I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who gets an itch to make muffins, and with this recent cold weather, what better way to spend a Sunday morning? I recently got snowed in (for about the third time this winter) and was forced to use whatever we had in the kitchen. But the result was some of the best muffins I have ever had! So delicious and moist, you won’t even know they’re vegan.

Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Feel free to substitute a gluten free flour if you need to, it will work just the same

1/2 cup brown sugar, or coconut sugar if you have it or want to experiment with it

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil. I usually use walnut oil because it super healthy and has a nice nutty flavor, but if you don’t have any nut oils on hand, canola will work just fine

1 banana, mashed

1/3 cup non-dairy milk. Soy, almond, coconut, etc.

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, available at Giant Eagle in the organic section. If you don’t mind the chocolate not being vegan, then any kind of chocolate chips will do

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

And if you want to spice it up, which I did, feel free to add some chai tea concentrate. It adds a nice layer of warmth perfect for these colder months. If you don’t have anything like that, then throw in a pinch of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, or any mix of those spices for a similar effect to the chai flavor.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ยบ F and line or grease your muffin tins.

While the oven is preheating, go ahead and roast the walnuts (if they’re not roasted already) for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add in milk, mashed banana, and oil. Mix until just combined.

Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

The dough will not be very runny, so it’s best to use a spoon for this next step.

Fill the muffin tins 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the tops are a nice golden color and a toothpick comes out clean.

And there you go! Super easy and a good introduction to vegan baking if you have never done it before. These little muffins are perfect for a Sunday brunch, and pair wonderfully with some hot tea on a cold morning.

 
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