Baked goods

1. A chemically leavened baked muffin comprising an edible starch and isolated Bacillus coagulans spores, wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans spores comprise GBI-30 strain (ATCC Designation No. PTA-6086) spores,

wherein the Bacillus coagulans spores in the muffin are viable and germination-competent after baking.

2. A method of making a chemically leavened baked muffin comprising:

providing a flour containing base mix and a liquid portion of water;

mixing said flour containing base mix and said water to form a batter;

adding isolated Bacillus coagulans bacteria to said batter, wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans bacteria comprise GBI-30 strain (ATCC Designation No. PTA-6086) bacteria, and wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans bacteria comprise at least 95% spores; and

heat processing said batter to produce a baked good,

thereby making said muffin, wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans bacteria in said muffin comprise at least 95% spores, and wherein the spores are viable and germination-competent after heat processing.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans bacteria comprise between 1% and 10% by weight of said muffin.

4. The muffin of claim 1 , further comprising a fat selected from the group consisting of oil, butter, shortening, artificial lipid, synthetic fat, and a fat substitute.

5. The muffin of claim 1 , further comprising a sugar, sugar substitute, or artificial sweetener.

6. The muffin of claim 1 , wherein said muffin is a blueberry bran muffin.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein said muffin is a blueberry bran muffin.

8. The muffin of claim 1 , wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans spores were impregnated into the muffin in an amount of about 1×10 6 to about 1×10 10 CFU per gram of the muffin before baking.

9. The muffin of claim 8 , wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans spores were impregnated into the muffin in an amount of about 1×10 6 to about 1 × 10 8 CFU per gram of the muffin before baking.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans bacteria is added to said batter in an amount of about 1×10 6 to about 1×10 8 CFU per gram.

11. A chemically leavened baked muffin comprising an edible starch and isolated Bacillus coagulans spores, wherein said isolated Bacillus coagulans spores in the muffin are viable and germination-competent after baking.