These vegan blueberry crumb muffins have a fluffy, moist inside, pockets of juicy berries within the heart, and a scrumptious streusel topping. Meal prep them for snacks or get pleasure from them together with your favourite accompaniments for breakfast!
Final summer time, solely weeks after I moved residences, one in all my yoga lecturers supplied a particular rooftop class.
What a rooftop it was! It was perched excessive within the sky, on the high of a tall lodge in downtown Manhattan, and with a pool, besides.
Practising yoga up there with breeze throughout me, solar on my cheeks, and the sight of the entire metropolis beneath me, is one in all my favourite recollections of summer time 2022.
As a result of this was a small and a particular class, I assumed it will be good to share some treats with with my fellow yogis after our asana observe. These pretty vegan blueberry crumb muffins are what I introduced.
That was a complete twelve months in the past. I’ve thought in regards to the texture of those muffins, with their juicy blueberry heart and buttery crumb topping, ever since.
As we speak, lastly, I’m sharing them.
What are crumb muffins?
Crumb muffins are merely muffins which have a crumb, or a streusel, topping.
Streusel topping is made out of flour, sugar, and butter. Within the case of those vegan crumb muffins, that butter is vegan butter.
Streusel topping can embody nuts or spices. I’ve added chopped pecans and walnuts to streusel, although I are likely to favor a plain model. I practically all the time add a pinch of cinnamon to mine.
Why add streusel? For taste, at the start. Streusel topping provides a beautiful, buttery, candy taste to the highest of muffins.
Of equal significance is the feel that streusel topping provides to muffins or different baked items, such because the strawberry rhubarb bars that you just see beneath.
Streusel acquired a little bit of crunch, because of sugar and flour baking into gently caramel iced perfection.
Can crumb topping be added to any muffin?
Crumb topping can definitely work on many kinds of muffins.
I’ve added it to apple bran muffins, strawberry muffins, banana walnut muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins, gingerbread spice muffins, and pumpkin cranberry walnut muffins—and these are just some examples.
Crumb topping can also be an amazing addition to selfmade bars, buckles, pies, and tarts.
Blueberry crumb muffin elements
I are likely to suppose that much less is extra with regards to muffins. Easy and sophistication combos are those that I get pleasure from most.
Listed below are the principal elements that make these blueberry crumb muffins come to life.
Flour
For my baking tasks, unbleached, all-purpose flour is my go-to.
Should you’d prefer to substitute a flour that’s complete grain, I’d suggest both white complete wheat or complete wheat pastry flour.
These muffins may also be made gluten-free. I like to recommend a gluten-free, all-purpose flour mix. My favourite is the Measure for Measure flour from King Arthur.
Butter
Butter does some heavy lifting on this recipe!
First, butter is vital to the crumbly streusel topping on the muffins.
I additionally use melted butter because the fats supply within the recipe. Whereas I usually bake with avocado (usually avocado oil) as a fats supply, melted butter contributes extra taste.
You should utilize your favourite vegan butter to make the muffins. For baking, I usually use Earth Stability sticks, however there’s an an array of choices obtainable at the moment.
Sugar
Cane sugar gives sweetness to the muffins themselves.
Brown sugar sweetens the topping, and it helps to offer that pretty, caramelized crunch on high.
I’m usually requested if the quantity of sugar in a baking recipe could be diminished. The reply is you could definitely attempt, if this fits your preferences.
Nevertheless, sugar provides each sweetness and moisture to baked items. Remember that, when you modify the quantity of sugar known as for in any recipe, the feel of the completed product would possibly change.
Blueberries
Blueberries give these muffins their lovely pockets of colour and moisture.
Blueberries usually occur to be exceptionally nutrient-dense, with phytonutrients which are related to cognitive well being and anti inflammatory results. They bring about that good vitamin to the recipe, too.
I feel that the blueberry crumb muffins are most satisfying after they’re ready with contemporary berries. Berry season doesn’t final ceaselessly, and it’s good to have a good time it whereas it’s right here.
Nevertheless, you may make the muffins with frozen berries within the wintertime, too.
I preserve a bag of frozen blueberries at dwelling year-round, in order that I could make my orange juice simmered berries. It’s fairly simple to make use of a few of these frozen ‘bloobs to make these muffins.
Vegan buttermilk
You’ll have seen that a number of muffin recipes name for buttermilk, slightly than common milk.
Why?
As a result of buttermilk contributes to leavening in fast breads, comparable to muffins, truffles, scones, and banana bread.
Fast breads use baking powder and baking soda, that are chemical leavening brokers, to create rise and lightweight texture.
Baking soda particularly turns into efficient within the presence of an acid. In different phrases, acidic, bitter buttermilk will make baking soda work extra successfully, resulting in lighter and extra tender muffins.
In fact, conventional buttermilk isn’t vegan. As a substitute, I exploit selfmade vegan buttermilk, which is an easy combination of non-dairy milk and freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar.
That’s what you’ll see on this recipe.
Methods to make vegan blueberry crumb muffins
These muffins are simple to organize. Listed below are the steps.
Step 1: make your crumb topping
You received’t want a meals processor or any particular gear to make the crumb topping right here. You’ll be able to merely use your fingers, a fork, or a pastry cutter to chop flour and sugar into chilly butter.
I like to recommend making ready the crumb topping initially, then leaving it within the freezer as you end making the blueberry crumb muffins.
A really perfect texture for crumb topping is to have butter in items which are in regards to the measurement of peas. You desire a combination that has huge, distinct crumbs, slightly than one thing with the feel of sand.
Step 2: combine dry elements
Subsequent, you’ll combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a big mixing bowl.
Step 3: combine moist elements
In one other, smaller mixing bowl, whisk collectively the melted butter, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla.
Step 4: add moist elements to dry and blend
Subsequent, you’ll combine the moist elements into the dry elements and mix them.
While you combine this batter, you’re aiming for one thing that’s totally included, however not essentially silky clean.
In different phrases, you don’t wish to see streaks of unmixed flour within the batter. Nevertheless, just a few small clumps of flour are OK.
Step 5: fold within the blueberries
Subsequent, you’ll gently fold your blueberries into the muffin batter. I do that with a spatula, attempting to not burst or mush any of the berries as I work.
Step 6: fill your muffin tin
An excellent tip for all muffin-baking is to not overfill muffin liners. When muffin liners are overly full, the muffins really have a tendency to not rise very nicely. You received’t obtain a pleasant, domed form.
As a substitute, purpose to fill the liners about midway, or two thirds of the best way, full.
Step 7: add the crumb topping
Distributing crumb topping over muffins doesn’t should be neat or fairly. I often do that by hand, dropping about two heaping tablespoons of the topping over every muffin.
Step 8: bake
Lastly, it’ll be time to bake your muffins. I like to recommend about 25 minutes at 350°F, or till the tops of the muffins are puffy and set and the crumble topping is popping golden.
If it’s a must to select between baking the muffins a minute longer than is critical and a minute below, I like to recommend going a minute over.
In different phrases, err on the facet of extra oven time, when you’re not sure. Undercooked muffins will probably be gooey within the heart, which is a bummer.
Meal prep & storage
These muffins could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as three days.
If you’ll want to retailer them for longer than three days, then I like to recommend freezing the muffins. Blueberry crumb muffins could be frozen for as much as 6 weeks.
I like making the muffins a part of my meal prep routine in the summertime months. They’re a improbable snack, and it’s also possible to mix them with plant-based yogurt, fruit, and different accompaniments for a tasty breakfast.
Can I exploit different berries or fruits?
Sure, you completely can!
These muffins could be ready with one of many following rather than blueberries:
- Chopped strawberries
- Raspberries
- Chopped, peeled peaches
- Blackberries
- Quartered cherries
- Chopped, peeled apples or pears
Extra recipes for blueberry season
It’s peak blueberry season the place I’m, and I’m excited to take in each second. Should you love blueberry recipes as a lot as I do, listed here are another concepts:
And right here’s a candy, tender new muffin to savor.
Yields: 12 servings
Crumb topping
- 1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (45g)
- 1/4 cup calmly packed brown sugar (50g)
- 1/4 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons chilly vegan butter, cubed (56g)
Muffins
- 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (255g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup vegan buttermilk (1 cup non-dairy milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, allowed to sit down and mingle for five minutes or longer; 240mL)
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (85g)
- 2/3 cup cane sugar (130g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups contemporary blueberries (175g)
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Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C and oil or line a muffin baking pan with liners.
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To organize the crumb topping, stir collectively the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or your arms or pulse with a meals processor to include the butter into the flour, till the butter is in small items (the dimensions of peas). Pop the crumble topping into the freezer whilst you put together the muffins.
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In a big mixing bowl, whisk collectively the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.In one other, medium mixing bowl, whisk collectively the buttermilk, melted butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract.
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Make a nicely within the heart of the dry elements. Pour within the moist combination. Use a spatula to fold the elements collectively, till you have got a batter and no seen streaks of flours stay within the bowl. It is OK if the batter has small lumps—do not over-mix! Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with a spatula.
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Use a muffin scoop or 1/2 cup measure to fill the muffin pan (every muffin container ought to be about 2/3 or 3/4 of the best way full). Evenly distribute the crumb topping over the muffins.
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Bake for 25 minutes, or till the tops of the muffins are puffy and set and the crumble topping is popping golden. Take away the muffins from the oven and permit them to chill for 10-Quarter-hour. As quickly because the muffins are cool sufficient to deal with, take away them from the pan and switch them to a cooling rack. Cool for 10-15 extra minutes earlier than having fun with.
Publishing a blueberry muffin recipe could also be a really insignificant act, within the grand scheme of issues.
However, since I’ve been struggling to maintain on high of every part recently, sharing this candy deal with does really feel like…one thing.
And one thing is best than nothing.
Extra ideas on that this coming weekend, after I hope to really publish a weekend studying publish (I missed that on Sunday).
For at the moment, I hope you’ll discover some pleasure in these summery baked items. Take pleasure in!
xo
