Non-Vegan
Vegan
Gluten free
Easy Peasy LEMON Squeezy Vegan Muffins
“Hmmmmm this coffee is missing something. If only I had a delicious treat to go with it. I know, Sweet Caroline’s Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Vegan Muffins. *winks to camera*. Recipe available now on the Sweet Caroline blog.”
Smooth Caroline. Smooth. Sounding like a JML advert or something. Anyhooo these are seriously scrumptious and would fool anyone into thinking they were non-vegan. They are nice and moist (sorry I hate that word too) thanks to the lemon and maple syrup drizzle. If you do use gluten free flour, I would suggest adding maybe half a teaspoon more baking powder just to help them to rise.
So the next time someone makes fun of you with the whole "I'm making these vegan, gluten free, dairy free, everything free cakes" and it is actually just them stirring an empty bowl, offering you air, then throw one of these bad boys at them and prove them wrong. Well maybe don't literally throw them because these are far too good to waste.
Cue shots of me trying to be artsy with poppy seeds and lemons.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 CUP COCONUT OIL
3/4 CUP COCONUT SUGAR
1 CUP ALMOND MILK
1/2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
3 TBSP OF FRESH LEMON JUICE
ZEST OF 2 LEMONS
2 CUPS PLAIN FLOUR (OR GLUTEN FREE)
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP BICARB OF SODA
2 TBSP POPPY SEEDS
LEMON DRIZZLE
2 TBSP MAPLE SYRUP
1 TBSP COCONUT SUGAR
JUICE OF 2 LEMONS
MAKES 9
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C, gas mark 4). Gonna warn you, this recipe is so simple that I could probably just say throw all your ingredients in a bowl and mix, so expect a lot of "add and mix" coming up. The clue was in the name of these really. They actually are easy peasy.
Begin by mixing together the coconut oil (melted) and sugar.
Add the vanilla, almond milk, lemon juice and zest . Now sift in the flour and then stir in the baking powder, bicarb of soda. See what I mean about 'add and mix'.
Spoon your mixture into either muffin or regular sized cases. They don't rise quite as well as the non-vegan muffins so your case size doesn't matter as much, but they taste awesome so who cares.
Throw them in the oven at 200°C for 5 minutes and then turn the oven down to 180°C for the remaining 15 minutes. This will help you to get a crispy top.
To make the drizzle, gently heat the maple syrup, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepa. You could also use the same drizzle as the regular ones, minus the lemon curd.
Take the muffins out of the oven, leave them to cool for 5 minutes and then pour over the lemon drizzle. Pop the kettle on and enjoy with a cup of tea. Enjoy!
