A little saying around my kitchen is “If it’s white, it’s just not right.” Many white products, espcially white sugar and white flour, have been processed to the point where they’ve been stripped of both color and nutrients. Nutritionists say these foods contain empty calories, meaning calories without meaningful amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. Empty calories aren’t a good idea for anyone, and they’re a definite no-no for people already dealing with diminished appetites. These muffins aren’t the monsters so often seen in bakeries—they’re smaller and healthier, but no less flavorful. The basic recipe, which is delicious on its own, is built on a foundation of spelt flour, agave nectar, and almonds, which are packed with nutrients. I’ve also provided a couple of variations below, for chocolate orange muffins and ginger lemon muffins; all three versions have one thing in common: They’re little bites of powerful joy!

　　

Ingredients

makes 24 mini muffins

　　1 1/2 cups almond meal

　　1/2 cup spelt flour

　　1 tablespoon baking powder

　　1/8 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/3 cup agave nectar

　　1/2 cup mashed banana

　　1/4 cup organic milk, almond milk, rice milk, or soy milk

　　2 organic eggs

　　1/4 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil, almond oil, or a neutral-flavored extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

　　1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a mini muffin tin by generously oiling each cup.

　　

Step 2

Combine the almond meal, spelt flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir with a whisk until very well combined. Separately, combine the agave nectar, mashed banana, milk, eggs, oil, almond extract, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well with a rubber spatula.

　　

Step 3

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until a muffin springs back when touched in the center. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then gently run a knife or small offset spatula around the sides of the muffins to loosen them before turning them out.

　　

variation

Step 4

To make chocolate orange muffins, replace 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Omit the extracts and instead add 1 tablespoon of orange zest or 1 teaspoon of orange oil (not orange extract) to the wet ingredients. Fold 1/3 cup chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips into the batter once it’s mixed.

　　

Step 5

For ginger lemon muffins, add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger to the dry ingredients. Omit the extracts, and instead add 3 tablespoons of finely chopped peeled fresh ginger, 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the wet ingredients.

　　

Step 6

For gluten-free muffins, replace spelt flour with brown rice flour.

　　

rebecca’s notes

Step 7

Mini muffin tins come in a variety of sizes. I prefer using tins with a wide base, around 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Don’t despair if you can find that exact size, as most anything will work.

　　

Step 8

To prevent muffins from sticking to the bottom of the pan, make sure you grease the pan really, really, really well. Then, after baking you must exercise patience and allow the muffins to cool completely before removing them from the tin.

　　

storage

Step 9

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for 2 months.

　　

nutrition information

Step 10

(per serving)

　　

Step 11

Calories: 100

　　

Step 12

Total Fat: 6.4g (2.4g saturated, 0.4g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 13

Carbohydrates: 8g

　　

Step 14

Protein: 3g

　　

Step 15

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 16

Sodium: 75mg

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.