Tag: flax egg

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

Published on by ErinLeave a comment

You might think there’s nothing special about these simple strawberry lemonade muffins but I encourage you to take a second look. They’re completely vegan, oil-free, and made with wholesome ingredients.

Stacked strawberry lemonade muffins on a white plate.

Why you’ll love them

Who doesn’t love muffins? When made correctly, they’re fluffy, hearty, satisfying, and comforting. But incase that doesn’t convince you, here are a few more reasons you’ll love these strawberry lemonade muffins.

  • Moist
  • Summery
  • Sweet
  • Tart
  • Simple
Strawberry lemonade muffins in a muffin tin dusted with flour and crumbs.

Forager Project

I developed this strawberry lemonade muffin recipe specifically for Forager Project’s unsweetened plain cashewmilk yogurt. Their plant-based yogurts are so rich and creamy, that you won’t believe they’re not the “real” thing. I love using their yogurts as substitutes for cow’s milk yogurt as well as sour cream when baking.

And they don’t just make a wonderful addition to vegan baked goods. Don’t just take my word for it! Check out my recipe for roasted garlic and dill sauce featuring their cashewmilk yogurt.

Inside of a strawberry lemonade muffin next to an open container of cashewmilk yogurt with a white plate of stacked strawberry muffins in the background.

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

Flax eggs

Flax eggs are my favorite alternative to eggs when baking. Some people use chia seeds, but I prefer flax. It blends more easily with the rest of the ingredients. I love chia seeds, but I don’t really want them floating around in my baked goods. Just a personal preference.

To make your flax eggs: In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 5 tablespoons of water. Whisk to combine and set aside for 10-15 minutes to gel.

Vegan Buttermilk

In a 4 cup glass measuring cup prepare your vegan buttermilk. Use 1/2 a cup of soy milk (or other plant-based milk) and add 1/2 a teaspoon of lemon juice. Whisk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

Muffins

Now that your flax eggs and vegan buttermilk are in the works let’s focus on the actual muffin batter. Preheat the oven to 400*F and line a muffin tin or spray with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.

In a large bowl combine whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine. To the glass measure cup of vegan buttermilk add the applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, and the gelled flaxegg. Stir to combine and pour into the dry ingredients.

Once the ingredients have been just combined fold in the cashewmilk yogurt and chopped fresh strawberries. The batter will be thick but that’s ok. Carefully drop enough batter to fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way. It should make 12 large muffins.

Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes. Allow them to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm with vegan butter or more Forager Project cashew yogurt. Enjoy friends!

Close up of a strawberry lemonade muffin surrounded by flour and crumbs in a muffin tin.

Ingredient Health Benefits

Apple- vitamin C, soluble and insoluble fiber

Flaxseed- Omega-3 fats, soluble and insoluble fiber

Lemon- vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium

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Blender Pumpkin Muffins

Pecan Pie Quick Bread

Raspberry Lemonade Overnight Oats

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Vegan Date-Nut Bread

Print Recipe

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

You might think there's nothing special about these simple strawberry lemonade muffins but I encourage you to take a second look. They're completely vegan, oil-free, and made with wholesome ingredients.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Cooling Time15 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: Oil-free, Vegan
Keyword: easy, flax egg, lemon, lemon zest, lemonade, plant-based, quick, simple, vegan buttermilk
Servings: 12 muffins
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups whole-wheat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • lemon, zested about 1 tsp
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup plant-based milk soy or almond
  • ½ tsp lemon juice can sub apple cider vinegar
  • 2 flax eggs 2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 tbsp water
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 tbsp Forager Project unsweetened plain cashewmilk yogurt about ⅔ of a 150g container
  • 1½ cups fresh strawberries, chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the flaxseed meal with water and set aside to gel. Let it rest for about 10 minutues.
  • In glass measure cup, combine plant-based milk and lemon juice. Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes for a vegan buttermilk.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, and salt.
  • To the glass measuring cup add the gelled flax egg, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Lastly, fold in the cashewmilk yogurt and chopped fresh strawberries.
  • Evenly fill the prepared muffin tin with batter. Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm with vegan butter or more Forager Project cashewmilk yogurt. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Beet Red Valentine Pancakes

Published on by ErinLeave a comment

Make something special for your loved one this Valentine’s Day with these vegan and oil-free beet red Valentine pancakes. Ready in about 30 minutes these delightfully delicious pancakes are perfect for the whole family and are made with wholesome ingredients. Warm up the griddle and make a batch this February.

Beet red Valentine pancakes topped with vegan butter and maple syrup on a white plate with rose petals and red roses in the background.

Why you’ll love them

These aren’t just pancakes that you will love. Keep reading to see why you should make them for the whole family.

  • Simple- 11 ingredients. 30 minutes. Doesn’t get much easier than that. Especially for a nutritious breakfast.
  • Wholesome- All ingredients are wholesome. No vegan butters or crazy sweeteners. Just real foods you can recognize.
  • Kid-friendly- Yup, even with beets as one of the main ingredients, your kids will still love them. So sit back and watch as they devour a vegetable for breakfast.

Beet Puree

To make a beet puree you have 2 options. Take whole raw beets and wash, scrub, and peel them. Chop them into large chunks and steam them until tender. About 15 minutes depending on the size of your beet pieces. Or, you can purchase pre-steamed beets at your local super market. Doing it your self with save you money and prevent the use of plastics. If, however, you’ve got a time crunch or are in need of simplicity, purchasing them pre-steamed could be the way to go. Keep in mind that you can also steam the beets ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Whichever method you find most appealing, just make sure that you have 2-3 large, steamed beets. Place the cooled, steamed beets into blender or food processor and puree until the mixture is nice and smooth. You’ll have to stop to scrape down the sides a few times, but you are going to have the most delicious, nutritious, and satisfying red puree you’ve ever seen.

Flax Egg

Now, I’m sure that most of you have made a flax egg before. But whether you have or not I’m going to share with you my recipe for a flax egg. Because it might be slightly different that what some of you are used to. For me, 1 flax egg is 1 Tbsp of flaxseed meal whisked with 2 1/2 Tbsp of water. You read that correctly, not 3 Tbsp of water, 2 1/2 Tbsp of water. 2 1/2. 2 1/2!!! After sitting for about 10 minutes this will give you a nice thick goopy flax egg. Perfect for baking! Use flax eggs in quick breads, muffins, waffles, and, of course, pancakes.

Red Pancakes

Now that you have your beet puree and the perfect flax egg it’s time to make some beet red Valentine pancakes. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk, beet puree, plant-based yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, flax egg, and almond or vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Some lumps in the batter is fine. You don’t want to over-mix.

Heat a non-stick griddle over medium-high heat and drop 1/3 cup batter. The batter will be thick so you may wish to use the back of the spoon to spread it out a bit. Do not over-crowd the griddle. Allow the pancakes to cook until the bubbles have popped. Then use a spatula to flip the pancakes. The pancakes are finished cooking when the bottoms are a golden color, about 4-5 minutes. Continue making pancakes until all the batter is gone.

Serve your delicious beet red Valentine pancakes warm with a drizzle of maple syrup and vegan butter, if not oil-free. As you have probably guessed, their natural red color makes them perfect to serve on Valentine’s Day. These are perfect for kids and I can guarantee that you will love secretly serving them vegetables at breakfast.

Be sure to give these simple pancakes a try this Valentine’s Day and let me know what you think of them in the comments. Enjoy friends!

Ingredient Health Benefits

Almonds- protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, iron

Apples- vitamin C, soluble and insoluble fiber

Beets- folate, manganese

Flaxseed- Omega-3 fats, soluble and insoluble fiber

you might also enjoy

Vegan Caramel Apple Pancakes

Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad

Pumpkin Pancakes

Print Recipe

Beet Red Valentine Pancakes

Make something special for your loved one this Valentine's Day with these vegan and oil-free beet red Valentine pancakes. Ready in about 30 minutes these delightfully delicious pancakes are perfect for the whole family and are made with wholesome ingredients.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Oil-free, Vegan
Keyword: almond extract, applesauce, beets, easy, flax egg, kid-friendly, oil-free, plant-based, plant-based yogurt, quick, simple, yogurt
Servings: 15 pancakes
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour or spelt flour
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1¼ cup almond milk
  • ¾ cup beet puree (4-5 small beets, peeled, steamed, blended)
  • ⅓ cup plant-based yogurt
  • 3 tbsp applesauce
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 flaxegg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal and 2½ tbsp water mixed and allowed to sit for 10 minutes until thick)
  • 1 tsp almond extract (can use vanilla extract)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, mix almond milk, beet puree, plant-based yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, flaxegg, and almond extract.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix the batter. A few lumps are fine.
  • Heat a non-stick griddle to medium-high heat. Once hot, drop ⅓ cup of batter and allow to cook until the bubbles pop. Flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Continue making pancakes until the batter is gone.
  • Serve warm, topped with vegan butter (if not oil-free), maple syrup, and fresh fruit.
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Nashville Hot Cauliflower Wings

Published on by ErinLeave a comment

10-ingredient Nashville hot cauliflower wings with and optional 5-ingredient spicy dipping sauce. A fantastic appetizer that’s vegan, naturally gluten-free, and oil-free.

Batch of Nashville hot cauliflower wings on a white plate with a side of sliced pickles.

Why you’ll love them

To put it’s simply: who wouldn’t love them?!? When some thing this delicious also happens to be good for you, there’s no reason why you should pass on this spicy appetizer. And here’s why…

  • Simple- Cut up some cauliflower, whip up the batter, dip ’em, bake ’em. Doesn’t get much easier than that when in comes down to it.
  • Nutritious- I love combining seasonal produce with plant protein. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you make this appetizer.
  • Kid-friendly- You might not have guessed it from the “hot” portion of this recipe but you can TOTOALLY leave out the cayenne pepper in the batter to turn this into a heat-free snack the kids will love.
  • Free from- This appetizer is perfect for anyone at the party: vegan, gluten-free, oil-free. Make it nut-free by replacing the almond milk with flaxseed, oat, or soy milk. It’s amazing like that.
Hands holding a split open Nashville hot cauliflower wing revealing a purple cauliflower floret with more cauliflower on a white plate in the background.

Nashville Hot Batter

Begin by cutting up your cauliflower into large florets. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water. Let your flaxeggs sit for about 10 minutes to gel.

In another small bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Allow that to rest for 10 minutes for your vegan buttermilk. While those are resting…

In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, salt, garlic, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Once the flaxeggs and vegan buttermilk are ready, add them to the dry ingredients along with the secret ingredient- pickle juice! I know what you might be thinking. Pickle juice? But trust me, it adds a subtle brine-y flavor that you really can’t get any other way. So add it. For me.

The batter will be thick but that’s what you want because it’s a thick batter that will stick to the cauliflower. Gently dunk each cauliflower floret into the batter coating into all the nooks and crannies. Allow the excess batter to run off and place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Continue dipping the florets and drizzle any extra batter over the prepared cauliflower to ensure that everything is fully coated.

Bake the cauliflower wings in a 375*F oven for 20 minutes. They are done when the batter is firm and a light golden-brown color. Allow them to cool slightly before serving with the spicy dipping sauce.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

While the Nashville hot cauliflower wings are baking prepare the optional spicy dipping sauce. Note that this is NOT oil-free. Whisk together the desired amount of cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, and garlic powder. Add the spice mixture to melted vegan butter and mix thoroughly. Serve on the side or drizzle over the baking cauliflower wings.

Remember that just as the cauliflower wings, you can alter the spiciness of the sauce by adding as much or as little cayenne as you’d like. Be sure to let me know down in the comments just how spicy you make these bad boys. As always, enjoy friends!

Batch of Nashville hot cauliflower wings on a white plate with a side of sliced pickles.

Ingredient Health Benefits

Cauliflower- fiber, vitamin C, biotin, folate, sulforaphane to block cancer-causing chemicals

Flax- Omega-3 fats, soluble and insoluble fiber

Garlic- phytochemicals

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Spicy Cauliflower Casserole with Cashew Crust

Cheezy Tuscan Sausage Dip

Cauliflower and Walnut Crumb Pasta

Jalepeno Lime Almond Dip

Print Recipe

Nashville Hot Cauliflower Wings

10-ingredient vegan appetizer, Nashville hot cauliflower wings with and optional 5-ingredient spicy dipping sauce. Naturally gluten-free, and oil-free.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-free, Vegan
Keyword: chickpea flour, easy, flax egg, heat, hot, quick, simple, spicy
Servings: 6 people
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 cup vegan buttermilk (1 cup almond milk & 1 tsp apple cider vinegar)
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseed meal and 5 tbsp water)
  • 2 cups chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp cayenne more for a spicier batter
  • ¼ cup pickle juice

Nashville Hot Sauce

  • ¼ cup vegan butter
  • ¼-3 tsp cayenne to taste
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Nashville Hot Cauliflower Wings

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water and allow to sit for 10 minutes until jelled.
  • In another small bow, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to form a "buttermilk".
  • In a large bowl combine the chickpea flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk to combine.
  • Add the prepared flaxeggs, vegan buttermilk, and pickle juice to the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
  • Gently dip the cauliflower florets into the batter turning several times to ensure even coating. Place on the prepared baking sheet and continue coating the cauliflower.
  • Bake the cauliflower wings for 20-25 minutes. They are finished once the batter has set and is a light golden-brown color. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

  • While the cauliflower wings are baking prepare the sauce.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and desired amount of cayenne.
  • Add the melted vegan butter and whisk to combine. Drizzle over warm cauliflower wings or serve on the side for dipping.
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Blender Pumpkin Muffins

Published on by ErinLeave a comment
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Made entirely in the blender, these pumpkin muffins are quick, easy, and delicious. Loved my children and adults alike, they’re naturally sweetened with dates, are oil-free, and completely vegan. Line your muffin tin, grab your blender, and whip these up for a cozy fall breakfast.

A child's hand reaching or a blender pumpkin muffin in a muffin tin on paper surrounded by pumpkin seeds.

Everyone loves muffins! They’re like having cake for breakfast, right? No one can resist that moist crumb, sweet flavor, and satisfying feeling that only a warm carb can provide. I was inspired by my girls to make these amazing little breakfast cakes. I needed something easy, because even on the weekends breakfast can be a bit chaotic. But I also wanted to sneak some vegetables into the mix. Because, who doesn’t love tricking their kids this close to Halloween!

What I came up with was an amazingly moist, yet completely oil-free, muffin. They’re fluffy, slightly sweet, and 100% delicious. Oh, and of course, vegan. Ok, but you might be wondering just how I got a moist crumb without the oil. I’ll let you in on my secret (because we’re friends).

Blender pumpkin muffins in a muffin tin on paper surrounded by pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin & Applesauce

At first glance you’re probably thinking these two have absolutely nothing in common. One is a bland vegetable and the other is a mushy fruit. That’s where you’re wrong my friend (yes, we’re still friends even though you initially thought these things). What these two have in common is much more important than their differences. They’re both mild, slightly sweet, and amazingly MOIST! That’s right! THIS is where we get the moisture. Thanks to the pumpkin puree and applesauce we don’t have to add oil to get a moist muffin.

Now, I’m not against oil. But sometimes adding oil to a baked good can give it an overly greasy flavor. Not super appealing. And I know that there are many readers out there who prefer not to consume oil simply because they’re on more of a whole food diet. So these oil-free blender pumpkin muffins are perfect for everyone in between.

Dates

Not only are these blender pumpkin muffins oil-free, but they are also sweetened with dates. Just a few things about using fresh dates

  • First, make sure that your fresh dates are VERY fresh. You want them super soft and moist. If they have dried out a bit, simply let them sit in boiling hot water for about 10 minutes. Once they’ve softened up, be sure to squeeze out all the excess water.
  • Secondly, when using dates in this recipe be sure to pulse them in the blender alone. You want to blend them until they form a paste. This will make working them into the other ingredients much easier.
Blender pumpkin muffins in a muffin tin on paper surrounded by pumpkin seeds.

Blender

This recipe is meant to be made entirely in your blender. There is no need to dirty other bowls or kitchen appliances. Isn’t that awesome?! Because, who wants to sink full of dirty dishes first thing in the morning? Not me! If, however, you do not have a blender you can definitely use a food processor. Just make sure that it’s large enough to handle the volume of the ingredients.

Add-Ins

If you would like to jazz up this recipe even more here are a few ideas to make these blender pumpkin muffins uniquely yours. Add in or top your muffins with: dried raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, walnuts, or, like I did, pumpkin seeds.

Blender pumpkin muffins in a muffin tin on paper surrounded by pumpkin seeds.

Ingredient Health Benefits

Apple- vitamin C, soluble and insoluble fiber

Flax- Omega-3 fats, soluble and insoluble fiber

Pumpkin- fiber, potassium, selenium, vitamin A

you might also enjoy

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Steel-Cut Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pancakes

Blender pumpkin muffins in a muffin tin on paper surrounded by pumpkin seeds.
Print Recipe

Blender Pumpkin Muffins

Made entirely in the blender, these pumpkin muffins are quick, easy, and delicious. Loved my children and adults alike, they're naturally sweetened with dates, are oil-free, and completely vegan. Line your muffin tin, grab your blender, and whip these up for a cozy fall breakfast.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-free, Vegan
Keyword: 30-minutes, applesauce, blender, dates, easy, gluten-free, muffin, nut-free, oil-free, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, vegan
Servings: 12 muffins
Author: Erin

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeeds + 6 tbsp water)
  • 8 fresh dates

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • ¾ cup flaxmilk
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ cups whole-wheat flour sub gluten-free flour if necessary

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a muffin tin by lining with cupcake liners or spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Prepare flax eggs by combining flaxseed meal and water. Whisk to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes until thickened.
  • Remove pits from dates and pulse in blender until they form a paste. Add wet ingredients (including prepared flax egg) then dry ingredients except flour. Blend until combined.
  • Add in whole-wheat flour ½ cup at a time pulsing until combined and scraping down the sides between addition of flour. If using exrtas such as raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds, fold them into the batter now. Batter will be thick.
  • Evenly pour batter into prepared muffin pan. Bang tin on the counter a few times to work out any air bubbles in the batter. Top with pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, or walnuts.
  • Bake muffins for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely before removing cupcake liner.

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