Healthy Hot Cross Muffins

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 muffins

GLUTEN-FREE VERSION

180 g (1 1/2 cups) brown rice flour

100 g (1 cup) almond meal (ground almonds)

2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

60 ml (1/4 cup) organic maple syrup

80 ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil or macadamia nut oil

2 organic eggs

80 ml (1/3 cup) almond milk or rice milk

180 g blueberries or finely diced apple

Chocolate Tahini or melted chocolate to drizzle (see notes)

ORGANIC SPELT FLOUR VERSION

100 g (3 1/2 oz) raisins

500 ml (17 fl oz / 2 cups) freshly brewed Ginger Snap Chai Tea

240 g (8 1/2  oz / 2 cups) wholemeal spelt flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

125 ml (4 fl oz / 1/2  cup) extra virgin olive oil

90 g (3 oz / 1/4 cup) raw honey or organic maple syrup 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 organic eggs

1 orange, zest and juice

2 red apples, finely diced, skin on

melted dark chocolate for drizzling or my Chocolate Tahini (see notes)

METHOD

FOR THE SPELT FLOUR VERSION:

Preheat your oven to 160°C fan forced /320°F

Soak raisins in the Chai tea for 30 minutes then drain.

Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder into a large bowl.

Add olive oil, vanilla, honey, eggs, raisins, orange zest and juice then mix through until combined.

Fold in apples.

Spoon into 12 large prepared muffins tins.

Bake for 45 minutes or until firm to touch.

Remove from the oven and cool.

Melt chocolate then drizzle over the top before serving - otherwise make my Chocolate Tahini (see notes)

Enjoy.

FOR THE GLUTEN-FREE VERSION:

Follow instructions for spelt flour version, folding in the blueberries at the very end before baking.

NOTES & INSPIRATION

Click here for the recipe to my purely delicious Raw Chocolate Tahini.