Easy Spelt Muffins

Make tasty and healthy breakfast muffins from ancient grains with this easy to bake spelt muffins recipe.

Sweetened with pure maple syrup and full of whole grains these are great for quick breakfasts, snacks, and more.

The hearty whole grains will you keep you full of energy on busy mornings and the flavor is the perfect complement to any warm beverage you enjoy.

What Is Spelt?

Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat that has been cultivated for thousands of years. It has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that is distinctly different from modern whole wheat flour — less bitter, more complex. Spelt flour produces a denser, more crumbly baked good than all-purpose flour, which is part of what makes these muffins feel so hearty and satisfying.

Flour

These are indeed made with 100% whole grain spelt flour which results in a crumbly texture. These are a denser, drier muffin than something made with all purpose flour.

Spelt is a kind of wheat, an ancient whole grain, but doesn’t taste exactly like a whole grain whole wheat flour either. It’s nutty and flavorful.

It’s different, though, and if someone in your family doesn’t like muffins made with say whole wheat flour, they aren’t likely going to enjoy these either.

However, for folks who do enjoy whole grain breakfast treats, these are going to be just the thing to keep their spirits happy and their tummies full.

If you want to try making them a little lighter, substitute up to half of the spelt for all-purpose flour and proceed with the recipe as written.

Nuts & Other Additions

To make these muffins even heartier and more filling, I added 1 cup of chopped nuts. I used pistachio in the version photographed but any nut would work, use your favorite, whatever is on hand.

Don’t have or like nuts? Use dried fruits like raisins or even chocolate chips instead.

Sweetener

I wanted to skip refined sugar in this recipe and went with honey. Maple syrup would work just as well, if desired.

Brown sugar would also work well and could be substituted.

I chose to keep it a healthy muffin with less sugar, however you could add another 1/4 cup of your sweetener of choice to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Fat Choices

I went with melted salted butter for ease. Unsalted butter could be used instead, add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients.

Any liquid fat could also be used – substitute olive oil, melted coconut oil, or vegetable oil, etc. instead of the butter if desired.

Troubleshooting

The muffins are too dry. The recipe card note says it best: do not overbake. Pull them as soon as a tester comes out clean. Even a minute or two extra in the oven will dry these out significantly. Serve with butter, peanut butter, or jam to add moisture at the table.

The muffins are very crumbly. This is normal for 100% spelt flour muffins. Substituting up to half the spelt with all-purpose flour will give you a more cohesive texture while keeping the spelt flavor.

The muffins didn’t rise well. Check your baking powder for freshness. Also make sure not to overmix, stir just until no dry streaks remain.

The muffins stuck to the tin. Use paper liners or grease the tin very thoroughly including the flat surface around each cup. Spelt muffins can be slightly more prone to sticking than white flour muffins.

How to Store

Keep leftovers in airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.

These are a drier muffin to begin with so don’t be tempted to keep them for too long because they will get drier.

For longer term storage, place cool muffins into freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 months.

Let frozen muffins thaw at room temperature or even toss into the microwave with a bit of butter to warm and moisten up before serving.