Bountiful Blueberry Muffins

Fluffy and bursting with blueberries, these muffins taste so good you’ll have to have more than one! They’re vegan and, if it suits you, gluten-free. (Read about the inspiration for these muffins below.) (Photo source: Miya Lohmeier)

| Yield: 18 servings | Time: 35 minutes |

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, brown rice, white rice, or sorghum flour. Add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum if flour does not contain a binder)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

2 cups fresh or frozen, unthawed blueberries

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup unsalted vegan butter, softened

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (or granulated sugar substitute, granulated monk fruit sweetener, coconut, raw cane, turbinado sugar)

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Aquafaba or ½ cup silken tofu pureed with ¼ teaspoon baking soda or vegan egg replacer (2 eggs’ worth) or liquid mung bean vegan egg replacer (2 eggs’ worth)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 ¼ cup vegan buttermilk (1 ¼ cup of unsweetened almond milk, soy, rice, or light coconut milk mixed with 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Let mixture stand for five minutes before using)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare the tin, line a 12-muffin tin with liners or spray generously with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Add the blueberries to another bowl, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the blueberries and toss to coat. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the vegan eggs in, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and clean the beaters of any excess batter. Using a spatula, alternate adding the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk. Begin with the milk and end with the flour mixture. Fold in the ingredients gently; be careful not to over-mix the batter.

Next, gently fold in the blueberries. When all the blueberries have been added, use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter in the muffin tin.

Put the muffins in the oven for 5 minutes at 375 degrees, then lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-26 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool. The muffins will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

The inspiration for these muffins: My mother was born in the same town in South Carolina as the legendary Eartha Kitt. She spent a lot of time with her paternal grandmother Kitty, whom she lovingly referred to as Nandy. A farmer’s wife and mother of four, Nandy was also a midwife who delivered many babies, including my mother and uncle. She was a proper southern woman with good manners, and she was hospitable. She also happened to be a fantastic cook and baker.

On one particular occasion, a friend dropped in for a visit just after Nandy had made a cake. Naturally, my great grandmother offered him a slice while he ‘sat for a spell.’ While he sat, she had to step out for a moment to attend to something. When she returned, the cake was gone; he’d eaten the whole thing! Although Nandy was gracious about it, she never left a cake unattended again.

The climate in the south is perfect for berries. You can find blackberries and blueberries growing in the wild, and Nandy added them to little mini-cakes or muffins. Light and bursting with blueberries, these muffins are my tribute to her.

~Chamein Canton, an author and founder of the Canton Smith literary agency, is at work on her first cookbook, Cooking with My Nanas: Discovering Family, Traditions, and Love In The Kitchen. Find more of her recipes—and stories—at stillachicklit.com; @chamtherese (TikTok); @stillachicklit (Instagram)