🔥➕🧁 Healthy Hot Cross Muffins

Hey friends! If you’re looking for a healthy treat that feels festive and fun, you’re going to love these Healthy Hot Cross Muffins. They’re inspired by the classic hot cross buns, but made quicker, easier, and way better for you! These muffins are soft, sweet, and spiced just right perfect for Easter morning or honestly any day you want something yummy with your tea. Oh, and did I mention there’s no refined sugar?

Let’s get baking!

Method

Blend the Batter

To start, add all your muffin ingredients into a food processor or blender. This includes the oats, almond butter, raisins and orange peel mix, mixed spice (or cinnamon), egg, ripe banana, and baking powder. Pulse the mixture for about 5 seconds, then stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spoon or spatula. This helps everything blend evenly. Pulse again for another 5 to 10 seconds. You don’t need to blend it too much just enough for the ingredients to come together into a smooth, thick batter. Over-blending can make the texture too dense or gummy, so a light touch is best here.

Fill and Bake

Once your batter is ready, use a spoon to scoop it into a muffin tin. If you have muffin cases, line the tin with them first to keep cleanup easy and to help the muffins hold their shape. This recipe makes four muffins, so just divide the batter evenly into four spaces. Now place the muffin tin into a preheated oven at 180°C (or 350°F). Bake the muffins for about 14 to 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the tops look set and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Make the Frosting

While the muffins are baking, you can prepare the simple frosting. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and honey. Stir them together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. There’s no need for a mixer here just a spoon or a small whisk works perfectly. This sweet topping will be used to draw the classic cross on each muffin once they’ve cooled.

Cool and Decorate

After baking, take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool in the tin for a few minutes. Then move them to a wire rack or plate and allow them to cool completely. This is very important if the muffins are still warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and lose its shape. Once the muffins are cool, add the frosting in the shape of a cross on each one. You can use a piping bag for a neat look, or snip the corner of a zip-top bag to create your own DIY piping tool. If you don’t have either, just use a spoon and gently shape the frosting into a cross. It doesn’t need to be perfect it’ll still taste amazing!

Necessary Tools

• Food processor (or blender)
• Muffin tin
• Muffin cases (optional, but helpful!)
• Mixing bowl (for frosting)
• Piping bag, zip bag, or spoon (for the cross)
• Oven

Serving Suggestions

These muffins are great with a warm drink like tea, milk, or hot cocoa. You can also serve them with fresh fruit or a dollop of yogurt for breakfast. They’re yummy warm or cold!

Fun Fact

Did you know? Hot cross buns were first made hundreds of years ago in England, and people believed they brought good luck! These muffins are a fun twist on the tradition without all the kneading or waiting for dough to rise.

Conclusion

These Healthy Hot Cross Muffins are simple, cozy, and just the right amount of sweet. I love making them when I want something that feels special without needing a ton of time or effort. Whether it’s Easter weekend or a regular Tuesday, these muffins make the day feel a little more fun.

Let me know if you give them a try I think you’ll love them as much as I do! 🧁💛