Vegan Sweet Potato Spelt Muffins

by Maiah Albi
(Corpus Christi, TX, USA)

Ingredients:

2 cups spelt flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup soy or almond milk
1 tablespoon flax meal mixed well with 3 tablespoons water
1/4 heaping cup applesauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 heaping cup shredded sweet potato
3/4 cup peeled and diced fresh pear

Optional for topping: 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (natural brown sugar) mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F, then grease muffin pans with nonstick spray.

Whisk dry ingredients (spelt flour, brown sugar, baking powder and spices) together in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (soy milk, flax meal with water, oil, applesauce). Make a well in the dry ingredients, add wet to dry, and combine.

Fold in sweet potato and pear. Fill tins 3/4 full, sprinkling cinnamon sugar on top if desired. Bake 16-22 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, and store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.