Gluten Free Vegan Blueberry Muffins

GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

(recipe from rhiansrecipes)

·    you can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil

·    you can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc

·    you can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc

·    you can substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground walnuts

·    for a nut-free version: substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (1/4 cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds

·    you can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free

·    you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries

·    if you’re not into blueberries, you can use any other type of similar fruit such as raspberries, blackberries or cherries, or dried fruit such as dried cranberries, figs or dates.

·    Tip: Make sure to use the right amount of baking powder – 2 heaped teaspoons! Use too little baking powder and your sponge won’t be fluffy, too much and it’ll have a bitter taste

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Servings: mine made about 14 muffins

Ingredients:

·    60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)

·    200 ml  unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)

·    2 tablespoons lemon juice 

·    8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

·    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·    Pinch (Pinch) salt

·    150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *

·    150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)

·    2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)

·    1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

·    100 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)

Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)

Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds

Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda

Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry

Add the fresh blueberries and fold in gently, to make sure you don’t crush them

Transfer the mixture between 8 muffin cases in a muffin tin

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean

Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days