holiday baking

Food Friday: Gingerbread Spelt Muffins

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I was in the mood for something a little more festive this past weekend and decided to make these easy gingerbread muffins. It was either these or buying a whole gingerbread house, decorating it, then throwing it out in the end once it got stale ;) Indulging in a little treat here and there over the festive month is perfectly fine as long as you don't go overboard. These muffins are just the thing to give you a bit of a treat but keeping within a balanced diet. Bonus - these are wheat free (not gluten free), vegan and super easy to make. This recipe is adapted from OhSheGlows. They would be extra delicious as a dessert with a cream cheese frosting, a little butter or coconut whip cream (ok now I am drooling.)

Gingerbread Spelt Muffins

Wet ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp ground chia seeds/ground flax seed
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
  • 1/3 cup grapeseed oil or canola oil (coconut oil is great as well just make sure it is melted and everything else is room temperature)
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses - great blood builder :)

Dry ingredients:

  • 1 2/3 cups spelt flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • Heaping 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.. Line a muffin pan with large paper liners. 
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chia/ground flax seeds and water. Set aside for a few minutes to thicken.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (spelt flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).
  4. In the same bowl as the flax mixture, whisk together the wet ingredients (flax mixture, pumpkin purée, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, and molasses) until smooth.
  5. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. No patches of flour should remain. Be sure not to overmix the batter as spelt is a delicate flour. The batter will be quite thick.
  6. If using, stir in the chopped walnuts. You can also reserve some for garnish on top.
  7. Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin liners. They should be about 3/4 full. Add any reserved walnuts on top and gently push down (optional).
  8. Bake the muffins for 20 to 24 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then transfer each muffin onto a cooling rack until completely cool. Serve with butter, coconut oil, or cream frosting!

Enjoy!

Dr. Karen