Banana-Berry Muffins

Eating bread, cereal or a pastry every morning? You wouldn't even notice that these muffins are eggless, gluten-free and dairy-free. They're a great start to the day, a perfect snack. Making them yourself guarantees plenty of fruit, not just one or two when you buy a store bought version. These muffins I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. You can also use cranberries with some grated orange zest. I love that these are full of goodness. I used to bake my vegan treats by substituting the egg with applesauce, but found that it made it too heavy and dense. Flaxseed meal is just ground up flax seeds, which you could make yourself in a food processor. Very handy!

1 Tbsp flaxseed meal

3 Tbsp water
11/2 cups (180g) gluten-free flour of choice (I use Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup (70g) almond meal (optional)
1/2 cup (90g) coconut sugar or turbinado sugar"
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 large, ripe banana, peeled and mashed
2/3 cup (6oz/170g) vegan sour cream
6 Tbsp nut milk
6 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup (6oz/170g) fresh berries, washed and dried
2 tsp chopped nuts (optional)
2 tsp gluten-free oats

• In a small bowl, mix flaxseed meal and water and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400°F (190°C). Spray or line muffin tin. 
• Combine the flour, almond meal, 1/3 cup sugar,  baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
• In a separate small bowl, beat together the banana, vegan sour cream, almond milk
  and coconut oil. Add the flaxseed meal-water mixture.
• Pour wet ingredient mixture into the dry mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Do not over-mix, it’s OK if it’s slightly lumpy.
• Gently stir in the berries. Dollop batter evenly into muffin cups. 
• With your fingertips, sprinkle a pinch of sugar and oats on top each muffin. 
• Bake for 15-20 minutes (regular-sized 12-muffin cup) or 10-15 minutes (mini-sized 24-muffin cup) until golden brown. 

* You can substitute the sugar with maple syrup, but decrease the vegan sour cream to 1/3 cup (85g)