Spelt Banana Blueberry Muffins
These Spelt Banana Blueberry Muffins are wholesome, not-too-sweet, and make a great evening treat or addition to breakfast.
I was scrolling through some of my old YouTube videos and I came upon a recipe I shared in 2015 for these Spelt Banana Blueberry Muffins. The recipe for it though was at some point or another deleted from my blog during a website platform switch I made a few years back. Anyway, long story short, I decided right then and there that I wanted to make a batch and post it here again on my blog (thankfully the measurements were provided in the video I filmed!)
These muffins, that I used to love making years ago, are made with spelt. Spelt is a relative of wheat, and as such, it contains gluten. Now, you're either thinking "that's nice", or you're thinking, "don't you avoid gluten?"
The simple answer is no. I don't avoid gluten anymore. Did I? Yes. I was strictly gluten-free for several years. I've talked about my gut health story a hundred times, but let me mention it again here. Because of the chronic IBS symptoms I suffered from, gluten was one of the (many) foods I was advised to avoid. But over the past couple of years my gut health improved a lot, and about a year ago, I played around with consuming gluten again. And I feel totally fine with it.
Like any food, it's not something I eat in excess or for every meal and snack of the day, every day of the week. But letting it have a place in my diet without feeling fearful of it (cue disordered eating) is very important to me. This is a topic I'm going to elaborate on in much more detail soon, so stay tuned, because I have a lot to say about it.
All that aside, spelt is a pretty cool guy anyway. Of course, if you have Celiac Disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, or a wheat allergy, spelt is not so cool for you. But for the rest of us, here are some health benefits of spelt:
Health Benefits of Spelt
excellent source of dietary fibre
contains fructans which are prebiotic and help support the health and diversity of our microbiome
relative of wheat that contains a lower gluten content and can be tolerated easier for many people
rich in minerals like manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium
How to Make Spelt Banana Blueberry Muffins
What I love about these muffins is that they're low sugar. In the video I filmed for this recipe a few years ago, I included coconut sugar. But I made them again without it, and they were just delightful. The ripe bananas give a good amount of sweetness. If you want to, though, you could add some coconut sugar.
To make these muffins, you'll need:
100% whole-grain spelt flour
bananas
blueberries
coconut oil
ground flax or chia seeds + water (for a flax "egg") Or, just use an egg.
baking soda
baking powder
optional: coconut sugar for additional sweetness
These muffins are egg and dairy free. They're made using a flax or chia egg, which is done by mixing together 1 tbsp ground flax/chia with 3 tbsp water and letting it thicken for 5-10 minutes. But feel free to use an egg if you prefer or if you don't have any flax on hand.
Mix together the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Then combine, pop into some muffin cups, and bake for about 20-25 minute at 375F.
Spelt Banana Blueberry Muffins
A delightful low-sugar, whole grain muffin with bananas and blueberries
Yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients
1.5 cups spelt flour (100% whole grain)
3 large ripe bananas
3/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp ground chia or flax seeds
3 tbsp water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
optional: 1/4 cup coconut sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F.
In small bowl, make a flax (or chia) "egg" by mixing together 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water. Let thicken for 5-10 minutes.
In separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients: spelt, baking soda, and baking powder. If you want extra sweetness, add the coconut sugar here.
In medium-sized bowl, mash bananas well. Stir in coconut oil and flax mixture.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Then, fold in blueberries. Make sure not to do this too rough or they'll all burst.
Transfer batter to lined muffin tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden and fork comes out clean.
These muffins make a lovely evening treat, but they can also be enjoyed with breakfast! They're extra wholesome if you omit the coconut sugar, which I like doing. But of course, feel free to sweeten them up a little more if you like. I hope you give them a try, and if you do, tag me on Instagram @meghanlivingstone, and leave me a comment and review below!