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Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time23 minutes
Total Time48 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 293kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (227g) fresh blueberries (about 1 ½ cups) (see Note 1)
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) oat milk
  • 1 medium lemon, zested + 1 tablespoon juice
  • 2 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (see Note 2 for GF option)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional, adds more depth of flavor)
  • ½ cup (100g) organic cane sugar
  • ¼ cup (38g) loosely packed organic brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (sunflower oil, avocado oil, canola oil, etc.)
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) vegan butter, melted (recommended, but can use more oil)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract (or just sub in an extra ½ tsp of vanilla)

Walnut Crumble

  • cup (37g) walnuts, finely chopped
  • packed cup (50g) organic brown sugar
  • 1 medium lemon, zested
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  • Wash and dry your blueberries in a towel. You want them to be dry before using.
  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF/218ºC. Generously grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin on the bottoms and sides with coconut oil or cooking spray--be generous to avoid sticking (see Note 3).
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and 5 tablespoons of warm water. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to gel up.
  • Zest the lemon and set the zest aside for step 6. Juice the lemon and add one tablespoon of juice to the oat milk ("buttermilk"). Stir and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Make the Walnut Crumble: In a small bowl, mix the finely chopped walnuts, brown sugar, zest of 1 lemon, and pinch of salt until well combined.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cane sugar, and the 1/4 cup brown sugar.
    In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: buttermilk, lemon zest, prepared flax eggs, oil, melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract.
    Add the dry ingredients to the wet, using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon and stir until just combined, but do not over mix.****
    Do not mix in the blueberries at this point.
  • Drop a heaping tablespoonful of the batter into the bottom of each muffin cup, making sure to cover the bottom of the tin. You'll only add roughly half of the batter to the muffin tins at this time.
  • Now, add the blueberries to the remaining batter in the bowl and use a silicone spatula to gently fold them in. Divide the blueberry muffin batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling to the top. Sprinkle the Walnut Crumble evenly over each muffin.
  • Bake at 425ºF/218ºC for 6 minutes, or until muffins have risen nicely. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350ºF/175ºC.
    Bake for another 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 20 minutes. Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to loosen the muffins. Store cooled muffins in an airtight container on the counter for 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 to 6 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Video

Notes

1. If using frozen blueberries, rinse them a few times and drain most of the liquid to avoid watering down the batter too much. Pat dry with some towels. 
2. I highly recommend using a digital scale for weighing ingredients when baking. If not, be sure to use the spoon-and-level method to avoid over-measuring flour. 
To make these muffins gluten-free: 
  • Swap the AP flour with a mix of 1 1/2 cups (200g) of a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour + 1 1/4 cups (136g) of oat flour. 
  • Use just 1 cup (240 mL) of oat milk. 
3. Generously greasing the muffin tins, instead of using muffin liners, yields a better texture and higher-rising muffins. But if using liners, you can skip the greasing step. 
4. The muffin batter should be thick and scoopable. 
5. If you have trouble loosening the muffins from the tins, soak a dish towel with very hot water. Wring it out (you may want to wear oven mitts). Place the towel underneath the muffin tin. Rest for 10 minutes. The steam should help loosen the muffins.