Over the summer I made a few different muffin recipes and in doing so, I discovered the magic of spelt flour. Spelt is an ancient cereal grain that has a nutty flavor which is often used in replace of white or wheat flours in baking. It also has a high protein and fiber content so anything you put it in will be great for a post or pre-workout snack. My first encounter with it I made Angela Liddon’s Blissful Blueberry Banana Spelt Muffins, which to my surprise turned out extremely moist and you could not tell that they were dairy-free or vegan.

I went the whole past semester without making any muffins because I was simply too lazy (and there was no muffin pan in my dorm room kitchen) until I found a ton of easy recipes on Pinterest that caught my attention (and bought a muffin pan finally!). The first recipe I figured I’d go after was one from a blogger named Jessie (Faring-well). She made this beautiful blueberry banana coconut bread that I had to try but I wanted to turn it into muffins instead of bread. I was a bit nervous since I pretty much threw ’em in the oven and guessed how long to cook them for. Once I did that and left out the coconut, I created a homemade chia raspberry “jam” or frosting. I usually use my chia jams for my version of peanut butter and jellies but when I put it on the muffins, it looked like it belonged. Kind of like a healthy version of a cupcake. Not only did it look gorgeous but it tasted like heaven. Pinks and blue hues all ready to be photographed! Yum.

To make the jam all you have to do is blend 1/2 cup of mixed berries (I chose raspberries and strawberries) together in a blender with 2 tbsp chia seeds and 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup for sweetness. (It is pretty much the exact same as my Blueberry Chia Seed Jam recipe!) Pour the mixture into a mason jar and let it sit for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Coat, smother and cover your muffins in the morning right before you pop ’em into your mouth.

So many colors, all natural and very moist. When making the muffins from Jessie’s recipe, I used over ripe bananas and when they came out of the oven, there were a few gooey chunks of banana which made each bite extremely sweet and decadent. Her recipe called for 1/2 cup maple syrup but I used a little more than 1/4 cup because the bananas add more sweetness since they’re at their ripest point.

I cooked the muffins for 15 minutes rather than cooking a loaf at 40 minutes. They came out just right but be sure to test them with a toothpick.

These are a great addition on the side with a protein smoothie or just a snack in between classes. My roommates and I devoured them in less than a week and I am ready to make a new batch already. Toasted coconut on top would have been delicious but for 3 out of the dozen I made I incorporated some dairy-free chocolate chips. Banana chocolate chip bread has a soft spot in my heart, that’s for sure.

 

Next time you’re craving a huge 500 calorie muffin from Starbucks or the dining hall, one filled with white carbs and preservatives, whip these up instead and keep them stocked in your fridge all week long for something small and quick to grab. In only a half hour you can have a dozen “cupcakes” at your fingertips.

Spelt flour is becoming a staple at a lot of grocery stores these days, even though I found mine at Whole Foods (what a surprise). You can order it online at Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills as well. I used Arrowhead Mills for these muffins but any kind of spelt flour works just fine.

Have a nice Friday and enjoy!

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-Addie

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***Original recipe for Banana Blueberry Coconut Bread at Faring-Well.com.***