Ah… the great Minnesota get together. It’s a complicated place for a vegan to be. My first visit was over 10 years ago and I hated it! From the overwhelmed mommy pigs at the Miracle of Life Center to the random pairings of fried animal things on sticks I just wasn’t super into it. Then something happened: the vegan main dish competition. (Though I can’t give it all the credit – there was amazing seed art and En Vogue this year!)
Most of my life I have not been a very competitive person. But turns out I am, perhaps only because I care deeply about proving to Minnesotans that vegan food doesn’t suck. In my kitchen I have 8 ribbons proudly displayed ranging from 1st to 5th place that I have won over the past 5 years. All of my submissions have been vegan, of course, but don’t worry, I didn’t tell the judges that. Except for the main dish category of course, because that’s in the rules. And if you are wondering how I did in the main dish category, well, my Beet Burger recipe took 2nd this year!
Anyway, my other prize this year was awarded for this gluten-free blueberry muffin. It took 4th place in the Gluten Free Quick Bread, Loaf, Scones or Muffins category! I always thought it was good, and I guess this year the judges agreed. Pro tip – if you are going for appearance, use fresh berries since frozen ones give the batter a greenish hue when you mix them in.
Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Muffin
Makes 10 muffins
Serving size = 1 muffin
- 1 c soy milk
- 1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ c coconut oil, softened
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseeds
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup arrowroot powder
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 cup (or to taste) fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a muffin tin with baking cups (or grease with additional coconut oil).
- Add vinegar and lemon juice to the soymilk and stir, allowing to slightly curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla.
- In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Add the flaxseed to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add in the soymilk mixture and mix until a thick batter is formed. Add the blueberries.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling to the brim. You will only fill 10 of the cups. Bake for 35 minutes or until baked throughout; you can test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the muffin, if it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, the muffins are ready.