vegan blueberry muffins

My doctor has presented me with a health challenge and I'm testing out a vegan diet for a couple of months. I'm already a vegetarian so giving up meat is not an issue. But no butter? No milk/cream? No cheese? Probably one of the worst times of the year to quit eating dairy with Thanksgiving & Christmas on the horizon. Anyway, I'm on week two and I'm not gonna lie, it's challenging. Tofutti products, soy/almond/oat milks and non-dairy based butters fill my frig now. Thank goodness that "some" dark chocolate is vegan. I've got to have something! 

These vegan blueberry muffins look and kind of taste like regular blueberry muffins. They are missing the taste of buttery-goodness, but if you're allergic to dairy or like me testing out a vegan diet, give these a try. I especially liked them warm out of the oven and slathered with fake butter spread. Yum!

Vegan Blueberry Muffins
slightly adapted from Madhuram's Eggless Cooking
makes 9 muffins

INGREDIENTS
2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
zest of a lemon
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup soy milk ***Soy milk worked best for me. Almond milk resulted in dense, and not as fluffy muffins.***
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups blueberries - fresh or frozen

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, soy milk, oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and with a spatula gently fold/mix together. Try not to over mix. Add the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter.

With a large scoop, divide batter into the prepared muffin tin. ***I was able to get 9 muffins.*** Bake for 18 - 22 minutes. 

The muffins will be golden brown on top. You can also insert a tooth pick into a muffin and when it comes out clean, they're done. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin.