Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-free

I am in no way inclined to move. Only my fingers move as they type these words. Only my eyes move as they read them. Aside from these, my body is stationary. Just how I like it. The thought of blogging these blueberry, lemon and poppy seed muffins got me out of bed this morning, but now I’m done. Even the beach is no draw card today. Hubby and the boy have tried to coax me out, but to no avail. The lead-up to Christmas was busy, so busy and I’m done with that for now. Give me a chair, a muffin, and a cup of tea and I’m happy.

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-freeBlueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-freeBlueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-free

We had the best Christmas just gone; I even cleaned the house! Then everyone arrived and the chaos began. Such pleasant chaos, too… friends and family combined. There was plenty of friendly chatter, as not everyone had met before, a lot of admiration for the newest member of the family (my niece) and plenty of good food to enjoy. Early afternoon and the children were scattered outside, testing out new toys, while the women gathered around the baby, and the men discussed theology until they were interrupted for dessert.

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-freeBlueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-freeBlueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-free

Yes, there was dessert – but not the traditional type – there was Popcorn Rocky Road and Dutch Spiced Blondies of course, and strawberry jelly – a family tradition. It all went down well, and before we knew it, it was evening, with just us and some scraps of ham for dinner. And although there was still plenty of cake in the fridge, I had been keen to make these muffins for a long time, so with some slightly withered blueberries and a few imported lemons lurking in the fridge, I made the most of a quiet morning to make them.

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-freeBlueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Vegan Gluten-free

Blueberry, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins {vegan, gf}
Grain-free almond muffins, tangy with lemon zest, baked until blueberries slump into dark, jammy puddles and then topped with a lemony drizzle.

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients
Dry mix
1 cup almond flour (almond meal)
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
2 tablespoons white sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarb (baking) soda
110g (¾ cup) fresh blueberries

Wet mix
3 tablespoons aquafaba
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or applesauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon aquafaba, lightly whisked
½ cup pure icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Lemon zest, for decoration (optional)

Method
Make a vegan super-egg by combining 3 tablespoons of aquafaba with 1 teaspoon ground flax seed. Whisk and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease or line 6 regular sized muffin tins (I used silicon molds).

Whisk the almond meal, starch, leavening agents, and poppy seeds in a large mixing bowl. Add blueberries and stir to coat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the super-egg, oil and syrup, lemon zest and juice. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir gently until the batter is a uniform consistency. The batter will be quite thick, and needs to be that way to support the juicy berries, that collapse and form a type of jam as they cook.

Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm to touch. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, whisk aquafaba until frothy, then add sifted icing sugar and gradually add juice, whisking until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled muffins. Sprinkle with extra lemon zest, if desired.

Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes
Inspired by Green Kitchen Stories and adapted from my Paleo Muffin Master Mix

Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #sweettucker.

Leave a Reply