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With a light and fluffy texture and just the right amount of sweetness, they're a treat the whole family will love!

Adding sourdough starter (fed or unfed) gives them an even more delicious texture with a beautifully fluffy crumb. Plus, they're a yummy way to reduce waste by using up overripe bananas and sourdough discard.

Are Spelt Flour Banana Nut Muffins Healthy?

Spelt flour is a great alternative to wheat flour. While it is glutinous, many who are wheat sensitive can tolerate its cousin, spelt. Considered an ancient grain, spelt has not been altered as much as highly commercialized wheat.

Whole grain spelt flour is richer in nutrients and lower in gluten, making it a healthy alternative that can be substitute whole wheat flour cup for cup.

On top of that, these muffins are made with whole-food ingredients and are lightly sweetened with banana and coconut sugar.

How to Make Spelt Flour Banana Nut Muffins

Making spelt flour banana muffins only takes 5 to 10 minutes of preparation and 20 to 25 minutes to bake. Which means, they're ready in 35 minutes or less!

What You Will Need

Equipment

• Two Mixing Bowls - These muffins are fluffiest when the batter is lightly mixed. To ensure the ingredients are well combined, I find it easiest to mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls first. Then simply mix them together until just combined.
• Oven - These muffins are best baked at 350° Ferenheight for 20 to 25 minutes. Baking at higher or lower temperatures can result in undercooked or overcooked muffins. It could also affect the rise and density.
• Spatula - I find using a spatula is the easiest way to stir and scrape the batter.
• Muffin Tin - A single batch of this recipe will make 12 regular-sized muffins.
• Muffin Cup Liners (Optional) - You can use unbleached muffin cup liners to make removing the muffins easier. However, you can also grease a stainless steel muffin tin with coconut oil or avocado oil.

Ingredients

• Whole grain spelt flour is gentler to digest than wheat and offers a delicious nutty flavour.
• Overripe bananas give these muffins a deliciously moist yet fluffy texture and provide the bulk of the natural sweetness.
• Coconut sugar has a similar taste to brown sugar but is much less refined. It adds a caramel-like sweetness that adds to the richness of the bananas.
• Unrefined coconut oil is a great dairy-free alternative to butter, providing healthy fats and a lovely, moist texture.
• A whole egg helps to bind the batter, adds moisture and gives these muffins a better rise. Plus, they provide protein and other nutrients such as B vitamins and choline.
• Pure vanilla extract or powder adds an uplifting flavour that helps to bring the flavours and sweetness together.
• Aluminum-free baking soda gives these muffins a fluffier rise.
• Walnuts or pecans provide a little crunch and a delicious savoury flavour that balances the sweetness. They're also full of healthy fats and extra fibre.
• Sourdough starter (unfed or fed) is optional, but I highly recommend adding it if you have some starter on the go. It gives these muffins an extra delicious touch with crispier tops and a softer, fluffier centre. Plus, it can increase digestibility and nutrient absorption.
• A pinch of unrefined salt helps to bring out the natural sweetness and balance the flavours.

Step 1: Mash Bananas

First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare your muffin tin by greasing it or lining it with unbleached muffin cups.

Next, mash the overripe bananas with a masher or a fork. Keep mashing until it begins to resemble a purée. If you like bits of banana in your bread, you can leave some larger chunks.

If you're a texture person (like me) and prefer an even consistency, continue mashing until mostly smooth. Don't worry if there are still some smaller chunks; they will typically melt while baking.

Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Then combine with the mashed banana, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, melted coconut oil and sourdough starter (if using). Gently stir until well combined.

Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. If you are using vanilla powder instead of extract, you can mix it in as well.

Once well combined, gently stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Then lightly stir in the walnuts and/or pecans. Avoid overmixing the batter for fluffier muffins.

Step 4: Bake

Spoon the batter into muffin cups (or a greased muffin tin). For regular-sized muffins, I typically do about 2 heaping tablespoons per cup.

Once the batter is evenly distributed in each muffin cup, place the filled muffin tin in your preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tin.

Once cool enough to handle, you can transfer them to a rack to finish cooling. It is best to allow them to cool completely before transferring them to a storage container.

Substitutions & Variations

Whole wheat flour can be used in place of the spelt flour.

Make them gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour blend.

Ghee or grass-fed butter can be used in place of the coconut oil. However, they will no longer be dairy-free.

Omit the nuts or swap with chocolate chips to make these muffins nut-free and school-safe.

¼ teaspoon of vanilla powder can be used for an alcohol-free replacement for vanilla extract.

Storing & Saving

Allow the muffins to cool fully before storing in an airtight container. If stored properly, they can last 2 to 3 days at room temperature.

They can also be refrigerated for up to 7 days or frozen for 3 to 6 months.

After freezing, they can be thawed in the fridge overnight or reheated in the oven.

More Dairy-Free Baking

If you make these spelt flour banana nut muffins, let me know how they turn out by leaving a comment and rating below. Also, make sure you're following along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Flipboard for more wildly nutritious recipes!