Blueberry and Almond Muffins (Vegan GF)

Light, fluffy and nutty muffins with juicy blueberries and an almond streusel crumble topping. These tasty muffins are naturally vegan, easily gluten-free and quick to make in one bowl. 

Spring is here and all I want to eat are fresh berries, and blueberries are a great one this time of year. I love eating them with warming bowls of Rice Pudding Porridge, Quick Soak Apple Oats and on Protein Yoghurt Toasts. When I am not spooning them on to of my breakfast foods, I am stuffing them into light and fluffy muffins like these Blueberry and Almond Muffins. They are so easy to make – there is something so humble about a wholesome yet delicious muffin. They are great with a cup of coffee mid-morning or a tea later in the day. They really are so good all day long.

There’s nothing fancy about these Blueberry and Almond Muffins, they rely on simple ingredients you probably have at home but the result is something magical. They are:

• Soft and spongey
• Sticky sweet on top with a crunchy crumble
• Juicy and zesty from the bursting berries
• Crunchy and nutty from the nuts
• Moist and cake-y

Plus, they come together in one bowl in only a few minutes. You can also play around with the ingredients, too, depending on what you have to hand:

• Plant-based milk: any milk will do here. I love oat, almond or coconut for these Blueberry and Almond Muffins.
• Lemon juice: this acts as a natural binder as it curdles the milk to a “buttermilk” and holds the batter together. You could also use apple cider vinegar.
• Coconut sugar: or anther sugar like golden caster, white caster or light brown sugar will all work. I prefer coconut as it’s refined sugar free, has a lovely caramel taste and a gorgeous golden colour.
• Sunflower oil: it has a great neutral flavour and light texture that works so well in cakes and bakes. You could also use melted coconut oil or olive oil.
• Vanilla essence: for a little flavour.
• Plain or GF plain flour: this keeps the Blueberry and Almond Muffins very light and airy like a cake. If using GF flour, make sure to use a 1:1 GF blend with xantham gum,
• Ground almonds: these add to the great moist crumb and texture of the muffins. If you are nut-free, swap these for ground up seeds like sunflower or pumpkin.
• Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: for the rise.
• Blueberries: essential for these Blueberry and Almond Muffins but if you want to play around with the flavours, you can use any berries like raspberries, cranberries or blackberries. These can be fresh or frozen.
• Dried fruits and nuts: I used a lovely mix of Dried Blueberries, Gojis and Almonds for this recipe as I love it, but you can use any mix. It is great to have the chewiness of dried fruits and the crunch from the nuts.

Once you have prepared the batter and folded in the fruits, simply top with the almond crumble streusel which is just a blend of flaked almonds, oats, coconut sugar and vegan butter. It adds such a great crunch and sticky sweetness on top of these Blueberry and Almond Muffins. You can also drizzle some icing sugar over the top, too, to make these really special.

They are so light and fluffy, moist and cake-y with a great crumb. With delicious, sweet juicy blueberries and nutty almonds on top and inside, these Blueberry and Almond Muffins are a great afternoon tea delight or an elevenses snack with coffee. Or, save them for dessert or even breakfast with a smoothie.

If you are looking for a simple, no-fuss yet totally delicious vegan and gluten-free bake, this is it. I hope you will love them and if you are looking for more baking ideas, how about my:

• Carrot Cake Butterscotch Cupcakes
• Strawberry No-Yeast Swirl Buns
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Banana Bread
• Vegan Raspberry Scones
• Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches

Blueberry and Almond Muffins (Vegan GF)

• Servings: 12
• Time: 35 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Light, fluffy and nutty muffins with juicy blueberries and an almond streusel crumble topping. These tasty muffins are naturally vegan, easily gluten-free and quick to make in one bowl.

Ingredients

Muffins:
• 240ml plant-based milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 90g coconut sugar
• 80ml/70g sunflower oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 210g plain or GF plain flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of salt
• 200g blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 50g chopped mixed dried fruits and nuts
Crumble topping:
• 30g flaked almonds
• 20g oats
• 20g coconut sugar
• 25g vegan butter, melted
Optional icing drizzle:
• 50g icing sugar
• Extra chopped mixed dried fruits and nuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180C and line a muffin tray with 12 cases. Make the crumble topping by stirring together all the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Whisk together the plant-based milk and lemon juice and leave for 5 minutes to curdle. Now add in the coconut sugar, sunflower oil and vanilla essence and whisk again.
3. Sift in the plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and pour in the ground almonds. Whisk to a smooth batter.
4. Fold in the blueberries and the chopped dried mixed fruits and nuts.
5. Use an ice cream scoop or a couple of large tablespoons to divide the batter between the 12 cases, filling almost to the top.
6. Sprinkle over the crumble topping and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool fully and then stir together the icing sugar and 1-2 tsp water and drizzle over the muffins. Sprinkle over some extra chopped mixed dried fruits and nuts. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Blueberry and Almond Muffins so please let me know in the comments below and tag me if you make them! I love seeing your bakes – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With blueberry muffin love x