There is an incredible little store called “Health Nuts” down the street on the corner of 99th and Broadway. They have a variety of gluten-free mixes, cookies, flowers etc., about 20 different flavors of Stevia extract (didn’t even know it came in any more than one) and, of course, many vegan ingredients. This may sound odd, but on the way home from school, I sometimes walk into the store and just look around for ideas of what to make next. The other day I simply decided that I was going to make a through-and-through moist and savory batch of banana muffins. I found a recipe on my favorite cooking site (http://minimalistbaker.com) and was surprised to see the simplicity of cooking vegan. My goal of making these was to finally use flax-eggs (I had just bought a bag of ground flax at health nuts), and ultimately make a vegan recipe that even non-vegans would love.
I handed out a bunch to my vegan friends at school and everyone devoured them. One of my friends was so excited to to finally eat a muffins that actually tasted good, that she ate three for lunch. She also tricked her non-vegan friend into thinking that they were regular banana cupcakes and he ate the entire thing. Only after did she mention that it was vegan.
I hope you enjoy as much as my friends and I did!
Muffins:
2 flax eggs
4 medium ripe bananas (don’t worry about measurements – it’s forgiving)
heaping 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all purpose)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Crumble Top:
1/4 cup raw sugar
5 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a standard size muffin tin (will make 10-11 muffins)
- Prepare flax egg in a large mixing bowl. Let set for 5 minutes.
- Add banana and mash, leaving just a bit of texture.
- Add brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for one minute.
- Stir in vanilla, melted butter and mix.
- Add flour and oats and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Lastly, fold in walnuts (optional).
- Divide batter evenly among 10-11 muffin tins, filling a generous 3/4 full (I fill mine practically full for aesthetic effect).
- Quickly wipe your mixing bowl and add crumble ingredients. Prepare crumble top by mashing ingredients together with a fork until crumbly like wet sand. Generously top muffins with streusel. You should have leftovers.
- Bake for 17-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, remove from muffin tin and serve warm. Once completely cooled, store in a covered container at room temp for several days. Freeze for longer term storage.
Thanks to Minimalist Baker for the incredible recipes!!
Ally's Tiny Kitchen 