Today I have been a muffin making machine! Ok, machine may be a bit of a stretch since it implies efficiency, but you get my drift. LOTS of muffins.
My first batch of banana crunch muffins were involved in an unfortunate accident with my photography backboard. Obliterated. Hate it when that happens. Sad face.
I contemplated throwing a fit and giving up. Fortunately my grown up self prevailed, barely. I made a quick excruciating trip to the grocery store with 2 wild boys right at nap time. Side note... whoever invented the "weenie carts" that kids can push around in the grocery store clearly didn't have children! 2 hours later, I made them again. In hindsight, I'm glad that I did. Thanks to the unexpected afternoon redo, I made a few extra tweaks and achieved muffin perfection!
I'm just going to put it out there, best muffins ever! These healthy muffins are sweet, fluffy, and as yummy as their traditional ingredient counterparts. They are also oil and refined sugar free!
I can't take all the credit for these delicious and naturally sweetened muffins. This recipe is an adaptation from Ina Garten's Banana Crunch Muffins. Baking has always been a little taboo for me. You have to be so precise! Not my thing. 2 years into clean eating I am learning what can be swapped for what. Slowly but surely I find myself taking our our tried and true favorite family recipes and giving them a makeover. It takes time, trial and error, but the end result is worth it... most of the time.
Changes Made to Original Recipe:
- I substituted spelt flour flour in place of white flour.
- I replaced white sugar with a combination of coconut sugar and raw honey.
- Due to the increased moisture from the honey I messed the amount of milk used.
- I used maple almond granola instead of store bought for the recipe. I like making my own granola because it allows me to control the quality of the ingredients and the sugar content!
Optional: This recipe still contains a lot of fat from the butter. If you want to lighten it up use 1 stick of butter and replace the second stick with ½ cup of applesauce.
Time Saving Tips and Ticks:
Make Ahead: Go ahead and make them a day or two before you need them! Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: Since this recipe makes 18 muffins I often freeze half and save them for later. They make a great grab and go breakfast or addition to Cooper's lunch. After baking the muffins allow them to cool completely. Place muffins on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Once they are frozen through, place them in a labeled ziplock freezer bag or air tight container until you need them.
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Banana Crunch Muffins
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 18 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups spelt flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ¾ cup honey, raw
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 sticks butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 mashed ripe bananas
- 1 diced ripe banana
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup granola
- ½ cup of unsweetened coconut (optional - for topping)
Instructions
- Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soada, and salt. Mix until combined. Add butter and blend.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine honey, eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Stir. Add liquid mixture to the flour and butter.
- Fold in the diced banana, walnuts, and granola. Spoon batter into the lined muffin tins. Fill each cup to the top. Top each muffin with coconut if desired. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffin. Let cool. Serve.
Helpful Hints:
- Spelt flour is an ancient whole grain that has a sweet mild flavor. It can be substituted for white flour with a 1:1 ratio. It can be found in most major grocery stores or online.
- When using honey as a substitute for sugar use ¾ cup of honey for every 1 cup of sugar called for in the original recipe. Honey adds a lot more moisture than regular sugar. Reduce other liquids in the recipe by ½ cup for every 1 cup of honey used.
- Coconut Sugar comes from the dehydrated sap of a coconut palm. This form of sugar is unrefined, offers trace nutrients, and has a less dramatic impact on your blood sugar than traditional sugar. It can be substituted for regular sugar with 1:1 ratio.
- Applesauce can replace butter in a recipe with a 1:1 ratio.
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