Raspberry Almond Muffins You'll Love for Breakfast

I'm one of those people who likes almonds.

Correction: I'm in love with almonds.

I love them raw or roasted and salted.

In spring, I love fresh green almonds, tender shells and all.

I love marzipan and almond milk. I love rozata (a sweet almond drink popular in Israel), especially with a little arak (an anise-flavored spirit)—the kind that warms your throat and your heart.

Anyway, you get the picture.

Almonds and me? It's a love story. ♥

So it's no surprise that these raspberry almond muffins are a particular favorite of mine.

They're very easy to make, and I love having one, two, or even three for breakfast on a Saturday—or any old weekday, for that matter.

They're a little tart, gently sweet, and full of bold almond flavor.

To me, they're a great grab-and-go breakfast when you're short on time, or just the thing when you want something sweet and delicious with your morning coffee.

A Little About the Recipe

I used a coconut-almond beverage from Tnuva (a major Israeli dairy and plant-based beverage brand), who also partnered with me on this post. It has a lovely, mild coconut and almond flavor and a consistency that works well in muffins and simple cakes.

To bind the batter and add moisture and a little sweetness, I used one very ripe banana—the kind with dark spots on the peel. You can replace it with 3 tablespoons of applesauce.

For that rich almond flavor, I used a good-quality almond extract, available at natural food stores or supermarkets. I really recommend keeping it in the recipe rather than skipping it or swapping it out. It makes these muffins taste wonderful.

The flour here is white spelt flour. If you'd like to use only whole-wheat flour, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coconut-almond beverage.

You can also use 1 1/2 cups of white flour and 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour. Just add a little more liquid if the batter feels too thick.

I used frozen raspberries for their lovely tartness and a touch of sweetness. You can swap in fruit you love: pineapple, mango, and even peaches would work beautifully here. And don't get me started on apricots.

I used coconut oil for its coconut flavor and the extra moisture it brings to the muffins. You can use another vegetable oil you like, such as canola.

Don't worry about the 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam added at the end. The calories and sugar are spread across 20 muffins, and the jam gives these vegan muffins a little sweetness they need, since we haven't added any sugar on its own.

If you have diabetes, you can use reduced-sugar jam or leave it out altogether.

Nutrition Information from Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical dietitian and fitness trainer):

One muffin out of 20, with a listed weight of 370 g (13.1 oz), contains:

120 calories

4 g protein

15 g carbohydrates

4 g fat

Want another muffin recipe? How about cinnamon chocolate muffins?

Raspberry Almond Muffins

Completely vegan raspberry almond muffins that are light on calories.

Keyword raspberries, almonds, coconut, spelt, muffins

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Yield 20 muffins

Calories 130 kcal

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups white spelt flour 300 g (10.6 oz)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup Tnuva coconut-almond beverage 100 ml (3.4 fl oz)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil 72 ml (2.4 fl oz)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix-Ins and Toppings

• 1/2 cup Sunfrost (an Israeli frozen-food brand) frozen raspberries 80 g (2.8 oz)
• 1 tablespoon ground almonds or almond flour 50 g (1.8 oz)
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds 42 g (1.5 oz)
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam 60 g (2.1 oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. In a deep mixing bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth.

   

3. Add the coconut-almond beverage, coconut oil, lemon juice, and almond extract to the mashed banana. Mix well.

   

4. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

6. Add half the raspberries, reserving the rest for topping, along with the sliced almonds. Mix until evenly incorporated into the batter.

7. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner almost to the top, leaving a little room for the muffins to rise.

8. Put the 2 tablespoons of jam in a bowl and thin with 1/4 cup of water.

9. Spoon a little of the thinned jam over each muffin.

   

10. Top with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle a little ground almond over each muffin.

11. Bake for about 20 minutes.