Healthy Food

Banana, matcha and cinnamon muffin recipe

10-12 muffins

Looking for a low-sugar banana muffin recipe with a difference? As seen on the This Morning programme, Liz’s delicious recipe here offers a healthier alternative to traditional muffin recipes, usually laden with refined sugar and unhealthy fats. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a steaming cup of tea or coffee. The matcha is optional – works well with or without!

While we’ve avoided refined sugar in this recipe, there’s still plenty to satisfy a sweet tooth. Banana and apple bring a natural sweetness, along with the anti-inflammatory spice, cinammon. This warming spice also has a number of wellbeing benefits. Cinnamon is a fantastic source of antioxidants. These helpful work to help neutralise the excess free radicals that can damage cells in the body. Cinnamon is also thought to have prebiotic properties,  helps feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut, supporting our gut health.

If you want to up the protein content, you could always substitute half the flour for soya flour, or a protein powder… up to you to customise!

This banana muffin recipe has been adapted from The Good Gut Guide by Liz Earle. Packed with proven science and beautifully illustrated throughout, The Good Gut Guide is a No. 1 Amazon bestseller, providing practical advice on pre- and probiotics, fermented foods and how best to address your individual needs and goals – whether these be specific to life stage, a long-standing health issue or weight loss.

Watch Liz make low-sugar muffins

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Wellbeing Wisdom

Cinnamon, banana and apple give this healthy bake a natural sweetness and help reduce the need for refined sugars. Adding matcha powder is an optional extra for an additional antioxidant boost!
Recipe by Liz Earle

Ingredients

  • 5g matcha powder
  • 120g organic wholegrain spelt flour (or flour of your choice)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 75ml extra olive oil (not extra virgin as this can be too strongly flavoured)
  • 100ml organic whole (full-fat) milk
  • 2 organic eggs
  • 1 eating apple, grated
  • 3 bananas, mashed

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Put the matcha (optional), flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl.
  2. In another bowl, put the oil, milk and eggs and beat together, then add the apple and bananas and mix. Tip into the flour mixture and gently beat together until combined. Do not over-beat as lumps are fine in muffin batter.
  3. Line a muffin tin with 10 – 12 paper cases and spoon the mixture into each one. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Best eaten on the day of baking. These also freeze well.