Simple, sweet and healthy, Blueberry Walnut Muffins are the perfect cozy, made-at-home treat. You won’t get those warm muffin smells and super fresh fruit flavors from a store-bought muffin.
On-Sale and Organic. When I see organic fruit on sale, I get excited, since it can often be quite pricy. So when I saw fresh organic blueberries on sale at Whole Foods, I snatched up two 6 oz. packs and my muffin daydreams began. These vegan, no oil added muffins are the perfect treat on a lazy weekend morning at home. A warm mug of chai tea, a blueberry muffin, a side of some fresh fruit and I am set. Sweet. Simple. Healthy. Cozy. And who doesn’t love a blueberry muffin?…
Blueberries and Health. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits out there. They are super high in antioxidants, low in calories, fat free, a good source of fiber, sweet, delicious and irresistible. A few stats: blueberries contain (per cup, raw) around 80 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 0g fat, 24% RDA of Vitamin C, 36% RDA Vitamin K and 25% RDA Manganese. Plus blueberries are packed with antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins – the same phytonutrient found in red wine.
Get Inspired. Check out my blueberry photos and kids poem here, to get you in a blueberry mood. Onto these muffins! Or as I call them, moo-fins.
Simple Sweet Blueberry Walnut Muffins
vegan, makes about 18 muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached spelt flour (or white, or more whole wheat)
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup vegan sugar
3 Tbsp blueberry-flax seed meal, Trader Joe’s brand
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup soy milk, vanilla flavor (plain is fine too)
3/4 cup vanilla soy yogurt
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp orange zest
8 ounces fresh blueberries, organic pref’d
2 Tbsp agave syrup
1 cup walnuts, pounded into meal
1/2 walnuts, roughly chopped
Crumb Topping: 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp soy milk, dash of cinnamon
Garnish Pre-Baking: 1 cup fresh blueberries tossed in 1 Tbsp agave syrup
Optional: 1 tsp fresh grated ginger and/or a few dashes cayenne (for a sweet spice flavor addition)
Yogurt Note: *You can also use blueberry flavor or plain flavor. If using plain, be sure to add an extra 2 Tbsp of agave syrup to your batter.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with canola oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and flax seed meal.
3. Add in soy milk, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, orange zest and optional ginger/cayenne. Mix well by hand.
4. Pound out your walnuts (into a dusty meal consistency), and fold the meal into the batter. Then fold in the roughly chopped walnuts. Note: I used raw walnuts, you can use raw or roasted.
5. Wash and pat dry your blueberries. Then toss them in your 2 Tbsp of agave syrup. Fold the agave-tossed blueberries into the batter.
6. Fill muffin cups, dot each muffin with 2-3 blueberries and a few drops of your crumb topping.
7. Place in oven to bake for 18-23 minutes at 400 degrees. Check center with a toothpick. Tops will brown when ready.
Serve: Eat, freeze or store on counter for up to 2 days. Muffins freeze and thaw very well.
These muffins were amazing! Despite the fact I had no blueberry flaxseed meal, I used plain organic finely ground flaxseed instead. I also replaced the whole wheat flour with whole wheat pastry flour and made jumbo texas muffins instead of small ones. they came out excellent and I hope to make them again sometime.
Anon~
Sure! Instead of Trader Joe's Blueberry Flax Seed Meal, try another brand of flax seed meal, or simply use whole flax seeds. To sub the mild sweetness that TJ's flax has, add an extra spoonful of vegan sugar to the recipe.
K
Sounds like a great recipe, but please keep in mind that Trader Joe's has a limited range! Can you suggest a substitution for the blueberry flax?
I love muffins for a quick breakfast. Add berries and walnuts and you have a pretty nutritious muffin. These look delish. I've saved the recipe for future use. Thanks!
Mmmmm….homemade muffins. I will put this on the to-make list! Just found your blog…love it.
P.S. I just posted an Arbonne Giveaway that I would like to invite you to enter! Arbonne is a vegan certified skincare line.
Ricki,
Blueberry Flax Seed Meal is ground up flax seeds with a few additional flavors like blueberry and a sweetener. It smells nutty and is a healthy add-in to baked goods or smoothies. I love it much more than whole flax seeds or even flax seed oil.
Thanks!!
Kathy
Talk about mouthwatering. These look amazing and your photos are gorgeous!
Trader Joe's seems to carry some of the most astoundingly great products I've ever seen–I am always envious when I see something mentioned from them. Blueberry flax meal? What is that, please?
Barbara,
Walnuts: In the recipe, there is
1 1/2 cups of whole walnuts TOTAL.
1 cup = pounded into meal
1/2 cup = roughly chopped
Use: take 1 cup of walnuts and pound them into meal. Then take the other 1/2 cup and roughly chop them.
Thanks for the great comments!
Kathy
Such beautiful photos! These sound delicious! I have a blueberry crumb cake in the oven right now, but I must confess yours is much healthier than mine 😉
I love blue berries but I never ate real fresh blue berries in my life. By the time they get to me they look old and wrinkly. I can still see the life in your blue berries even if you baked them. I love the fact that there is no added oil in these muffins. Maybe I can try with the wrinkly blueberries or frozen would be a better deal. I just love the taste of blue berry muffins.
Sound yummy. Will make them soon, however pls clarify how much walnuts are roughly choppped, is that an additional 1/2 cup to the 1 cup meal?