I’m not one to tell anyone what to do with their lives but can I tell you that you need to make these muffins? Because you do.

Well, not really. But if you’re looking to increase your daily intake of deliciousness or happiness, I’d strongly urge you to make these muffins.

Why? I believe it’s rather obvious just by looking at the title. First of all, who dislikes muffins? Can you name one single person? Me either.

Moving on to what’s inside: olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh juicy blueberries. When I was little my mom used to always serve blueberries with lemon juice and sugar for dessert or as a snack sometimes in the summer. It’s a wonderly simple, refreshing, and easy treat. The lemon juice makes the blueberries sparkle, and the sugar tempers the bitterness of the lemon. Yum.

So the other day I was eating my blueberries with lemon juice and sugar just like I did 20 years ago (omg I’m so old), and I simultaneously wanted a muffin. As you may know, blueberry muffins are my favorite muffins, which I discuss in this post, Vegan Blueberry Flax Breakfast Muffins. And then when it comes to summery treats, I think citrus/sour, so I decided to make a muffin that paired lemon and blueberry together.

Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes
Level: easy

makes 24 muffins / cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups olive oil
  • can sub up to half with coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk or almond milk, unsweetened (can use ‘lite’ canned coconut milk, or out of a fat-free out of a carton, like the kind you put in cereal. both work!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider (or any) vinegar
• zest of 2 large lemons (about 3-4 tablespoons)
• juice of 2 large lemons (1/4-1/2 cup)
  • *note, you can make this as lemony or as plain as you desire, by increasing or decreasing lemon juice and zest within given ranges
• 2 cups all purpose flour
  • could also sub 1 cup cake flour & 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • gluten-free: use 2 cups gluten-free flour blend, or oat flour with varied results
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl or measuring up combine almond/coconut milk and vinegar. Allow to sit, at least 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil and sugar and whisk together. Zest lemons and place zest aside. Juice lemons and place juice aside n another small bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add lemon zest and whisk again.

4. Add half flour mixture to olive oil and sugar mixture, and fold gently with spatula. Add half non-dairy milk and vinegar mixture. Repeat with remaining half of flour mixture and remaining half of non-dairy milk mixture.

5. Fold in blueberries

6. Pour batter into lined or well-oiled muffin tins

7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden, fragrant, and/or cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean upon removal.