DIY Healthy: Sunshine Lemon Muffins

 We're quite the chocoholics here at DD, but sometimes you need something other than the rich, decadent taste of chocolate. You need something light and fresh. Lemon-flavored sweets are becoming our go-to when we need a break from chocolate. These super simple sunshine muffins are filled with fresh lemony goodness that will make your lips pucker in the most delightful way. These are perfect for the mornings when you need a little kick start to your day but are also great mid-day snacks or even dessert.

These muffins are  sugar free and egg-free. They taste anything but! 

Featured Ingredient: Spelt

With it's slightly nutty and sweet flavor, gluten-containing spelt is a perfect  for wheat in your baked goods. Compared with it's wheat counterpart, it's full of vitamins, including B2 and magnesium and has a higher protein content. Since it's more water soluble, it is digested much more easily and the nutrients is absorbed more quickly. Our tip is to start incorporating spelt into your baking slowly; try baking with a 1:1 spelt to whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour is considered a "super splurge" food in our house, only reserved for special occasions). Trust us, it'll taste just as delicious! 

Ingredients (Recipe adapted from here, makes 6 muffins:

1. Spelt flour (1 cup)

2. Baking powder (1 tsp)

3. Baking soda (1/2 tsp)

4. Salt (pinch)

5. Stevia (2 packets)

6. Fat-free milk (1/3 cup) 

7. Lemon juice (2 Tbsp)

8. Lemon zest (1 Tbsp) 

9. Maple syrup (4 Tbsp)

10. Olive oil (1/4 cup) 

Easy sugar free lemon glaze:

11. Stevia (2 Tbsp)

12. Lemon juice (2 Tbsp)

13. Coconut oil (1 Tbsp) 

*You can just add in 1 Tbsp poppy seeds to turn these into lemon poppy muffins! 

Steps:

1. Preheat over to 355 degrees

2. Mix together dry ingredients (1-5) and wet ingredients (6-10) separately 

3. Mix wet and dry together, be careful not to overmix

4. Grease muffin tin

5. Pour batter into tin (it will be pretty thick)

6. Cook for 15 minutes, until toothpick come out clean. Let cool. 

7. To make glaze: Mix together ingredients (11-13), heat in microwave until stevia dissolves. 

8. Spoon glaze over muffins and place in fridge for 10 minutes (the glaze will thicken). 

Enjoy!