I loved Malt-O-Meal muffins as a kid. Not just eating them but making them. By six years old I could follow the box instructions on my own, perched on a step stool like a tiny food scientist. There was something deeply satisfying about measuring, stirring, portioning, and then watching the oven do its thing. The muffins were just sweet enough, ever so slightly nutty, and very “this is breakfast, not dessert.”
And then there’s the part I didn’t understand at six: they were also wheat. Along with a long list of other very normal American wheat-and-gluten staples, those muffins quietly did their work on my gut over the years. It’s been an emotional couple of weeks for a variety of reasons, and I wanted the comfort of that flavour profile without signing up for the aftermath. Nostalgia, yes. Pain, nope on a rope.
So I rebuilt them. Not as cupcakes in disguise (no shade, except… actually, a little shade). My daughter Eva is the Muffin Queen in this house and her muffins are more like semi-sweet cupcakes: tall, glorious, and unapologetically dessert-adjacent. I’m not a huge fan of sweet first thing in the morning, and especially not since perimenopause, but I’ll admit this: if I’d added monkfruit to this batch, she probably would’ve approved. Three of my other kids loved them, including the toddler, so I’m calling that a solid household vote.
These aren’t herb-cheese savoury muffins either. They sit right in the middle. A real breakfast muffin that wants a thick slice of grass-fed butter and a cup of coffee or tea. They’re lightly sweet, warm, and subtly “malt-y” without wheat. The trick is toasted almond flour for that nutty depth, tigernut flour for the graham-ish warmth, a touch of blackstrap molasses for that old-school background note, and (optionally) black maca powder, which is basically a cheat code for a malt flavour when baked.
Monkfruit Options (Because Eva Has Standards)
I didn’t add monkfruit to the batch pictured, but if you want these sweeter (or you’re trying to win over someone who prefers cupcake-adjacent muffins), monkfruit is the easiest lever to pull without changing the texture.
- Powdered monkfruit (pure, not erythritol blends): start with 1/4 tsp, taste the batter, and increase in tiny pinches. Monkfruit can go from “pleasant” to “why does this taste like perfume” quickly.
- Liquid monkfruit: start with 8–12 drops, taste, and adjust. Different brands vary wildly in strength.
- Keep the allulose: allulose gives moisture and softness; monkfruit provides sweetness. They work better together than either one alone.
Notes
- Don’t overbake. These set quickly and dry out quietly. Pull them when they’re just done.
- Black maca is optional. 1 tsp is subtle; 2 tsp is noticeable. If you’re new to maca, start lower.
- Best serving suggestion: warm muffin + grass-fed butter + coffee or tea. It’s not complicated, it’s just correct. 😉
Nutrition (Why these work as breakfast)
These are a “real breakfast” muffin: protein + fat, lightly sweet, not a blood-sugar rollercoaster. Between the eggs, A2 Greek yogurt, collagen, and a little egg white protein, they land higher-protein than a standard muffin without turning into gym food. Almond flour + tigernut bring minerals and a steadier carb profile than wheat flour. If you want them sweeter, add monkfruit — it changes sweetness, not structure.
Proper Malted Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour, lightly toasted and fully cooled
- 1/2 cup tigernut flour
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch (or 2 tbsp arrowroot + 1 tbsp tapioca)
- 1 scoop unflavoured collagen
- 1 tbsp egg white protein
- 1–2 tsp black maca powder (optional “malt booster”)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup full-fat A2 Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup melted grass-fed butter
- 1/3 cup allulose
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
- Optional: pure monkfruit (powder or drops) to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin.
- Toast almond flour in a dry skillet 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Cool completely.
- Whisk wet ingredients until smooth.
- Whisk dry ingredients separately. Add maca if using.
- Stir dry into wet just until combined.
- Let batter rest 5–8 minutes to hydrate.
- Fill wells 3/4 full.
- Bake 5 minutes at 375°F, then reduce to 350°F and bake 12–15 minutes more, until just set.
- Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm with grass-fed butter.
Estimated Cost
Organic / specialty: ~$11–$12.50 per batch
Conventional / mixed pantry: ~$8.50–$9.50 per batch
Estimates based on typical U.S. online prices.