Spiced Apple Muffins

Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine that began in India, but it's now practiced many other places in the world as well. It's based on processes and treatments that compliment the natural states of the body. It's about aligning one's lifestyle to the course of nature and working with natural systems rather than working against them. Sounds good, right?

One of the components of ayurveda is dietary recommendations. The goal is to eat in a way that allows your body to digest easily and get the most out of your foods. Ayurvedic practitioners strongly recommend beginning each day with a strong spiced tea (like chai) and spiced oats and/or cooked fruit because they will kick start the body and help provide sustained energy throughout your morning.

This month's issue of Yoga Journal features a few recipes to point you in the right direction, including an apple muffin recipe reprinted from ____. I veganized the recipe and made a few adaptations to create a real power-packed breakfast muffin that is super delicious and a great addition to any morning meal. Here they are!


Spiced Apple Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup less 1 Tbsp soy milk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup Sucanat (or fine raw sugar)
2 Energ-G "eggs" or other vegan substitute equivalent to 2 eggs
6 Tbsp coconut oil (warmed to liquid state) or high quality vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp chopped or pureed fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups peeled and chunked apples (I used 2 1/2 Washington honeycrisp apples)
2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F and oil 12 muffin cups. Combine soy milk and vinegar in a cup and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy milk mixture, Sucanat, egg replacer, coconut oil, vanilla extract, ginger, cardamom and clove. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix gently until evenly moistened. The batter will be pretty thick.

Rinse your milk bowl and add the chunked apples, agave and cinnamon. Stir to combine and then fold apples into the batter until just about evenly distributed.

Portion batter into muffin cups evenly and bake 30 minutes or until just browned on top.


Enjoy with a strong cup of spicy chai (with or without the milk of your choice) for a terrific breakfast or even an afternoon pick-me-up! If you have any "leftover" muffins, allow them to cool completely before popping them into a plastic freezer bag and freezing for up to a week.