Fluffy Buttery Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Vegan blueberry muffins are a tasty way to get blueberries into your body. If you keep up with the medical and nutrition industry at all, you already know that all foods high in antioxidants such as blueberries, are considered “Super Foods”. Consuming more fruits and vegetables of any kind reduces your risk of lifestyle-related health conditions. But Superfoods pack such a nutritional punch that everyone is asked to include them in their dietary rotation to lower risk of cancer, hypertension, diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases.
I first remember hearing about blueberries when I was just a tot… my mother read me a story about a little girl who got lost on a mountain while eating a ridiculous amount of blueberries. The story was called BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL. I loved the way my mom read that story and I wanted blueberries to eat, too.
In case you’ve never heard of the cute little children’s story, here’s a You Tuber reading it aloud.
Anyway, blueberries are a good source of vitamin K which assists in proper blood clotting. Blueberries also contain iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, zinc, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber, manganese and other antioxidants (notably anthocyanins). Blueberries contain no cholesterol, no fat, and are low in calories.
Some nutritionists believe that if you make only one change to your diet, it should be to add blueberries a few times per week. Whether fresh, dried or fresh frozen, you can add blueberries to your diet easily in the form of smoothies. Throwing a handful on your granola or oatmeal is another idea. Baking them into waffles, pancakes, or these tasty vegan blueberry muffins works too.
Recently, there has been a video floating around the web of rapper Waka Flocka Flame and a friend of his making vegan blueberry muffins. In case you were wondering, this is NOT THAT RECIPE. This one is mine.
What’s so great about these vegan blueberry muffins is that they are actually tender and pretty fluffy, considering that there is no egg or egg substitute in them. The rising occurs as the result of a chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda.
Vinegar is a surprisingly common ingredient in baked goods, considering that it has such a sharp flavor. But as an acid, vinegar is often included in cake and cookie batters to start the chemical reaction needed to produce carbon dioxide and give batters a lift as they bake. You won’t be able to taste the vinegar when the cupcakes are done, so don’t worry about that.
In this recipe I used raw organic apple cider vinegar. Made from apples, it has a faintly fruity smell and flavor, is extremely mild, and is naturally sweet compared to other vinegars.
I also used an entire 16 oz package of organic blueberries in my vegan blueberry muffins. I hate “blueberry muffins” where you damn near need to send out a hunting expedition to find a blueberry! So I dump in the whole package for a dozen blueberries. No one has ever complained.
Here they are, fresh out of the oven oozing with blueberry goodness. And though most cupcake/muffin recipes suggest that you fill the paper cup only 2/3 full, I fill mine about 3/4 full (even a little more), to get this high dome in the finished product. Additional flavor is added to these vegan blueberry muffins through the addition of lemon zest – I use fresh organic Meyer Lemons from my backyard tree, which have a milder taste reminiscent of an orange.
Give these vegan blueberry muffins a try and let me know what you think!
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups unbleached flour
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 2 organic Meyer lemons, zested
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup plant milk (I have used soy, almond and rice milk with success)
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- additional oil to make ⅓ cup (I like avocado oil)
- 1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 16 oz package organic blueberries
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cups.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
- Melt vegan butter in measuring cup, then add avocado oil to make it ⅓ cup in total.
- In a small bowl, combine the oil blend, lemon juice, vinegar and plant milk. Mix thoroughly then add to the dry ingredients.
- Stir until all dry ingredients are incorporated, adding a bit more plant milk if needed. Try not to overblend - it makes your muffins tough in texture instead of fluffy.
- Gently fold in the blueberries until evenly combined.
- Fill each muffin cup ¾ full - dividing the batter evenly amongst the 12.
- Place in oven and bake about 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick in center of middle muffin. If it comes out clean, your muffins are ready. Otherwise, continue baking another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and set on rack to cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and set on rack to continue cooling.
Category: Breakfast
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