Vegan Blueberry Muffins

For quite some time now, I have been trying to find a great vegan blueberry muffin recipe.  I have not had much success.  I was starting to think that blueberry muffins were just one of those things than can't be made vegan and still be any good.

Just the other day, I created my own recipe and they turned out great.  They really didn't seem vegan.  I'll give you the recipe in a minute, but first, let me tell you how I got to it.  About four months ago, DH decided to cut sugar out of his diet (as much as possible).  While I and the girls aren't ready to go as far as he has, I've been trying to cut back on the sugar.  So, I've been altering the vegan pancakes that I make on fasting days.  I've cut the sugar out completely and substituted one ripe banana.  After all, banana pancakes are great anyway.  I decided to add some blueberries the other day, and the girls loved them.  They also didn't notice the banana at all.  I mashed it so well -- no chunks -- and the taste blended with everything else.

Well, since the pancakes turned out so well, I decided to try the same thing with muffins.  I have a chocolate chip banana muffin recipe that has always been a hit, so why not adapt it.  I cut out the sugar (and the salt), took away the chocolate chips, and added blueberries.  It was perfect.  The girls oohed and aahed, and asked for more.  I loved them, too.  They were soft and moist, and just the right sweet.

So, without further ado, here's the adapted recipe:


Ingredients
2-3 ripe bananas
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil or tahini
4-6 oz blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

If you have a large Kitchen-aid mixer, you can throw everything, except the blueberries, in and mix.  If not, mash the bananas in a small bowl.  Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add the wet ingredients and bananas, and mix.  Then, gently stir in the blueberries.  Pour into 12 muffin cups, and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes (I don't preheat).