These muffins are free from refined sugar and are instead sweetened by mineral-rich honey, maple syrup and natural banana sweetness. Spelt, an ancient cousin of wheat, has a lower gluten content and as a result is more easily digested than other white flours. You can of course use gluten-free flour, if required.
- 190g white spelt flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 65ml honey
- 50ml maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 90ml buttermilk or natural yoghurt
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 50g butter, melted
- 1 banana, sliced, to garnish
- 50g dark chocolate chips (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- In a bowl, combine the honey, maple syrup, eggs, yoghurt, mashed bananas and melted butter and stir until well combined.
- Sieve in the flour and add the baking powder, gently folding everything together. Try to do this quickly and lightly to retain air in the mixture.
- If making muffins, fill your muffin cases two-thirds full and place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. If a skewer is inserted it comes out clean.
- Banana Bread: Alternatively you can make this into a Banana Bread Loaf. If so, pour the mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin (approx 21cm by 8cm) and bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Again, test it is done by inserting a skewer and check it comes our clean.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing.
- For both muffins and the loaf, garnish with sliced banana pieces before cooking.
- Both freeze brilliantly. A good trick with the Banana Bread is to slice it before freezing so you can just take what you need, rather than have to defrost the entire loaf.

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