+SF
Who doesn’t love a good muffin? We certainly do, especially when they have a slightly crisp exterior and a tender strawberry-filled center. These muffins have both! The secret to the crisp crust is the canola oil and the cinnamon sugar—they create an outstanding texture, both inside and out.
What makes them healthier than the average muffin? They’re made with whole wheat flour, almond milk, a banana and fresh strawberries. Oh, and lots of love. XO —LM + AM
MAKES 12 MUFFINS
2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon
1½ cups (360 ml) almond milk
2 cups (264 g) whole wheat flour
2 tsp (7 g) baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅓ cup (65 g) vegan granulated sugar
1 cup (154 g) fresh diced strawberries
Cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 385°F (196°C) and lightly grease your favorite muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, mash the banana until there are no lumps. Add the canola oil, vanilla, lemon juice and milk, whisking to mix.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and sugar until fully combined.
OK, it’s show time! Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just moistened. Add the strawberries. Fold them into the mixture, minimizing the amount of mixing so that the muffins don’t turn out tough.
Use an ice-cream scoop or a measuring cup to fill each muffin tin three-fourths full. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon-sugar evenly over the tops and place the tin in the oven on the center rack.
Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest one comes out clean.
Place the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool, and then invert the muffins onto the rack, allowing them to sit upside down for a few minutes. This will allow any extra moisture in the bottoms to move back toward the tops for better consistency.