#BetterThanTakeout: Battle of the baked goods

At Epicure we’re all about good food and healthy, balanced meals. But we know that sometimes, life happens and breakfast might just be a coffee and baked good from your favourite coffee shop. And hey, we’re not here to get between you and your morning coffee routine. But, if you found better-for-you baked goods that save you money, wouldn’t you want share with your friends?  

We put our Sweet Banana Bread and Carrot Cake Muffins head-to-head with the sweet treats at the coffee shop on every street corner: Starbucks.  

First up, the competitors.  

We ordered one slice of Starbucks’ Banana Bread and 1 Carrot Muffin.

We prepared a loaf of Sweet Banana Bread using Epicure’s Sweet Banana Bread & Muffin Mix and Carrot Cake Muffins using Epicure’s Carrot Cake Mix.

ROUND 1: INGREDIENTS & NUTRITION 

STARBUCKS’ BANANA BREAD

Bananas, wheat flour, sugar, liquid whole eggs, soybean and/or canola oil, baking powder, sea salt, vanilla flavour, spice, soy lecithin.

STARBUCKS’ CARROT MUFFIN

Carrots, soybean and/or canola oil, enriched wheat flour, sugar, liquid whole egg, brown sugar, whole grain whole wheat flour [enriched wheat flour, ascorbic acid, amylase], buttermilk [milk ingredients, salt, bacterial culture], candied ginger [ginger, cane sugar], corn starch, baking powder, blackstrap molasses, spices, sea salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, soy lecithin.

EPICURE’S SWEET BANANA BREAD 

Rice flour, organic cane sugar, corn starch, modified tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt.

Just add bananas, eggs, and oil.  

EPICURE’S CARROT CAKE MUFFINS

Rice flour, organic cane sugar, chickpea flour, spices, baking soda, sea salt.

Just add eggs, oil, crushed pineapple, and carrots.  

Our products are 100% gluten-free. For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, these baked goods are amazing and totally delicious. The Starbucks treats are not gluten-free, and even if they were, there is no guarantee cross-contamination wouldn’t occur in the shops.

NUTRITION

STARBUCKS’ BANANA BREAD

17 g fat 

320 mg sodium 

28 g sugar 

STARBUCKS’ CARROT MUFFIN

23 g fat 

340 mg sodium

30 g sugar 

EPICURE’S SWEET BANANA BREAD 

7 g fat 

190 mg sodium 

8 g sugar 

EPICURE’S CARROT CAKE MUFFINS

7 g fat 

190 mg sodium 

10 g sugar 

Our loaf and muffins are lower in fat, sodium, and sugar conscious. Check out the sugar in the Starbucks’ versions—that’s about 7 tsp!

Let’s talk customizability—making your own with the help of Epicure means you can choose to add chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, even shredded coconut if you wanted.

ROUND 2: SPEED & COST

STARBUCKS’ BANANA BREAD & CARROT MUFFIN

TIME: Driving to and from Starbucks, ordering and waiting, about 30 min.

COST: $3.41/slice. $3.10/muffin

 EPICURE’S SWEET BANANA BREAD & CARROT CAKE MUFFINS 

TIME: 30 min to make both baked goods.  

COST: $0.53/slice, $0.53/muffin

Epicure’s baked goods are so easy to make, with the option to bake in the oven or microwave. We prepared the loaf and muffins at the same time! How? Baked the loaf in the microwave and the muffins in the oven. It took about the same time to drive to Starbucks, order the food, and drive home.

It goes without saying, the banana bread and carrot muffins at Starbucks are tasty, but so are Epicure’s! We chose to spruce up or muffins with pumpkin seeds and our banana bread with chocolate chips, no option to do that when you buy pre-made.

We’ll be totally honest and say all of these baked goods were tasty alongside our cup ‘o Joe. But the cost-savings, customizability, and simplicity of ingredients of Epicure’s mixes take the cake. And bonus, there’s tons leftover for our next busy morning! #BetterThanTakeout

🥕🍌