Perhaps I’m jumping the gun a bit, but an undeniable chill has blown in, and now that it’s September, I can’t contain my excitement for fall any longer. There are just so many things to eat, every day of autumnal weather must be used to the fullest! Unfortunately, my enthusiasm is a bit premature, as it still isn’t quite cold enough to layer on the heavy winter blanket, a mistake I paid for at 4 am, waking up in a pool of my own sweat.

Summer may still be hanging on with a loosening grip, but the kids are returning to school and the evenings are no longer quite so sweltering at least, so I’m fully prepared to embrace the incoming season. How better to get into a fall state of mind than bake something with sweet, warming spices?

Falling back on my favorite set of chai spices, a simple sort of muffin seemed to be in order. Perfect for a quick morning breakfast should you be one of those lucky students returning to an earlier schedule, each hearty little quick bread is both a sensible breakfast or snack. Spelt flour adds in a good dose of whole grains, hazelnuts provide a spot of protein, and these babies are only modestly sweetened.

I happened to be lucky enough to find the persimmon pulp in my freezer, stored from last year’s bounty, but any other fruit pulp would work beautifully as well.

No Persimmon? No Problem!

To keep with the autumnal theme, I might suggest:

• Unsweetened apple sauce
• Pumpkin puree
• Mashed butternut squash
• Sweet potato puree

For a delicious change of pace, you could also try:

• Mashed banana
• Cooked, blended carrots
• Vegan yogurt

So don’t wait any longer- Greet the incoming season now, and enjoy it with muffins!

Yield: Makes 6 Big Muffins

Chai Latte Persimmon Muffins

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For a spicy, seasonal, and healthy breakfast or snack, look no further than these persimmon muffins. Spelt flour adds in a good dose of whole grains, hazelnuts provide a spot of protein, and these babies are only modestly sweetened. Most importantly though, they're positively crave-worth flavor is off the charts!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Persimmon Pulp (Approximately 2 Hachiya Persimmons)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 1/2 Cups Spelt Flour
• 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
• 6 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar, for Topping (Optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease 6 standard muffin tins.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the persimmon pulp, oil, vinegar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and homogeneous. In a separate bowl, combine the spelt and all purpose flour, hazelnuts, baking soda, coffee powder, spices, and salt, and mix thoroughly so that the ingredients are well distributed. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir just enough to bring the two together, being careful not to over do it and create gluten- A few errant lumps in the batter are just fine.
   
3. Evenly distribute the batter between your prepared muffin tins, and really mound it up in the center for each muffin. It may seem like a lot, but don’t be shy and really pile it on. This will get you nice, big, mushroom-y tops. Sprinkle each raw muffin with 1 teaspoon of sugar, if desired.
   
4. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

No Persimmon? No Problem!

To keep with the autumnal theme, I might suggest:

• Unsweetened apple sauce
• Pumpkin puree
• Mashed butternut squash
• Sweet potato puree

For a delicious change of pace, you could also try:

• Mashed banana
• Cooked, blended carrots
• Vegan yogurt

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  Mount Hagen, Organic Fairtrade Coffee, Instant, 3.53 oz (100 g)
• 
  NOW Foods, Hazelnuts, Dry Roasted & Unsalted, 16 oz (454 g)
• 
  Arrowhead Mills, Organic Spelt Flour, 22 oz (623 g)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 235mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 7gSugar: 22gProtein: 8g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.