Blissful Blueberry Muffins

I'm going to be frank.  My daughter and I loved these muffins.  My husband, not so much. 

 

If you're not used to eating whole foods and sugar is a regular part of your diet, the recipes I provide will take getting used to.  While my husband eats fairly healthy and the majority of food I make, he still struggles with muffins and cupcakes because he misses that "fat" and "sugary" taste he is used to from these things.  Nya and I, on the other hand, are used to eating whole foods and using dates as a sweetener (Although in the beginning for me, it took some getting used to!). This type of whole food, plant based eating is all she knows.  So when she eats the muffins, cupcakes, and cookies I make for her, she thinks she is getting quite the treat.  For this reason, I constantly emphasize how important starting your children on a whole food path from the beginning, free of processed foods, is so important for their long term well being. 

With that being said, let's get into the recipe...  It is not as simple as I normally like to make my recipes because my goal in creating this was to come up with a texture that is similar to the typical store bought muffin.  When baking with dates and no fat, food tends to be more dense.  I actually prefer this, and again, it's all Nya knows.  But for those wanting to change their way of eating, it's a big deal.  The apple cider vinegar and tofu help to make this happen.   

What you need:

16 ounces of Organic Non-GMO Firm Tofu
1/2 cup plant milk (plain or vanilla)
1 Date
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

6 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp Ground Flax

15 Pitted Dates
*8 Tbsp Coconut Oil (Pure and Unrefined)

2 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (Spelt works well too)
1 Tbsp Baking Power
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (If using frozen, add 2 Tbsp flour to coat them.  This prevents "running")

* You can substitute vegan butter such as Earth Balance.  Nutrition info will remain the same, except saturated fat content will be cut in half.

What you do:

1.  In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).  Set aside.

2.  In separate bowl, mix together ground flax and water.  Set aside and let sit.

3.  Combine 15 Dates and Coconut Oil in food processor and process until smooth.  (If you are used to using sugar, and prefer sweet treats, you can add 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup to this mixture).   Then pour into the flax/water mixture and stir.

Dates and Coconut Oil

*4.  In a high speed blender or food processor (do not worry about washing out the processor in between!), combine tofu, milk, date, and apple cider vinegar.  Blend until smooth.  It will have the consistency of a yogurt.

5. Next, add 1/2 of your dry ingredients (step 1) to the coconut oil mixture (step 3) and stir until just incorporated.

6.  Add 1/2 of the tofu mixture (step 4) to this and stir until just incorporated.

Adding tofu mixture to batter

7.  Add remaining dry ingredients (step 1) and stir.  Followed by remaining tofu mixture (step 4) and stir. (Your batter consistency will be extremely thick and seem a little scary.  Don't worry!)

Consistency of batter

 

8.  Finally, fold in 1 1/2 cups of blueberries.


Frozen blueberries with flour coating

9.  Spoon in to lightly oiled or silicon muffin pan and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes (or until lightly golden).  Makes 18 muffins.

* If you prefer not to use tofu, you may substitute 1 1/2 cups of yogurt with 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar here.  Just make sure you read your labels, use organic, and that it does not contain any additives that many do.

Nutrition Info per Muffin:

Calories: 200

Fat: 7.8 g

Saturated Fat: 5.3 g (Due to coconut oil)

Sodium: 74 mg

Carbohydrates: 28 g

Fiber: 4 g

Sugars: 15 g

Protein: 5 g

 

To find more whole food, plant based recipes for your little one and connect with other loving parents, visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.