First, let me say that lemons, cranberries, and blueberries were born to meet in this vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free muffin.

Second, let me say that I know I’ve been going on a lot about the February blahs (now, I suppose, the March blahs) and the length of winter and so on and so on. Well, it just so happens that in the past few weeks I’ve discovered three simple strategies to beating (or at least, minimizing) the winter blahs:

1. When winter is getting you down, pick a day, and go do a winter sport. Yes, that’s right. Last Sunday I went cross country skiing with my sister, and let me tell you, the fastest way to re-embrace the joys of winter is literally to do just that – get out there and do an activity that reminds you of the good parts of cold weather and renews your appreciation for winter.
2. Find yourself some sunshine. Follow the example of your cats (if you are lucky enough to live with cats) and bask in whatever patch of sunlight you can find, no matter how small. That extra bit of warm light on your face might just be the boost you need to get through the day with a smile.

3. 

   Bake yourself some Lemon Blueberry Cranberry Muffins. This third strategy is meant to complement the first two: first you re-embrace winter, then you warm yourself up a bit, then you seek out the flavour of summer. When you are eating a muffin packed with lemon zest, fruity blueberries, and tangy cranberries, it is like a little sunshine party in your mouth. If you are sitting on the floor somewhere in a beam of sunlight while enjoying a muffin, so much the better.

These muffins are made with oat and coconut flour, making them gluten-free so long as the oat flour is certified. I’ve been wanting to bake with coconut flour for some time now, and I’m glad I tried – the coconut flour lends a subtle sweet tropical flavour to these muffins that works so well with the lemon and the fruit. Coconut flour is also really high in fibre, and, of course, naturally gluten-free.

Lemon Blueberry Cranberry Muffins

• Author: Emily Joldersma, R.H.N.
• About this recipe: vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free (if using certified oat flour), soy-free, refined sugar-free
• Yield: 12 to 14 muffins, depending on the size of your muffin scoop

Ingredients:          

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (melt first, then measure) + 1 tbsp melted oil for muffin tin
• 2 packed tsps lemon zest (or, more, if you really feel zesty – also, use organic lemons for the zest)
• 1 tbsp ground chia seeds plus 4 tbsps additional non-dairy milk
• 1 cup frozen organic blueberries
• 1 cup frozen organic cranberries
• pumpkin seeds, for topping (optional)

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Lightly oil a muffin tin (if you know that your tin sticks – if it never has a problem, you can skip the oiling part).
3. Sift together oat flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Whisk together milk and apple cider vinegar. Add lemon zest.
5. Melt coconut oil over low heat and measure out 1/3 cup. Let cool slightly.
6. Stir chia seeds together with additional non-dairy milk, and then quickly whisk into apple cider vinegar/non-dairy milk mixture.
7. Measure out sugar into a large bowl and add the milk mixture above. Whisk the sugar and milk together vigorously, then add coconut oil, and mix until well combined.
8. Gently toss frozen blueberries and cranberries in flour mixture.
9. Add liquid mix to flour mix and stir until everything is combined. The batter might seem thin at first, but once the coconut flour works its absorbing magic, it will start to thicken up.
10. Scoop batter into muffin tin, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (if desired), and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm and slightly golden on top. I’d recommend checking around 20 or 22 minutes to see how things are going.

Enjoy!

© Eat Well, Live Vibrantly