Strawberry Streusel Muffins (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Option)

You know what they say…

“Never judge a muffin by its top”… er, I mean, “Never judge a book by its cover.”

However, in this case, the top of these strawberry streusel muffin’s is where it’s at. With a little extra sugary, buttery goodness sprinkled on top, these muffins simply beg to be eaten until the last crumb. I certainly won’t judge if you lick your fingers afterwards; it’s practically required.

But as far as “never judging a book by its cover” goes, you should know that these photos do not do the muffins justice. With an early-setting winter-time sun and lack of proper lighting in college housing, I could barely snap these few photos before all the muffins were gone. If anything, that should be a testament to their soft crumb and delicious flavor. One of my friends even said it was one of the best muffins she’s ever eaten!

So please, put aside your prejudice of muffins as “just ugly cupcakes,” and dive into this recipe. Whether you need a quick breakfast, snack on the run, or even simple dessert, my strawberry streusel muffins are sure to please. You can make them vegan, gluten-free, and/or even sugar-free, if you feel so inclined… Or you can use  more traditional ingredients (see “Notes” below). It’s all up to you! The only thing you simply must do is make the extra effort to prepare the streusel. Despite the extra dishes it might entail (college life world view at its finest), it really will make your day just a little bit sweeter, one finger-licking crumb at a time.

Strawberry Streusel Muffins

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Option

Muffin Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance or coconut oil, softened (but not melted)
• 1/3 cup Stevia in the Raw, NuNaturals Baking Blend, or organic sugar
• 1 TBS flaxseed meal (i.e. ground flax seed) + 3 TBS warm water –> mix w/ a fork + let sit for ~5 minutes to “gel”
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-1/3 cup flour (can use Bob’s Red Mill AP Gluten-Free Mix or your favorite mix)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1-1/2 cup fresh Strawberries, chopped

Streusel Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup sucanat or  organic sugar 
• 1/3 cup flour (can use Bob’s Red Mill AP Gluten-Free mix or your favorite mix)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cold Earth Balance or solid coconut oil

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 375*F. Prepare a muffin with 12 paper liners or spray well with cooking spray. 
• Using a stand mixer or hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together Earth Balance and stevia. Once combined, beat in flax seed mixture and vanilla extract.
• In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. A little at a time, add this mixture and some of the almond milk to the one batter prepared with the mixer. Keep adding flour and almond milk until everything is combined in one bowl. Stir in strawberries.
• To prepare the streusel: in a small bowl, mix together sucanat, flour, and cinnamon. Carefully cut in Earth Balance using two knives until the Earth Balance is broken up. The mixture should be crumbly. (If all else fails, feel free to use your hands; just make sure not to soften the Earth Balance too much!)
• Evenly distribute muffin batter between the 12 muffin cups in the prepared pan. (I like to use an ice cream scooper for this.) Top each muffin generously with streusel.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. The muffins should be lightly browned.

Notes: 

*If you want to make these muffins with more traditional ingredients, replace the Earth Balance/coconut oil with butter, flax seed mixture with 1 egg, GF flour with white all-purpose flour, and almond milk with regular milk.

*You may need to add a little extra almond milk when mixing the muffin batter. A tablespoon or two should do the trick.

*Feel free to use frozen strawberries instead of fresh. I recommend thawing them a little bit (either with ~20 minutes on the counter or 10 seconds in the microwave) so that chopping is easier. Because frozen strawberries are usually have a little bit more liquid, they may tint your batter pink. Never fear; it’s actually really pretty!