Vegan Lemon Muffins

Here's what we'll be needing to make this amazing vegan lemon muffin recipe, and in my usual style, a little bit about why too:

For the muffins

• Flour - You can use all-purpose flour, spelt flour or white wholewheat flour in this recipe. For the best flavour though I recommend all-purpose flour. If you are in the UK use plain flour.
• Baking soda & baking powder - To make these eggless lemon muffins rise high - We want big muffin tops! Baking soda is used in addition to baking powder, because it creates a chemical reaction between the alkaline baking soda and the lemon juice. This is important in an eggless muffin recipe because it creates lots of bubbles and lift and replaces the leavening you would otherwise get from eggs.
• Salt - So important for enhancing flavour in sweet as well as savoury recipes.
• Vegan butter - Provides fat that produces a soft, cake-y crumb. It also acts as a preservative. The flavour is way better with butter than it is with oil. For those of you who bake oil and butter-free, I have included an oil-free option. The streusel needs vegan butter to be successful.
• Sugar - Adds structure and sweetness. It must be white sugar or cane sugar. The flavour of darker sugars doesn't work as well with the lemon flavour and will affect the appearance of the muffins too. Don’t replace the sugar with a liquid sweetener as that will make the liquid to dry ratio off and create soggy muffins.
• Non-dairy milk - To bring everything together. Any is fine although I recommend an unsweetened one to avoid making the muffins too sweet. Don’t be tempted to use water instead of milk. The muffins will end up flat and heavy without it.
• Lemons- Zest and juice! The zest contains the most flavour so don't think about skipping it. And the juice provides the necessary acid (to react with the baking soda) and some flavour too.

For the streusel

• Flour - All purpose flour is best for optimium buttery flavour. If you are in the UK use plain flour. I haven't tested the recipe with gluten-free flour but it will probably be ok with a good all purpose gluten-free blend like Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour. I don't recommend using wholewheat flour or spelt flour because their stronger flavour detracts from the butteriness and luxury that is streusel.
• Vegan butter - Only butter will do. Streusel is all about that buttery flavour!
• Sugar - Brown and white or cane sugar. Just like a lot of cookie recipes, a mix of sugars is necessary for texture and flavour in this streusel. You can use brown sugar or coconut sugar, although brown sugar works a little better, keeping the streusel a little clumpier, so I recommend using it if you can. And for the granulated sugar you can use white or cane sugar.

For the super easy lemon glaze (which is totally optional but recommended):

• Powdered sugar & lemon juice - Super simple. Just combine the two.

These vegan lemon muffins are easy to make. Here's how:

Step 1 - Mix the streusel together and refrigerate.
Step 2 - Mix the dry muffin ingredients together.
Step 3 - Mix the wet muffin ingredients together.
Step 4 - Mix the wet mixture with the dry mixture to make a thick batter.

Step 5 - Fill the muffin wells right to the top with batter.
Step 6 - Sprinkle over the streusel.
Step 7 - Bake
Step 8 - Drizzle with lemon glaze once cool

Take note of these tips for perfect vegan lemon muffins with dream-worthy muffin tops every time:

• For the best results weigh the ingredients with a digital scale. Cups are not an accurate way to measure, especially when baking and you won't get the best results if you use them.
• Be sure to use the lemon juice and zest. Zest for great lemon flavour, juice for the necessary acid to get a great rise.
• Once you mix the wet ingredients with the dry you need to move as fast as you can to get the streusel top sprinkled over and and the muffins in the oven. This is so that you can take full advantage of the chemical reaction between the baking soda and the lemon juice. The quicker you are the bigger your muffin tops will be ;O)
• If you don't have a really, really great muffin pan that you can totally trust, use good quality muffin liners.I highly recommend USA Pan muffin pans. They make incredible muffins that never stick. No liners required.
• My tip for perfect muffin tops? They need an initial, very hot blast in the oven. This creates steam that will raise those muffin tops right up from the inside out. Then you need to turn them down after 5 minutes so that the insides cook through more gently. That’s my temperature trick and it really works so don’t skip it!
• Do you know how most recipes and “muffin experts,” say to only fill the wells two-thirds or three-quarters full? Well, we are breaking all the rules and are going to fill them all the way to the top. This helps with the aforementioned muffin tops. And don't worry, the batter won't overflow because of the initial high temperature.
• Do not over-mix the batter. Just mix until you can’t see any dry flour. Resist the urge to stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump-free. Some small lumps are fine.
• Mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately as instructed, before adding them all together helps avoid accidentally over-mixing.
• Go easy on the lemon juice when making the glaze. You barely need any to create a thick, drippy glaze.
• How can you tell when muffins are cooked properly? Use the toothpick (or skewer or sharp knife) test. Stick one in the centre of a muffin and if it comes out clean then they are done.

Variations

Make this vegan lemon muffin recipe your own with these variation ideas:

• Add up to half a cup of shredded coconut to the batter. Lemon and coconut are great together!
• Add half a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries to the batter.
• Add some vegan lemon curd to the centre of each muffin. Simply add a scoop of batter to the muffin pan, then add a tablespoon of lemon curd, then put another scoop of muffin batter over the top.
• Try adding a tablespoon of poppy seeds to your muffin batter. Lemon and poppy seeds go so well together!
• Use oranges or lime instead of lemons.
• Omit the streusel.
• Omit the lemon drizzle.
• Omit the streusel and top each muffin with some piped vegan cream cheese frosting.

You went to the trouble of baking your own eggless lemon muffins, and if you have leftovers it’s important you know how to store them for optimum freshness.

The most important thing is to let them cool completely on a wire rack before storing them. If there is any warmth in them at all, as soon as they go into a sealed container condensation will happen, and that means damp muffins.

Once they are completely cool, you will need an airtight container and some paper towels. As muffins age, the moisture inside them rises to the surface and can make them wet. By packing them up with some paper towels laid out underneath and another layer on top, you can avoid this. Just keep an eye on them and if the paper towels get a little moist, replace them with fresh ones.

In the unlikely event that this is necessary, you can refresh older vegan lemon muffins to fresh from the oven status very easily. Simply place on a baking tray in the oven at 350°F (175 °C) for about 7 minutes. They will come out good as new!

To freeze

Need to store leftover vegan lemon muffins for more than a couple of days? Then the freezer is your best option. Muffins freeze extremely well for up to 3 months. Pop them into a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container and place them carefully in the freezer. When you want them, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature. You can make them taste oven-fresh again by warming them gently in the oven at 350°F (175 °C) for about 7 minutes.

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