-wheat flour if you can't find spelt.

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Whole-Grain Corn Bread

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Paige Hicks
Whole-Grain Corn Bread Recipe

From the Kitchen of…Ann Taylor Pittman, Executive Food Editor

We always cook two pans of corn bread at Thanksgiving: One is done a day ahead as the base for corn bread dressing, and the other goes into the oven at the last minute so it's hot and crusty at the table. Toasted leftovers get drizzled with honey at breakfast.

Medium to fine-ground cornmeal works well for this corn bread, but you can substitute a coarser grind if you prefer a heftier texture.

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Whole-Grain Apple Cake with Yogurt Cream

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Whole-Grain Apple Cake with Yogurt Cream Recipe

There's a trifecta of textural awesomeness here, as the buttery-crisp topping meets silky-smooth yogurt cream on moist, tender cake. By using whole-wheat pastry flour in place of all-purpose, we triple the fiber per slice to a hearty 4 grams. For a chunkier cake texture, use chopped apples instead of shredded. This cake is great served warm or at room temperature.

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Whole-Grain Bran Muffins

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Whole-Grain Bran Muffins Recipe

This classic recipe is a wholesome base for mix-ins. Try adding sunflower seeds with blueberries, or grated carrot with walnuts.

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Whole-Grain Pecan Blondies

Photo: Whitney Ott; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Whole-Grain Pecan Blondies Recipe

Blondies are simply brownies without the chocolate. A light-colored metal pan is your best bet for even baking and cakey, moist blondies.

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Whole-Grain Breakfast Bars

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Whole-Grain Breakfast Bars Recipe

Take a break from dessert with these fruit and nut breakfast bars. A large bowl can hold a double batch of the dough, and the hearty mix will perform just fine. Bake bars on the same (middle) rack in the oven. 

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Browned Butter Whole-Wheat Muffins

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez  
Browned Butter Whole-Wheat Muffins Recipe

Bakery muffins often hide plenty of refined sugar and flour (what gives them that cakelike crumb). While oversized, they rarely keep you satisfied for long. Our basic muffin bumps up the fiber and protein with whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, and yogurt so you’ll stay fueled throughout the morning. A ripe mashed banana adds sweetness and moisture without much noticeable flavor (these are not banana bread muffins). We also brown the butter for extra nutty depth. Add any combo of nuts, fruit, grated vegetables, or warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Enjoy as is, or split and gently toast before adding your favorite spread.

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Iced Whole-Wheat Sugar Cookies

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Iced Whole-Wheat Sugar Cookies Recipe

Whole-wheat flour adds a layer of complexity to these cookies that all-purpose flour can't achieve; the wheat in the whole grain actually enhances the flavors of butter and vanilla. Unlike classic royal icing, which starts with a pound of powdered sugar, we use just 1/2 cup and thicken it with Greek yogurt. Looking for festive colors without the chemicals? Try naturally colored sparkling sugars (such as those from India Tree), which use colorants derived from plants.

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Whole-Wheat Seeded Breadsticks

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Whole-Wheat Seeded Breadsticks Recipe

Just a couple of turns of the wrist transforms ordinary breadsticks into lovely holiday twists.

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Rosemary-Asiago Whole-Wheat Pull-Apart Rolls

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Rosemary-Asiago Whole-Wheat Pull-Apart Rolls Recipe

Bake these light and tender whole-grain rolls ahead and freeze up to 1 month, or make the dough ahead and bake on the day: Punch down the risen dough to form a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill 8 hours or overnight. Return to a bowl and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours before shaping.

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Honey Whole-Wheat Pull-Apart Rolls

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Honey Whole-Wheat Pull-Apart Rolls Recipe

Bake these light and tender whole-grain rolls ahead and freeze up to 1 month, or make the dough ahead and bake on the day: Punch down the risen dough to form a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill 8 hours or overnight. Return to a bowl and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours before shaping.

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Whole-Wheat Garlic Bread

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen
Whole-Wheat Garlic Bread Recipe

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Whole-Grain Mini Meat Loaves

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Whole-Grain Mini Meat Loaves Recipe

Quinoa and vegetables bulk up meat loaf to a hefty portion; freeze leftover meat loaf up to 2 months.

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Whole-Wheat Empanada Dough

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower
Whole-Wheat Empanada Dough Recipe

Gutierrez created a whole-grain dough that's light and flaky and can be baked rather than fried. Wine in the recipe adds yeast flavor and aids in flakiness; its acidity also breaks down the gluten, allowing you to stretch the dough easily when forming the empanadas.

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100% Whole Wheat Bread

100% Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

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Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins

Photo: Jan Smith
Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins Recipe

Coarsely chop frozen blackberries, and place them back in the freezer until ready to stir into the batter. To freeze muffins, let cool completely, and place in zip-top plastic bags. Reheat in microwave 20 seconds.

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Whole-Grain Honey Bread

Photo: Oxmoor House
Whole-Grain Honey Bread Recipe
Montina grass flour, made from Indian rice grass that is very high in protein, fiber, and iron, flecks this hearty whole-grain bread.
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Mini Whole-Wheat Apricot Muffins

Photo: Oxmoor House
Mini Whole-Wheat Apricot Muffins Recipe

To ensure that the apricots are soft enough for baby, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes; drain them well before chopping them.

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Whole-Grain Crackers

Photo: Oxmoor House
Whole-Grain Crackers Recipe

Gluten-free crackers are not hard to find on the market, but they're often highly processed, rice- or cornstarch-based, not very nutritious, and expensive. These homemade crackers are teeming with nutrients. Made with high-protein quinoa flour, they are also full of zinc, omega-3s, vitamins, and minerals from pumpkin, flax, sunflower, and caraway seeds.

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