Turmeric Vegan Blueberry Muffins

On the lookout for healthy blueberry muffins? A few months ago, we received this email from reader Rochelle:

“I want to make healthy blueberry muffins this weekend but can’t find my recipe anywhere… and the ones online seem a bit off (reviews are always so mixed). Do you have a muffin recipe you might recommend? ~Rochelle“

Since we didn’t have a go-to muffin recipe, Alex and I set out to create a healthy take on the blueberry muffin. Honestly, muffins are few and far between in our household, since we generally go for savory in the morning. But, since blueberry muffins are incredibly versatile, working as a snack and a side in addition to breakfast, we decided it’s high time to find one we love. Besides, we’re always up for a challenge.

We set out with the following goals for our healthy blueberry muffins. Note that truly they should be called healthy-ish; there’s still quite a bit of sugar in the babies, so between these and a veggie tray, carrot sticks are still a cleaner choice. For these muffins, we:

• Cut the sugar amount versus standard recipes
• Used maple syrup for a naturally-sweet take
• Subbed in a bit of whole wheat flour for a portion of the all-purpose
• Used coconut oil, almond milk, and no egg to make for a dairy-free & vegan recipe
• Added turmeric for color, which may or may not have health benefits

We baked up these healthy blueberry muffins four times before calling for some reinforcements–looking no further than the very same reader, Rochelle. It just so happens she had demonstrated her cooking prowess in the recipe testing process for our upcoming cookbook (Pretty Simple Cooking, to release in February 2018). When I let Rochelle that we hadn’t quite been able to nail it, she sent back her own healthy muffin take. After a few more times back and forth honing the method, this recipe was born! Some additional features Rochelle added: apple sauce for moistness, lemon zest for a little tang, and turbinado sugar for a sparkly, crunchy topping. Hats off to Rochelle for not only inspiring the healthy blueberry muffin challenge, but bringing it to completion! (If you’d like, say hi to Rochelle on Instagram.)

We’d love to know what you think of the healthy blueberry muffin challenge and if we’ve hit the mark: let us know in the comments below!

Looking for more with turmeric?

Turmeric is getting a lot of play these days, but whether it’s a miracle spice is still up for debate. Either way, it’s absolutely delicious. For more with turmeric, give these recipes a try:

• Broccoli and turmeric rice bowls
• Simple vegetable paella
• Kale, sweet potato, and chickpea stew

Did you make this recipe?

If you make these turmeric vegan blueberry muffins, we’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks.

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, naturally sweet, and refined sugar-free.

Turmeric Coconut Oil Blueberry Muffins

 

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by: a Couple Cooks

Serves: 12

What You Need

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup almond milk
• 6 ounces frozen or fresh blueberries
• Turbinado sugar, for garnish (optional)

What To Do

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare muffin tins with liners or non-stick spray.
2. If using frozen blueberries, place them in a bowl and cover them with cold water to defrost while completing the first steps of the recipe.
3. Melt the coconut oil, then cool it to room temperature. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the coconut oil and maple syrup until well combined. Add applesauce and vanilla and mix again until combined. (Note that if the coconut oil is too warm or if you leave the bowl unattended, it may solidify. If so, simply reheat the entire mixture and whisk together again until fully combined.)
4. Sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, and turmeric in a bowl. Add the flour mixture in ¼ increments to the wet mixture alternating with ¼ of the milk. Stir in the lemon zest.
5. If using fresh blueberries, wash them; if using frozen berries, drain. Dry the berries with paper towels, then add them to a medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. This will keep blueberries suspended in the batter while baking, instead of sinking to the bottom. Gently fold blueberries and flour into the batter mixture, then spoon it into muffin tins (12 large or 24 mini) and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
6. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes (large/standard muffins) or 25 to 30 minutes (mini muffins), until a toothpick comes out clean. Let stand in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

3.5.3226

 

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