These muffins use ripe bananas as the base sweetener. The riper the banana, the less maple syrup or honey you need to add.
Spelt flour gives a lighter crumb than whole wheat but with more flavour than plain white flour. It works well with the dense, oily character of peanut butter.
Everything comes together in one bowl. No electric mixer, no complicated steps. The batter takes about ten minutes to prepare.
They’re satisfying enough for breakfast and calm enough to pack in a lunch box without making a mess.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No refined sugar – ripe bananas do the work
- One bowl, no electric mixer needed
- Spelt gives a lighter crumb than whole wheat
- Freezes well for up to three months
Ingredient Notes
- Spelt flour: Use white spelt flour for a lighter crumb, or wholegrain spelt for more fibre and a denser texture. Plain all-purpose flour works as a substitute but loses the nutty flavour.
- Ripe bananas: The bananas should be heavily spotted or mostly black for maximum sweetness. Underripe bananas will leave the muffins bland and may require extra sweetener.
- Peanut butter: Use smooth, natural peanut butter with no added sugar or palm oil. Almond butter or cashew butter substitutes well if needed.
- Maple syrup: Adds moisture and a mild sweetness. Honey works as a direct swap. If your bananas are very ripe, you can reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons.
- Eggs: Two medium eggs bind the batter and help the muffins rise. For an egg-free version, use two flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes).
- Baking powder: Check it’s fresh – stale baking powder produces flat, dense muffins. Use aluminium-free baking powder if you prefer a cleaner flavour.
Spelt Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Description
Spelt flour keeps the crumb soft and slightly nutty, while ripe bananas do most of the sweetening so you need very little added sugar. These muffins hold their texture well the next day and freeze cleanly.
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
Wet ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 C / 355 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases.
- Peel the bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth with no large lumps remaining.
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, and oil to the mashed banana. Stir until the mixture is uniform and the peanut butter is fully incorporated.
- Add the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt directly into the bowl. Fold with a spatula until just combined - stop as soon as no dry streaks are visible. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cases, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are set and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. The muffins firm up as they cool.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 195kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 9g14%
- Saturated Fat 1.5g8%
- Cholesterol 31mg11%
- Sodium 145mg7%
- Potassium 210mg6%
- Total Carbohydrate 24g8%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 9g
- Protein 6g12%
- Vitamin A 55 IU
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Calcium 45 mg
- Iron 1 mg
- Vitamin D 8 IU
- Vitamin E 1 mg
- Vitamin K 1 mcg
- Thiamin 0.1 mg
- Riboflavin 0.1 mg
- Niacin 3 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.2 mg
- Folate 18 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
- Phosphorus 110 mg
- Magnesium 28 mg
- Zinc 0.7 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Use bananas with black or heavily spotted skins for the best natural sweetness.
- Do not overmix after adding the spelt flour - fold until no dry streaks remain.
- Rest the filled muffin tin for 5 minutes before baking to let baking powder activate fully.
- A metal muffin tin gives better browning on the base than silicone.
- Store with a sheet of paper towel in the container to absorb excess moisture.
