Blueberries abound in these easy oil-free muffins!
Happy July! I am so excited to share this oil free vegan blueberry muffin recipe with you, my faithful readers 🙂 In my last post, I talked about the versatility of cashew butter and this recipe absolutely capitalizes on it. No oil, no vegan butter, no eggs! And yet…these muffins! Bursting with fresh organic anti-oxidant loaded blueberries, this is one moist and fluffy muffin that really tastes as good as it is for you.
Presenting secrets to the perfect muffin…
Maybe these were just secrets to me, but over the years I have gathered a few tips that pretty much guarantee good muffins. Drum roll please! (And in no particular order):
- Baking powder. This is the leavening agent and causes carbon dioxide bubbles to form during baking, getting trapped in the batter and making the muffins fluffy. Ratio is about a tablespoon to 2 cups flour.
- Enough berries! I used about a cup and a quarter…nothing worse than a muffin bite without the requisite berry…this leads me to number 3…
- Dust them berries. A quick coat of flour better distributes the berries, keeping them from sinking to the bottom. Thanks, Ma!
- Start baking at a higher temp. 425 F. for 5 minutes, then 375 F. for remaining 15. This will give you “higher” muffins as described here in this wonderful blog, Sally’s Baking Addiction.
5. Fill up those cups. (no half sizes here 😉 ) The heck with 2/3 full. Fill em up for bigger muffins.
6. Gently does it. Mix the wet and dry ingredients only till combined. Too much mixing=tough muffins.
Without further ado, here’s how to make these vegan blueberry muffins…
After preheating the oven to 425 F. and preparing the muffin tins (I used a 12 cup muffin tin and ended up filling 11), I gathered up the ingredients.
Using a glass measuring cup I added mixed the apple cider vinegar with the soy milk and set it aside. This allows time for the soy milk to curdle (to a butttermilk-like texture). Also, the vinegar helps to activate the baking powder and enhances the leavening process. Ain’t science grand??
After mixing the dry ingredients, I added the cashew butter. And with clean hands (as if you would think otherwise) I worked that butter in with the flour mixture until it was nice and slightly crumbly.
Before and after incorporating the cashew butter.
Next I made the streusel topping since my hands were a bit floury. I crumbled the cashew butter again in a flour mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkling on a little lemon juice allowed the texture of the streusel to become perfectly crumbly. Now this was ready to top the muffins.
Alrighty, back to the muffin batter…
After making a well in the center of the large bowl (and adding the vanilla to the soy milk mixture), I poured in the soy milk and gently mixed until no flour was visible. Then I simply folded in the blueberries and scooped the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
Last but not least, I divided the crumble atop the muffins. And into the oven they went! After 5 minutes at 425 F., I decreased the temp to 375 F. and they were done in just 15 more minutes. (and the house smelled like blueberry muffin heaven!)
Just one more shot…
Kids, I can’t wait for you all to try these and comment below:) Happy muffining!!
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or sub with gluten-free
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups clean dry blueberries tossed in a tablespoon or two of flour to lightly coat
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp organic sugar
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 1 tsp lemon juice
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Preheat oven to 425 F.
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Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or lining with paper liners.
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In a small bowl combine the soy milk (or other non-dairy milk) with the apple cider vinegar and set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the lemon zest.
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Add the cashew butter to the dry ingredients and mix together with clean hands until butter is evenly distributed and mixture is slightly crumbly.
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In another bowl combine the streusel ingredients with your fingers (except for the lemon juice.)
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Sprinkle with lemon juice and form into crumbs with fingers. Set aside.
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Whisk the vanilla into the soy milk.
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Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soy milk mixture.
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Gently combine until no flour remains.
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Add in blueberries and fold to distribute.
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Fill muffin tins (I filled 11).
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Sprinkle with streusel topping.
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Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes, then turn heat down to 375 F.
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Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out dry.
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Cool on rack for about 10-15 minutes then remove from muffin tins.
