During a vacation, we got hooked on enjoying giant, hearty muffins for breakfast every morning. But with the healthy New Year’s wishes upon us, I set out to make my own virtuous morning muffins! I felt like experimenting so I went with a fruit I had yet to try… Persimmons! These Whole Wheat Vegan Persimmon Muffins seriously hit the spot. The persimmon added a really lovely sweetness to go along with the wholesome whole wheat flavor.
You can replace the persimmons with another fruit or vegetable-fruit puree if you wish. Next time I make these, I may add a touch more oil, “milk,” or puree for more moisture, as they became a bit too dense after day 2 with all of the heartiness. I also prefer less sugar in the morning, so we stuck with just ¼ cup of sugar, but if you like yours on the sweet side, then feel free to shake in a bit more.
Special Diet Notes: Whole Wheat Vegan Persimmon Muffins
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 – 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons extra-light olive or grapeseed oil (may want to increase this by a tablespoon or two if you don’t mind the added fat)
- ¾ cup persimmon puree (I used Hachiyas, make sure they are extremely ripe) or other fruit puree
- ¼ cup sugar of choice (I used evaporated cane juice)
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup rice milk or other milk alternative
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350º and grease 8 muffin tins.
- Combine the flour through baking soda in a small bowl, and set aside. In a large bowl, blend the oil through rice milk. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the walnuts and equally divide the batter between your prepared muffin tins.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
