Sweet Gluten-Free Vegan Muffins with Olive Oil and Rosemary

It took me 3 days to come up with this recipe. Not because it's especially complicated. I just wanted a sweet muffin made with chickpea flour that was fluffy and full of Mediterranean aromas.

I wanted all the nutritional benefits chickpea flour brings to the table, without the density or that strong flavor that isn't everyone's favorite.

And you know what? I think I nailed it.

These muffins are light, vegan, and gluten-free, with delicate olive oil and lemon flavors.

They're so wonderfully tender, you'd never guess there's chickpea flour in them.

As for rosemary and olive oil in a sweet muffin: in Greece, Turkey, Albania, and Macedonia, you'll find plenty of sweet baked goods and desserts that use olive oil, rosemary, and even chickpea flour.

There's a whole world of flavors here that work beautifully on the sweet side, too. Give it a try. Worst-case scenario? You fall in love!

A Few Notes on These Vegan Muffins

• Chickpea flour is the base of these muffins. You can swap in lentil flour and they'll still taste great. Other legume flours, like pea flour or mung bean flour, might not taste quite as good. Proceed at your own risk. 🙂
• What could be more Mediterranean than sweetening these muffins with a little silan (date syrup)? Keep in mind that these aren't very sweet. If you like a sweeter muffin, simply add a little more

  

  silan. You can also substitute an equal amount of maple syrup.

• Olive oil brings wonderful aroma along with healthy fatty acids. It really takes these muffins up a notch. And don't worry: baking at 170°C (340°F) doesn't destroy those fatty acids.
• Don't skip the rosemary. It adds a lovely burst of Mediterranean aroma. If you'd like to switch things up, try za'atar, thyme, oregano, or even mint or basil.
• Almond milk adds another layer of Mediterranean flavor and depth. It brings plenty of flavor, along with calories. You can leave it out and use water, soy milk, or oat milk instead.

Nutrition for These Gluten-Free Vegan Muffins

One muffin, out of a batch of 12, contains:

• 75 calories
• 8 g carbohydrates
• 2.8 g fat
• 2.8 g protein

Sweet Gluten-Free Vegan Muffins

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Yield 12 muffins

Calories 75 kcal

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 2 teaspoons flaxseeds + 2 tablespoons water

Wet Ingredients

• 1.3 cups almond milk 1 cup + 1/3 cup
• 1/3 cup olive oil one-third cup
• 1/3 cup silan one-third cup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Flavor Boosters You Don't Want to Skip

• pinch chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Garnish

• rosemary leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).

2. Grind the flaxseeds in a spice grinder, then mix with 2 tablespoons water until evenly combined. Set aside for 5 minutes.

3. In a deep mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: chickpea flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

4. In another deep mixing bowl, combine the almond milk, olive oil, vanilla extract, and silan.

5. If the silan is very thick, microwave it for a few seconds to loosen it up and make it easier to mix.

6. Don't add the lemon juice yet.

7. Mix well, then gradually add the flour mixture, stirring as you go.

8. Stir in the chopped rosemary and lemon zest. Set aside for half an hour, or until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.

9. Add the lemon juice and stir.

10. Divide the batter among muffin cups lined with paper liners, filling each one to the top.

11. Top with a few rosemary leaves.

12. Bake for about 35–40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out dry.

My Notes

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