seasonal plant-based recipes
Howdy! Just dropping in to share these lovely rosy-hued muffins I developed in collaboration with Loam Agronomics. I’ve been getting a consistent supply of beets in my shares lately and decided to go sweet instead of savory this time around. These muffins were inspired by a chocolate birthday cake I made several years ago that incorporated grated beets in the batter. The beets and cocoa are such a great flavor pairing! Check out the recipe HERE.
Cashew butter and cacao nibs lend lovely flavor to this batch of vegan and gluten free blueberry muffins. They come together in about 33 minutes and are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack!
Try as I might during the summer months I just can’t escape not using my oven for too long. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating raw foods and cooking up quick meals on the stove but sometimes I just want a darn muffin. Or anything else that is fresh baked and warm, it’s intoxicating toasty scent filling my nostrils and the entire house. YASSSS. I mean heck, I’m already sweating because it’s 100 degrees outside, so what difference will turning my oven on make? It’s all about priorities!
Since we are well into berry season, you are most likely seeing copious amounts of berries everywhere. Because it’s so hot in Houston right now, we’ve already moved past strawberries and blackberries so that blueberries can have their fleeting moment. Blueberries just might be my favorite, though they are neck and neck with raspberries. I love their intensely blue skin that gives way to a juicy green center. In season berries are the sweetest, especially if you are able to obtain them locally as they are allowed to ripen in the sun. I was craving a blueberry muffin the other day so I decided to brave the added heat from the oven and bake some up.
I ended up pairing the blueberries with some cashew butter because of a past smoothie combo that yielded delicious results. Also, it adds a bit of extra protein to the muffins in case you need some extra fuel to get you through the day. Since blueberries go well with dark chocolate, I threw in some cacao nibs both for flavor and texture. At the last minute I stirred in some ground cinnamon because I like to live on the edge. In addition to giving these muffins a little extra something, it will make your kitchen and house smell amazing. Instant air freshener. Let’s make muffins!
p.s. the flowers in these photos are the ones I mentioned in the last post…I picked them on a walk along our bayou.
Cashew butter and cacao nibs lend lovely flavor to this batch of vegan and gluten free blueberry muffins. They come together in about 33 minutes and are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it with coconut oil. Set the tin aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and cacao nibs until combined. Gently stir the blueberries into the dry ingredients until they are evenly distributed.
In a blender or food processor, combine the plant milk, cashew butter, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently stir with a spatula until a thick muffin batter forms. If it seems too dry, add a splash or two more of your plant milk.
Fill the wells of the muffin tin about 2/3 full of the batter. I find it’s easiest to do this with an ice cream scoop. Once you have used up all of the batter, tap the tin on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles, then place the tin in the oven.
Bake the muffins at 375 for 15-18 min, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time. The muffins are ready when they are golden brown on the edges and a tester comes out clean.
Makes 8-9 muffins.