Wholesome Vegan Oat-Banana and Jam Muffins

Hey, these Wholesome Vegan Oat-Banana and Jam Muffins are delicious, whew! If you know the style of my recipes, you know that I stress technique, and that includes whisking and sifting dry ingredients and following recipes – ones written by authors you trust—to a T. When a recipe is being tested, that means in my world, cut it at least in half and pay close attention too what happens. That was not the case this morning.

Eight-year-old Seth and six-year Eli are spending most of the week with me while they attend the Franklin Institute Discovery Camp. These boys really are quite self-reliant and very at home in the kitchen with peelers and knives. Still, this is our actual first all-together-now sleepover, and while I absolutely adore and appreciate their good appetites and excellent going to sleep and waking up habits, the new-again routine has me super busy and time-pressed. Memories of the days of childrearing and appreciation for parents have been refreshed. Breakfast, packing lunch, dinner, snacks, showers, and loads of laundry.

Wholesome Vegan Oat-Banana and Jam Muffins

This morning I woke 15 minutes before the boys and decided to give the boys a breakfast treat. Coffee in hand, I set the oven to convection mode and set out to mix up a batch of the Hearty Oat and Jam Muffins from More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally. I did not whisk the flour or sift the dry. Neither did I mash the large banana well. I did, however, measure the batter, per usual but today that was a by-product of pouring it into one of the flexible measuring cups I like to use to pour batter into tins.

What I learned is that this variation is a keeper.

Dry ingredients: Drop the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate blobs to double check you have used them all. I realized later that I did not add the 2 tablespoons of sweetener in the original recipe and forgot to add the vanilla extract too. The baked muffins tasted great, so I got lucky but really, not the best idea to wing it.

The timer turned off mysteriously, so I am not sure how long these baked but it was less time than I expected—my best guess is 10 minutes on the upper rack. I did use convection bake though so 25% less time is normal.

Recipe notes:

• I did pour more batter into the oiled tins than the original recipe’s 3/4 full.
• I did use more jam per muffin, I’d say at least a heaping teaspoon or so.
• I did not add the 2 tablespoons of sweetener, (whole cane or maple sugar), and forgot the vanilla extract. I will put those changes in ink. Not needed.
• I found the 4 cups batter makes more than 12 standard muffins. I made 12 standard plus 3 very large. So, you would get 12 very large or—you tell me.

I am admittedly fussy about my mise en place, baking (and making desserts in general) but this morning’s less fussy baking was a good experiment for me. I will not be less fussy again, with most of my desserts.

Now, you can feel good, not guilty when you grab one of these moist, hearty, maple syrup-sweetened Wholesome Vegan Oat-Banana and Jam Muffins. They are chock-full of healthful whole foods ingredients. These are good breakfast or anytime muffins with a nice surprise of all-fruit jam. Not only do they taste delicious, they provide plenty of energy with very little fat. Next time, I will add some fat juicy blueberries or pitted fresh cherries, halved and another time I may cut the 2 tablespoons of oil and add some fruit puree instead. TBC. Are you with me? I love comments on my blog posts so if you’d leave one or as many as you’ve got, please do and I’ll respond! Good day, you all.

5 from 1 vote

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Wholesome Vegan Oat-Banana and Jam Muffins

These are good breakfast or anytime muffins with a nice surprise of all-fruit jam. Not only do they taste delicious, they provide plenty of energy with very little fat or sweetener.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword vegan baking, vegan muffins

Yields 16 large muffins

Author Fran Costigan

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons rolled oats, toasted or not
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 cup soymilk or any plant milk
• 1 large ripe banana, peeled and broken into pieces
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, Grade A dark or dark amber
• 2 tablespoons mild tasting extra virgin olive oil or a neutral vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons all-fruit jam, more as less as needed

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Oil the cups and tops of a standard 12-cup muffin tin plus a 6 cup, or insert paper liners into the cups if you like
2. Whisk the pastry flour and add it to a strainer set over a medium bowl. (I did not whisk or sift).
3. Add the baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt to the flour and whisk to mix.
4. Add the oats and cranberries or raisins and mix. Make a well in the center.
5. In a separate medium bowl, mash the banana pieces roughly. I did not mix to a puree. Add the plant milk, maple syrup, oil, and vinegar and whisk until combined.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir with a rubber spatula only until the ingredients are moistened.
7. Allow the batter to rest about 1 minute. Spoon or pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup three-quarters to 7/8 full. Drop about 1 teaspoon jam in the center of each muffin.
8. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and firm and a tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean or with a few crumbs. (The tops of these muffins are flat, not domed.)
9. Cool the tin on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife between the muffins and the sides of the cups and turn out onto a cooling rack. The muffins taste good warm or at room temperature.
10. Store the muffins in a tightly covered container for a day or two at room temperature, or freeze them for up to a month.

Recipe Notes

Recipe from More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally © 2006 by Fran Costigan.