Why I recommend trying these
Sweet treats don't always need to come with guilt. There are many ways of making 'baking' healthy and delicious!
One way of doing this is using natural ways of 'sweetening' such as bananas, honey, dates or dried fruit instead of refined sugar. Another is by adding in nutrient dense foods such as ground almonds, seeds, berries, grated apple or oats.
Healthy baking can be so much better than processed sweet treats such as cookies, cakes and brownies, mainly because the impact on our blood sugar levels is less. Healthy baking is great for weight loss; the nutrient dense ingredients make us feel fuller for longer, and our insulin stays more balanced, reducing any sugar cravings an hour or so after having the snack. And of course, adding in ingredients such as almond flour or seeds provides a boost of vitamins and minerals which most traditional baking lacks.
These muffins are very popular with children too; a good option if you have grandkids or kids visiting. They can also be used as 'breakfast on the go' - so if you have an early start to work, or are going on a trip, pack some of these to avoid grabbing any processed foods instead.
Hope you enjoy them!
You will need
- 2 large, ripe bananas
- 150 grams frozen berries (mixed berries are fine, avoid strawberries - these are too large)
- 50 grams ground almonds
- 50 grams mixed seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds and / or chia seeds).
- 50 ml maple syrup
- 150 grams spelt flour (spelt flour is a type of wholemeal flour which contains more nutrients than plain flour due to less processing)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp bicarb of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
And either a large muffin tray or muffin cases.
Spelt flour is recommended, but for those gluten free, ground gluten free oats are a good alternative. Simply grind the oats in a food processor to get a flour texture.
Maple syrup is sweet, but it has a lower glycemic index than sugar (which means it's less sugar spiking) and it contains antioxidants which can be health promoting for the body. So a little of this in a muffin for most people is ok as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Mash the ripe bananas in a bowl till creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well - the berries may start softening and turn the mix purple, this is fine. The bananas need to be ripe to make the mixture the right 'gooeyness'. Add a splash of milk / plant milk if needed.
- Grease a baking tray with coconut oil, or use muffin cases. Fill each generously, making 8 large muffins or 12 small muffins.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes till golden brown and slightly moist.
- Eat warm or let them cool. Store in an airtight container and consume within 2 days.