Orange Corn Muffins

Vegan corn muffins, sweetened with just a few dates and orange, make for the perfect mid-morning snack. Muffins aren’t meant to be overly sweet – they’re not cake – and I found these sweet enough without being too much for a snack. These are made with whole-grain spelt flour.

The texture is really nice with the cornmeal and I recommend baking them with the little slice of orange on top to max out that citrus flavour. I also have a very nice recipe for not-vegan zucchini cornbread if you’re looking for something to have with dinner instead.

For some more great citrus recipes, try these easy orange pancakes, gluten-free chocolate orange tart, or this fantastic two ingredient chocolate orange mousse.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Spelt flour: substitute light spelt for a fluffier muffin, or use plain white flour. I haven’t tried making these gluten-free.
• Cornmeal: the muffins pictured were made with a coarser cornmeal, meant for polenta, so the end result has quite a lot of texture. You can use any kind of cornmeal.
• Coconut oil: use refined coconut oil to avoid any slight coconut flavour. I imagine butter (vegan or not) could be subbed for the oil but haven’t tried this – it should be solid at room temperature, though.

Recipe Notes

Please note that the muffins will not rise quite as much if topped with a slice of orange. To largely mitigate this, use a very thin slice of orange, not a big chunk. The less weight the better.

These are on the small side and don’t rise to overfill the muffin cup during baking. The dates do make them a little denser but they make a great snack.

How to Store

Storage: store the cooled muffins in a sealed container for up to three days. If topped with orange, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator to avoid early spoilage.

Freezing: to freeze the muffins, bake them without the orange slices on top. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.

Expert Tips

• Don’t over mix: as with any quick bread, but particularly with lower-gluten spelt, it’s important to mix until just combined. If the batter is over mixed, the muffins will be tough.
• Choose organic: this is particularly important for the oranges as you’re using the zest, or skin. Buy organic, unwaxed oranges and wash well before use.
• Use an immersion blender: if you don’t have a standing blender, a higher-powered immersion blender will work just as well for mixing the liquid ingredients and dates (and takes up less kitchen space).

More Whole Grain Muffins

Vegan Apple Muffins
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins
Vegan Banana Oatmeal Muffins

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