Vegan Blueberry Muffins

This is my second round of making vegan blueberry muffins. The first round went well, but I forgot to write down how I made them. (oops!) My method is to open every cookbook I have to recipes for blueberry muffins - both vegan and regular - and then start picking parts from each recipe until I think I have the perfect dough.... I made some mini muffins and took them to a meeting this morning for other people's opinions ... and the verdict was a good one. The only suggestion was to make them a bit sweeter (so this recipe is adjusted slightly for that purpose).

I really enjoy baked goods - I enjoy making them and I enjoy eating them. When first becoming vegan, I felt a bit daunted by baking minus dairy and eggs. But, after this success, I'd say I'm feeling much more confident. What's better - this recipe uses no oil and no refined sugar! Holy moly, they are practically healthy!

Give them a try and let me know what you think.....

 

Blueberry Muffins

(recipe by Emily)
makes 2 dozen mini muffins or 1 dozen regular sized muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (or more if you're like me and LOVE cinnamon)
2 Tbsp ground organic flax seed (split)
3 Tbsp water
1 cup + 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup agave nectar (or slightly more/less depending on if the apple sauce is sweetened)
1 Tbsp lemon zest from organic lemon which has been washed
1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. In a small saucepan, bring 3 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp flax to a simmer stirring constantly. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until a congealed, egg-like texture forms. Refrigerate to cool while preparing dry ingredients
3. Combine dry ingredients (flour through remaining flax). Mix to combine.
4. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (flax mixture (be sure it is cool first) through lemon zest). Mix or whisk to combine well before adding to dry ingredients
5. Mix or beat wet ingredients into dry ingredients until mixture is consistent and there are no lumps.
6. Stir in blueberries
7. Fill greased muffin tins to just below top
8. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (or 13 minutes for mini muffins). Insert toothpick to check if muffins are done - should be clean. Tops will be minimally browned, so the toothpick is the best test.
9. Cool on rack before serving
10. Eat alone or with some additional applesauce.