Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Julie, The Simple Veganista; photo credit Julie, The Simple Veganista

12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup organic coconut sugar (pure cane or turbinado sugar will work)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk – In place of 1 cup almond milk, you can try adding 1/2 cup orange juice or lemon juice for added flavor, plus 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk.
• 1/3 cup olive oil (or fruit infused olive oil: lemon or orange) For oil-free muffins, replace the oil with unsweetened applesauce. If using oil, any oil will do. Also, melted vegan butter will work.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen – Smash 1/2 cup of the blueberries, adding it to the batter before mixing in the whole blueberries.

optional garnish

• a few extra blueberries
• sprinkle of cane sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix wet ingredients: In a 2 cup measuring cup, add the milk, sugar, oil and vanilla, stir to combine a few times to help soften the large grains of sugar.
• Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Combine wet & dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix, over-mixing the batter tends to make the muffins less tender.
• Add blueberries: Toss in the fresh or frozen blueberries and gently fold them into the batter.
• Scoop: Fill each muffin lined hole with batter. For uniformity, fill muffin tin using a 1/4 measuring cup or large ice cream scooper to scoop up the batter and pour into the muffin holes.

Topping: Optionally, add a few blueberries on top and sprinkle the top with a little coconut sugar. The sugar will add a nice crunch to the tops

Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool a few minutes and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Storing:

• Counter & Fridge: Once completely cooled, store the muffins with a paper towel underneath and on top in a container on the counter for up to 3-4 days. The paper towels will soak up moisture and keep them from getting moist and lose the delicious crunchy top. They are also fine loosely covered for 1-2 days. Or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freezer: Once completely cooled, wrap muffins individually and store in a freezer safe container or baggie or up to 2 months. When ready to eat let thaw to room temperature.