If you want to bake brain-healthy for the holidays, try this festive recipe for Cranberry Orange Almond Muffins by Reshma Shah, MD, MPH and Brenda Davis, RD, from their new book Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families.

Makes 12 muffins.

These muffins are bursting with flavor from the citrus and cranberry. They also look bright and festive and are perfect to share.

1 ½ cups spelt flour
½ cup almond meal/flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup maple syrup
zest from one orange (about a tablespoon)
¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup sliced almonds (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 375° Line muffin tin with parchment liners.
  2. Mix dry ingredients (flour through salt).
  3. In a measuring cup combine the wet ingredients (maple syrup through almond extract). Mix just until all wet ingredients are combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine. Gently fold in the cranberries.
  5. Fill muffin tins ¾ full with an ice cream scooper and top with sliced almonds.
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned on top and a toothpick or knife inserted through the center comes out clean. When cool enough to handle, transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Interested in more recipes from Reshma Shah, MD, MPH and Brenda Davis, RD? Order their new book, Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families, here.