Sooo I enjoyed an exceptionably delectable blueberry muffin in Portland, Maine last summer, and it’s been on my mind ever since.
It was tender, perfectly sweetened, and packed with juicy berries.
And it was vegan, of course!
But it was just a darn good muffin in general, vegan or otherwise.
Alas, even though I’m by no means a baker, I had to whip up a batch at home.
Thank you Rainbow Plant Life for the recipe—I just made a few tweaks since you all know by now I can’t leave well enough alone.
This tasty-as-can-be recipe includes flaxseed meal (our egg replacement), creamy oat milk, zesty lemon juice, avocado oil, Miyokos vegan butter, pure vanilla extract, fragrant almond extract, fresh ginger, all-purpose flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and ground cinnamon.
Let’s not forget about our brown sugar walnut topping!
Did I really need to list all of that out for you?
Nooo.
But I did.
So now that you’re extra excited about muffins, go on ahead and make your own batch!
P.S. I finally picked up a kitchen scale and man it’s crazy how different the ingredient amounts are compared to using measuring cups! If you can, please weigh out your flour and sugars, but if you don’t have a scale, carefully measuring will do. Similarly, if you don’t have an oven thermometer, I’d recommend getting one! It turns out my oven is around 25 degrees cooler than the temperature I set it at. And this is why I don’t usually bake ha.
P.P.S. I know 1/4 teaspoon almond extract seems insignificant, but it does make a difference! I added 1/2 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger, although I’m planning on incorporating even more next time. This addition is totally optional though.
P.P.P.S. Keep an eye on your muffins. They may take a couple minutes less than mine, especially if you’re using fresh berries.
Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin Topping
- 1/3 cup (37g) roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/3 loosely packed cup (50g) brown sugar
- Zest of one medium-sized lemon
- 1 pinch pink sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 5 tablespoons room temperature or luke warm water
- 1 1/4 cups oat milk (I used Oatly original—other unflavored plant milks will work too)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil (melted refined coconut oil works too), plus more for greasing pan
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (I use Miyokos)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (can use more vanilla extract if you don't have almond extract)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon microplaned fresh ginger
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
- 1/2 cup (100g) cane sugar
- 1/4 loosely packed cup (38g) brown sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups (8 oz/227g) fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
Instructions
- Make sure your oven rack is centered, then heat to 425.
- Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with avocado oil, then dust with flour, tapping out excess flour.
- In a medium bowl, mix the topping together, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed meal with the room temperature water. Rest for 10 minutes to thicken.
- In a medium bowl (large enough to fit all wet ingredients), mix the oat milk with the lemon juice. Rest for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cane sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Once the milk + lemon and flax mixtures have rested for 10 minutes, add the flax mixture to the milk, along with the oil, melted butter, vanilla, almond extract, and ginger. Mix thoroughly.
- Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix. DO NOT ADD THE BLUEBERRIES YET.
- Add about a tablespoon of batter to each muffin cup.
- Now gently fold the frozen (not thawed) blueberries into the batter. Fill the muffin tin to the top.
- Sprinkle the walnut sugar mixture on top.
- Bake for 6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 350—DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN—then bake the muffins for another 18 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins partially cool in the tin for 5 minutes on a cooling rack, then carefully remove the muffins and continue to cool. Store leftover, cooled muffins in an airtight container for two to three days.