The basis of a good muffin is in the creaming of sugar and fats. With Vegan breakfast muffins, I prefer using organic sugar and coconut cream (in place of sugar and vegan butter). And since coconut cream is not as dense as dairy butter, I use homemade almond milk to make the vegan breakfast muffins richer. You can use store-bought nut milk and cream as well.
In this recipe, I will also use berries to make the muffins more nutritious. Blueberries are always in season. From April to late September, we get fresh supplies from North America. And in October up to March, South America takes over the harvest season. However, with this recipe, feel free to use whichever berries you find including strawberries.
The Ingredients
- ¾-cup organic sugar
- ¼-cup coconut cream
- ½ cup almond milk
- 2-cups flour – use any version of flour including my favorite cassava flour or gluten-free options. If your flour is lighter like oats and coconut flours, add a little more.
- 1-teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1-teaspoon baking soda
- ¼-teaspoon apple cider vinegar – You can also use 1-teaspoon lemon juice. They act as preservatives and natural stabilizers, as they balance the overall flavor of these vegan breakfast muffins.
- 1/3 cup applesauce – you can also use 2 tablespoons of chia seeds presoaked for 4 hours. These act as egg substitutes.
- ¼-cup chopped berries
To make the almond milk, presoak your raw almonds overnight (or at least 8 hours). Then drain the water. Add the almonds in a high-speed blender with enough water (for 1 cup of almonds, use 2 cups of water), and blend to a milky consistency. Strain this milk through a clean cotton towel, and voila, your homemade almond milk is ready.
Procedure
Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
In a large bowl, add the sugar and coconut cream. Whip using a whisk or an electric mixture until creamy and almost double in size. Pure coconut cream will not separate. However, be careful with other non-dairy creams. They become liquid when over-whipped.
You can also use vegetable shortening. But, this is not the healthiest option available because it contains trans-fats that are not good for your heart.
Similarly, liquid sweeteners will not work well in this recipe. We want to achieve fluffy muffins, not the dense types. Granulated sugar helps to offset the cream and create more air pockets.
Now add all the liquid ingredients and mix well.
Sift in your flour and baking powder and gently fold in. For fluffy, airy vegan breakfast muffins, do not over-mix once you add flour. It is okay to have a few lumps.
Pour your batter into lined cupcake molds and bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. As a rule, the thicker your cake butter, the faster the cake cooks.
Garnish with fresh berries or whipped coconut cream.
Variations
You can use the same recipe for chocolate vegan breakfast muffins or pumpkin muffins. Just add cocoa powder or mashed pumpkin and reduce flour in the same quantity. Enjoy!