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Muffins

Vanilla Bean Zucchini Muffins

August 10, 2022 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

These cozy, delicious (and EASY) Vanilla Bean Zucchini Muffins are like little bites of heaven – sweet vanilla bean icing sits atop a spice-filled, zucchini-packed mini muffin.

Vanilla Bean Zucchini Muffins

I’ll be honest, a big reason I made this recipe is to confirm that I’m not the only one who frequently forgets about that lone zucchini in the back of the fridge. Now, we love zucchini, and I always buy it with the best intentions. Stir fry with some bell peppers? Yes! Add it to my spaghetti sauce? Of course! Bake it into a sweet cake, cookie, or muffin? OBVIOUSLY. But days go by, weeks get busy, and that one remaining zucchini gets pushed to the back of the veggie drawer to only be forgotten about until fridge clean-out day. Well, not today. I’m here to remind you of that zucchini…and to give you this delicious recipe to fulfill the need to use your produce before it goes bad. You’re welcome. ILY. Let’s bake!

Here’s Why You’ll Love These Muffins

  • Quick & easy to bake
  • Cinnamon + cardamom = a winner every time
  • Mini size for perfect snack-ability
  • Perfect icing to muffin ratio
  • Guaranteed not to last too long in the fridge

What You’ll Need + Possible Substitutions

  • Coconut sugar is a low-GI granulated sugar that can replace white granulated sugar 1:1. It tastes less sweet and is better for you than cane sugar, which is why I love baking with it in recipes that have a sweet icing. For these muffins, you can use raw sugar, unrefined cane sugar, or white granulated sugar in place of coconut sugar (all a 1:1 swap). NOTE: the gram measurement will vary depending on the kind of sugar.
  • Olive oil adds moisture. You can also use melted butter or plant-based butter, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil – if using melted coconut oil, be sure the rest of your ingredients are room temperature so the coconut oil stays liquid.
  • Almond milk also adds moisture to the muffins and gets the icing to the right consistency. Any plant-based milk will work (for both the batter and icing). Regular milk will also work.
  • Eggs help bind ingredients together. I’ve had success making this recipe with flax “eggs” in place of eggs: mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp warm water and allow to thicken for 5 minutes.
  • Vanilla bean paste makes these muffins. There’s just something special about seeing the little specks of vanilla bean…and tasting that classic vanilla bean flavor. This recipe will definitely work with vanilla extract as a 1:1 replacement – just call these Zucchini Muffins with Vanilla Icing instead 😉

Continued…

  • All-purpose flour is my go-to baking flour. Feel free to use a bleached or unbleached variety. For healthier muffins, you can replace up to 1/2 of the AP flour with a whole wheat flour.
  • Baking soda + baking powder work together to lift these muffins to the perfect height. I don’t recommend any substitutes. 
  • Salt enhances the flavor of the muffins. You don’t want to skip it.
  • Cinnamon adds flavor to the muffins. Feel free to add more or less, depending on your taste preferences.
  • Cardamom has a lovely flavor that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use ground nutmeg, or more ground cinnamon, in its place. I highly recommend stocking your pantry with ground cardamom – it’s amazing in so many bakes!
  • Zucchini (duh) really makes these muffins. You’ll need a whole cup and a half of shredded zucchini, and, no, you can’t taste it!
  • Powdered sugar is used to make the icing. I don’t recommend any substitutes. For a slightly healthier muffin, you can drizzle the icing over the muffins instead of dipping them in the icing.

More Zucchini Recipes

Spiced Zucchini Sheet Cake

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Yield: 18 Mini Muffins or 8 Standard Muffins

Vanilla Bean Zucchini Muffins

Vanilla Bean Zucchini Muffins

Sweet, spice-filled Vanilla Bean Zucchini Muffins topped with a vanilla bean glaze. These cozy, delicious muffins are like little bites of heaven.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes

Ingredients

Muffins

  • 1/2 cup (83g) coconut sugar (or other sugar - see Note 2)
  • 1/4 cup (45g) olive oil
  • 1/4 cup (60g) almond milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 1/2 cups (195g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (275g) finely shredded zucchini (~1 large zucchini)

Icing

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • ~4 tsp almond milk

Instructions

Bake the Muffins

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a mini muffin pan (see Note 1 for standard muffins) with paper liners or non-stick spray.
  2. Place the shredded zucchini on a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can (NOTE: zucchini should be measured pre-squeeze); set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, olive oil, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla bean paste (or extract).
  4. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Add the flour and gently mix with a large spoon until nearly combined.
  5. Add the shredded (and squeezed) zucchini and gently mix, breaking up the zucchini as you mix until all is combined.
  6. Scoop/spoon the batter into the prepared muffin wells, filling to the top. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
  7. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Ice the Muffins

  1. Once the muffins are totally cool, you can make the icing. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste (or extract) and mix.
  2. Add almond milk 1 tsp at a time until the icing reaches the proper consistency - it should take 4-5 seconds for the icing to disappear into itself when drizzled from a spoon.
  3. Carefully dip the top of each muffin into the icing, allowing the excess icing to drip off. Immediately turn each muffin over and onto a cooling rack to set.
  4. Once the icing is set (no longer looks shiny), you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If left at room temperature, the icing may melt into the muffins.

Notes

  1. Standard Muffins: fill 7-9 prepared muffin wells to the top with batter. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
  2. Sugar: you can use your favorite granulated sugar in this recipe. Find some of the gram measurements below.
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar = 113g
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar = 107g
  • 1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar = 120g

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Breads, Dairy-free, Muffins Tagged With: dairy free mini muffins, dairy free muffins, dairy free zucchini muffins, iced zucchini muffins, mini muffins, mini zucchini muffins, sweet zucchini bread, sweet zucchini muffins, vanilla bean zucchini muffins, zucchini muffins, zucchini muffins with glaze, zucchini muffins with icing

Double Chocolate Mini Muffins with Salted Caramel (DF)

November 14, 2019 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

A couple of mornings ago, I was really in the mood for muffins (a common occurrence this pregnancy), so I asked my toddler what kind she wanted to make. She’s two and she loves chocolate, so that was her answer: chocolate muffins. I thought about it and determined that I couldn’t just make a plain ole chocolate muffin. I needed to make them mini. Add walnuts. And top them with homemade caramel sauce and flakey sea salt. Extra? Totally. Delicious and worth it? Yes!

The muffins themselves are so easy. One bowl. Hardly a mess. And if you have a 24-count mini muffin pan, you can bake them all in one batch that takes less than 10 minutes to bake! And these muffins are good. Like, if you want to forget about the caramel and sea salt all together, then I’m here for it. After all, there’s nothing like a fresh, warm muffin. Especially when melty chocolate chips are involved!

But the caramel drizzle will take these muffins to the next level. It’s a simple recipe and method that I learned from watching Cupcake Jemma, and I highly recommend checking out her Caramel Masterclass video! If you’ve never made caramel before and you’re intimidated, I get it. I won’t even fault you if you choose to go for store-bought for these muffins. But if you make your own, then you’ll feel super accomplished and have tons of delicious caramel leftover to pop onto anything you’d like!

Since my vegan caramels tend to come out thinner and too runny for a drizzle, I re-boil my mixture for 5-10 minutes to thicken them up. You don’t need a candy thermometer and the whole caramel making process (aside from the cooling) should take around 30 minutes. You can even make your caramel the night before, let it totally cool, and then store it in the refrigerator to drizzle on the muffins later. Whatever you choose, have fun and enjoy these bite-sized pieces of dessert heaven!

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut oil lends lots of moisture to these muffins. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to use another vegetable oil (I prefer olive oil).

Instant coffee adds depth to the chocolate flavor. You can also use espresso powder if you have that on hand. This ingredient is totally optional.

Coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener. It’s low GI and unrefined and tastes nothing like coconut! It’s a perfect replacement for regular white sugar.

Yield: ~24 Mini Muffins

Double Chocolate Mini Muffins with Salted Caramel

Double Chocolate Mini Muffins with Salted Caramel

Bite-sized chocolate mini muffins filled with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. All topped off with a drizzle of homemade dairy-free caramel sauce and a sprinkling of sea salt!

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

Vegan Caramel Sauce

  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

Chocolate Muffins

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs if vegan - see note)
  • 1 tsp instant coffee (optional)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts pieces (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the caramel sauce: combine liquid coconut cream and vanilla extract; set aside. In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, add the sugar and then the water - don't stir. Swirl the pan gently until sugar is soaked.
  2. Place sugar mixture over medium heat and bring to a boil. Without stirring, boil the mixture until it turns amber in color. The sugar will go from amber to burnt quickly, so keep an eye on it! And do not stir it!
  3. Once the amber color is reached, immediately remove from the heat and place on a towel or hot pad. Using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in the coconut cream mixture, being cautious as the mixture is extremely hot and will bubble up!
  4. Return caramel sauce to medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes or until caramel thickens. Transfer caramel to a room temp, heatproof bowl to cool.
  5. Make the muffins: bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray your mini muffin pan with non-stick spray or line with paper cups/liners.
  6. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, plant-based milk, and eggs. Whisk in the instant coffee and vanilla, and then whisk in the sugar. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a large spatula to gently mix until just combined. Add in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and the walnuts and mix.
  7. Scoop about 1.5 Tbsp of batter into each mini muffin well - nearly to the top. I used a cookie scoop for quick and easy filling. Top the unbaked muffins with the extra 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, lightly pressing the chips into the batter.
  8. Bake muffins at 350°F for 6-10 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a few crumbs. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then gently remove them to cool on a cooling rack.
  9. Once muffins are cool, spread the caramel sauce over the tops and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
  10. Allow caramel to set before storing any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Store leftover (and cooled!) caramel sauce in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • For vegan muffins: use 2 flax eggs (mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water, allow to thicken for five minutes)
  • Be sure to use at least a medium sized pot to make your caramel. The hot sugar mixture will bubble up when you add the coconut cream!
  • To ensure no sugar crystals form in your caramel sauce, do not stir the caramel while it's boiling the first round. Don't scrape the sides of the pan at any point, or otherwise mess with it! Also, allow your caramel sauce to totally cool before transferring it to your refrigerator.
  • When boiling the caramel the second round (to thicken it up) it's okay to stir it a bit.
  • If using melted coconut oil, you'll want the rest of your ingredients, including your eggs, to be room temperature. This ensure your coconut oil will remain in a liquid states while making your batter.

Recommended Products

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other chocolate recipes you might like:

Healthier Double Chocolate Banana Bread (DF)
Spicy Hot Cocoa Muffins (DF)
Caramel Turtle Brownies (GF + DF)

Filed Under: Breads, Dairy-free, Muffins Tagged With: caramel, chocolate muffins, double chocolate, mini muffins, sea salt, vegan caramel

Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Icing

October 30, 2019 by Rachael Ng 8 Comments

Recipe card and post updated November 2021 to reflect gram measurements and ingredients substitutions in the Recipe Notes.

These delightfully fluffy Pumpkin Muffins are dipped in a warm brown sugar cinnamon icing, and they’re totally irresistible! Perfect for the holiday season, these popular muffins are just what you need when you’re craving the cozy spices of autumn.

Pumpkin Muffins

It’s Fall and the weather is officially getting straight up cold for us. Somehow, we seem to only get a few weeks of nice, mild weather each Spring and Fall, and the rest of the year is either miserably hot or awfully cold. Muffins always come to mind when I think of something quick, easy, and comforting for an afternoon snack on a chilly day. I’ve been craving fluffy muffins this week and really wanted something without chocolate. So I made my Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread into muffins (without the cinnamon swirl!). And then I added a super simple brown sugar icing spiced with cinnamon because I just couldn’t resist! Glazed and iced breads are just so pretty.

Tips To Make These Pumpkin Muffins

For this recipe you’ll whip up a quick batch of muffins. Really, it only takes two bowls, and 15 minutes in the oven. And then you’ll heat the brown sugar, vegan butter, and plant milk to a boil. Whisk in the vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar, and voilà! You have a delicious icing that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin muffins! Since the icing is heated up, it will set very quickly. Like, don’t even try to pour or drizzle it over your muffins – that won’t work. You want to dip the tops of each muffin in the icing. When your icing starts to get too thick (which it will), place your saucepan back over the heat until it thins and continue working quickly to get those muffins dipped!

Some of the ingredients + substitutions:

Whole wheat pastry flour gives these muffins maximum fluffiness! It’s a staple in my pantry, because I just love the texture it creates in my quick breads and muffins. You can use more all-purpose flour in its place, but your muffins won’t be as fluffy.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sugar. It tastes less sweet than regular sugar, so it balances out the sweetness of the icing. If you’d prefer, you can replace the coconut sugar with your favorite granulated sugar.

Coconut oil brings lots of moisture to these muffins. You won’t taste it at all in this recipe, but if you’re skeptical, feel free to use a refined version. Or you can use another vegetable/baking oil or melted butter in its place.

Brown sugar is essential for the icing in this recipe. It creates a wonderful flavor that just can’t be replaced by another sugar!

Yield: 10 Regular Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Icing

Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Icing

Fluffy and moist pumpkin muffins dipped in a delicious cinnamon brown sugar icing! A perfect Fall treat that can be made dairy-free or vegan!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffins

  • 1 cup (130g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (120g) whole wheat pastry flour (see Note 1)
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (86g) coconut sugar (see Note 2)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs - see Note 3)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup (72g) melted coconut oil (see Note 4)
  • 1/3 cup (80g) plant-based milk, room temp/warm (or regular milk)
  • 1 cup (250g) pumpkin purée

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Icing

  • 1 Tbsp vegan butter (or regular butter)
  • 1/4 cup (56g) brown sugar, packed
  • 2 Tbsp plant-based milk (or regular milk)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray a 12-count muffin pan with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, eggs (or flax eggs), vanilla, coconut oil, and milk. Whisk in the pumpkin purée. Add liquid ingredients to dry and gently mix with a large spatula until no flour pockets remain.
  4. Spoon batter into 10 muffin wells, filling 2/3-3/4 full. If your batter is thick, you can smooth out the tops with a spoon. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
  5. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then gently remove them to cool on a cooling rack.
  6. Once the muffins are totally cool, you can make the icing. In a small saucepan, add the vegan butter, brown sugar, and milk. Whisk together and bring ingredients to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cinnamon and powdered sugar. You may need to add a little more milk at this point if your icing is too thick - since it cools quickly, you'll have to move fast to dip your muffins. I don't recommend pouring the icing.
  7. Quickly dip the tops of each muffin into the icing (you can tilt your saucepan to help you), turning right side up to set. If your icing begins to get too thick as you're working, put your saucepan back on the stove and heat for a few seconds until the icing thins out, stirring constantly.
  8. Enjoy iced muffins right away. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Flour: the whole wheat pastry flour can be replaced with more all-purpose flour (1 cup or 130g). Your muffins just won't be as fluffy.
  2. Sugar: you can use 1/2 cup of your favorite granulated sugar in this recipe. White cane sugar (105g), raw turbinado sugar (105g), unrefined cane sugar (112g) or lightly packed brown sugar (100g) will work.
  3. Eggs: for vegan muffins, replace the eggs with two flax eggs: mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp lukewarm water and allow to thicken for five minutes.
  4. Oil: you can use your favorite baking oil or melted butter in this recipe. 1/3 cup butter = 78g, 1/3 cup olive oil = 65g

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    © Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
    Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

    More pumpkin recipes!

    Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread (DF)
    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (DF)
    Pumpkin Cookies with Spiced Frosting (DF)
    Pumpkin Chai Spice Rice Krispie Treats (DF)
    Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins (DF + V option)

    Filed Under: Breads, Dairy-free, Muffins, Vegan Tagged With: brown sugar icing, fall desserts, fall muffins, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffins with brown sugar icing, pumpkin spice muffins, spiced muffins, thanksgiving desserts

    Spicy Hot Cocoa Muffins (DF)

    October 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

    The weather has been getting chilly around here, which had me thinking about hot cocoa and wondering if it’s too early to start making it (is that even a thing?). But then I started thinking about how glorious it would be to stuff a chocolate muffin with giant marshmallows. It was late at night, I’m pregnant, and I swear in that moment these muffins sounded like the best idea. After a couple of test batches, I landed on these perfectly imperfect spicy, double chocolate muffins. A bit of cayenne and cinnamon ups the flavor profile, and then the giant marshmallows fluff up in the oven and create the most enticing gooey marshmallow mess on top! Oh, and the chocolate chips inside get all melty just the way I like, and basically you have to eat these warm!

    I tested out a couple of different ways to do these muffins, and I really like how this final batch came out. They’re basically made with a simple double chocolate muffin mix, and then “stuffed” with whole, large marshmallows. I got exactly 12 muffins out of this recipe, which may help you with measuring out your batter. You’ll add a spoonful of batter to each muffin well, press the marshmallow deep into the batter, and then cover the marshmallow, and surrounding space, with more batter. You only want to fill these about 3/4 full, so the end product (pre-bake) should look a little funny – the marshmallows should be covered but you’ll still see a bump from each marshmallow sticking up. When your muffins first come out of the oven, the marshmallows will have puffed up quite a bit. As the muffins cool, the marshmallow will settle, creating the kind of charred, melty marshmallow cracks you see below!

    Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

    Coconut sugar is my favorite sweetener. It’s low GI, unrefined, and now readily available in most grocery stores!

    Applesauce gives these muffins lots of extra moisture and a bit of sweetness – you won’t taste any apple!

    Instant coffee granules help deepen the chocolate flavor of these muffins. It’s totally optional, and you could also use 1/4 cup of coffee in place of the milk + instant coffee.

    Ground cayenne gives these muffins a bit of kick. I recommend adding between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon, depending on your taste preference. 1/8 tsp is “barely there” and 1/4 tsp is “these have a definite kick”.

    Yield: 12 Regular Muffins

    Spicy Hot Cocoa Muffins

    Spicy Hot Cocoa Muffins

    Fluffy double chocolate muffins stuffed with marshmallow and spiced with a dash of cayenne pepper! These delicious, dairy-free muffins are reminiscent of your favorite spicy hot cocoa!

    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Additional Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil*
    • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
    • 1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
    • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1/3 cup regular cocoa powder
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/8-1/4 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
    • 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks
    • 12 large marshmallows

    Instructions

    1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12 count muffin pan with paper liners (or spray with non-stick spray).
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, plant milk, and instant coffee. Whisk in the applesauce; set aside.
    3. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until well combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and gently mix until nearly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
    4. Drop a spoonful of batter into each muffin well. Then press a large marshmallow (flat side up) into the middle of each. Carefully spoon batter on top of and around the up-right marshmallows. You'll want to fill each well about 3/4 full - your marshmallows should be covered with batter but look like a bump under the batter. I had exactly enough batter for 12 regular muffins.
    5. Bake muffins at 350° for 15 minutes. The marshmallows will puff up and out of the muffins. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then gently remove them to cool on a cooling rack or enjoy warm!
    6. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Notes

    *you can use whatever vegetable oil you prefer. I used regular olive oil for these muffins

    Recommended Products

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    • 12-Cup Muffin/Cupcake Pan
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    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    12

    Serving Size:

    1

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 169mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 4g

    calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

    © Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
    Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

    More chocolate recipes:

    Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cookies (DF)
    Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies (DF)
    Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (DF)
    Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts (Vegan)

    Filed Under: Breads, Dairy-free, Muffins Tagged With: dairy-free, hot chocolate muffins, hot cocoa muffins, marshmallow, marshmallow stuffed, Mexican hot chocolate, spicy muffins

    Glazed Orange Almond Muffins (dairy-free!)

    April 3, 2019 by Rachael Ng 5 Comments

    I feel like I say this about a lot of the things I bake, but these muffins are seriously so delicious you’ll want to eat half of the batch at once! The fluffy Orange Almond Muffins are so good all on their own, but then you add the Orange Almond Glaze and OMG it’s one of the best muffins I’ve ever had!!

    Anyone else out there remember the orange cinnamon rolls in a can (or still bake them)? We had those a lot growing up, and these glazed muffins took me right back there (in the best way possible!). Lots of freshly grated orange zest and pure almond extract make for a seriously good flavor combo in these muffins.

    The recipe is a standard two-bowl set up. You’ll mix your wet ingredients and then your dry, and then gently mix them together. You can play with the amounts of orange zest and almond extract, but after three test batches, the recipe below reflects the amounts I feel are perfect for these muffins.

    You can use regular all-purpose flour if you’d like, though the muffins may not come out as fluffy. The coconut sugar can be replaced with white or brown cane sugar or even Stevia in the raw, if you’re into that. If you’re looking for a vegan recipe, then you can simply use flax eggs in place of the regular eggs (see notes).

    Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

    Whole wheat pastry flour makes for excellently fluffy muffins and quick breads. These muffins come out light and fluffy thanks to this special flour.

    Unsweetened applesauce is a great substitute for oil + adds natural sweetness and moisture.

    Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI sweetener, which means it won’t spike blood sugar levels the same way other sweeteners (like cane sugar, honey, and maple syrup) do. It tastes nothing like coconut, so don’t fret if you’re worried about that!

    Orange zest gives you lots of bang for your buck in these muffins. It brings powerful and delicious flavor and pretty sprinkle-like pops of orange to the glaze.

    Orange juice adds a bit more of an orange flavor to the muffins. I tested the recipe without it but liked the muffins even more with the extra orange flavor!

    Almond extract is one of my favorite flavors for cake. It pairs so perfectly with the orange in these muffins that the Orange Almond Glaze will forever replace any other orange glaze.

    Yield: 10 Standard Muffins

    Glazed Orange Almond Muffins

    Glazed Orange Almond Muffins

    Fluffy and moist Orange Almond Muffins made with fresh orange zest and pure almond extract, topped with the most delicious Orange Almond Glaze! If you're a fan of orange, then you will love these dairy-free, better-for-you muffins!

    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes

    Ingredients

    Muffins

    • 2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs, if vegan - see note below)
    • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
    • 3 Tbsp light olive oil
    • 2 Tbsp nut milk (or oat milk)
    • 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
    • 1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
    • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 2-3 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (2-4 oranges)

    Glaze

    • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    • 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
    • 1 tsp finely grated orange zest (1/2-1 orange)
    • 4 1/2 tsp nut milk (or oat milk)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan with liners or non-stick spray.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Whisk in the olive oil, nut milk, orange juice, almond extract, and applesauce; set aside.
    3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold in the liquid ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Add the orange zest and gently mix.
    4. Fill 10 muffin wells with batter. You want to fill them to about a 1/4" from the top. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a couple of crumbs. To avoid making multiple toothpick holes, you can lightly tap the top of a muffin and see if it springs back. If it's done, it will spring back without leaving a finger dent.
    5. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack. Allow muffins to cool totally before making your glaze.
    6. In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar, almond extract, and orange zest. Add nut milk 1 tsp at a time until you reach a consistency that is thin enough for spreading but pours off a spoon (it will thin more once it's warmed up).
    7. Heat glaze on low heat, stirring constantly, until just warm to the touch. Remove from heat and dip each muffin into the warm glaze, allowing the extra glaze to drip off before turning the muffin over. Glaze will crust within a few minutes so work fast! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    For Vegan: use 2 flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp water; let rest for 5 minutes to thicken.

    All-purpose flour will work just fine in place of the whole wheat pastry flour

    You will have leftover glaze, but I found that it's easier to dip the muffins if there's a bit more to work with. You can cut the recipe by 1/3 if you'd like

    Recommended Products

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    • Almond Extract
      Almond Extract
    • 12-Cup Muffin/Cupcake Pan
      12-Cup Muffin/Cupcake Pan
    • Organic Coconut Sugar
      Organic Coconut Sugar

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    10

    Serving Size:

    1

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 6gSugar: 27gProtein: 11g

    calculated nutrition information is an estimate - you will not use all of the glaze, so the numbers are a bit skewed

    © Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
    Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

    Other orange recipes you may like:

    Grain-Free Orange Brownies
    Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    Cranberry Orange Crumb Muffins
    Vegan Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread
    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

    Filed Under: Breads, Dairy-free, Muffins, Vegan Tagged With: dairy-free, muffins, orange almond, orange bread, orange glaze, orange muffins, vegan

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    Hi! I’m Rachael, a home baker who creates dairy-free, indulgent treats. As a sweets lover and former candy addict, I believe we shouldn’t have to give up everything we love in pursuit of wellness. That’s why I create delicious and approachable desserts that you can enjoy, in moderation, no matter your goals! Because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a giant slice of frosted cake, sans guilt! Read More…

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