Woman in Real Life

When I started to make these muffins, I didn't set out to create a new recipe. I simply wanted to replace the photos in this older Double Chocolate Muffins recipe. (Some of the old photos on this blog just aren't Pinterest-friendly if you know what I'm sayin'.) As I got going on my baking though, I decided to update the recipe just a little bit. I enjoy the classic combination of chocolate and berries. Plus, berries are so pretty! And the gorgeous natural hues that berries display speak to their abundant and health-promoting antioxidant content. Meaning these muffins are health food. Pretty much. If you don't want berries in your muffins today, please do go back to the old recipe (those muffins have lovely shredded coconut in them too!).

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are authentic and my own. Thank you for supporting the awesome companies that partner with Woman in Real Life.

One of the many beautiful things about summer is that we tend to crave healthy, natural foods. Nothing is more satisfying on a hot summer day than a piece of ripe, refreshing fruit. I like to take advantage of these warm weather cravings while they last by incorporating fruit into as many meals and snacks as I can. That's why I created this recipe for vegan Pear Ginger Muffins. Not only are these muffins moist and delicious, they also harness the health benefits of fresh California Bartlett Pears.

My affection for muffins is no secret. I may have mentioned my love for these portable, healthy snacks about two dozen times on this blog. It's funny because I don't really eat bread often. It doesn't excite me much so I see it as a waste of calories. Muffins, on the other hand, are a bread-type product I can get behind! Especially when they are homemade, wholesome and full of fruity goodness, like these vegan Peach Walnut Muffins. These muffins would make a lovely Christmas morning breakfast addition. Munch on them while the kiddies open their gifts. They will also transition well into the New Year, when you're feeling all that post-holiday guilt and looking for healthier snacks.

These Morning Glory Muffins remind me of my mom, because when I was little she used to say, "Morning glory" as a "good morning" type of greeting. I also remember I really liked these muffins, jam-packed with ingredients, as a teen. Still do. Recently I started thinking about these muffins again. And I wondered where the original Morning Glory Muffin recipe came from.

It's time to take advantage of all those fresh, crispy apples available to us in fall. As we do each September, we recently visited our favourite apple orchard to pick delicious, crunchy apples right off the tree. Apples truly are one of Mother Nature's wonders, providing us with benefits such as soluble fibre and disease-fighting antioxidants. Plus apples are highly portable and hardy, making them an ideal snack to take to park, school or work. Of course, you could also turn them into an equally portable and possibly even more delicious snack, like these Vegan Apple Crumble Muffins.

There are days - cold, snowy, damp and miserable days - when only a muffin can make me feel better. Muffins are quick to make, potentially one of the healthiest of baked goods and let's not forget, warm and delicious. If you are in need of some comfort in the form of a handheld vegan baked good, you need look no further for inspiration than 150 Best Vegan Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury.

While I most often go back to my favourite recipe for Never-Fail Vegan Banana Muffins (because it's familiar and convenient) I feel that I need to expand my muffin repertoire. This handy book is certainly helping me to do that. With 150 choices, you know you're getting an assortment of vegan muffin ideas that will suit your current mood and cravings.

Celebrate Strawberry Season with These Vegan Strawberry Banana Muffins

There’s something truly special about strawberry season in Ontario. It comes in like a whisper—just a few precious weeks in June—and if you blink, you might miss it. But while it lasts, it’s a time of joy for families like mine, who love picking, eating and baking with these juicy, sun-kissed berries.

To make the most of this sweet and fleeting season, I’ve created a brand new muffin recipe that’s quickly become a family favourite: Vegan Strawberry Banana Muffins.

This recipe is a happy marriage of two of my all-time favourite muffin recipes. It combines the fruity brightness of strawberry muffins with the cozy texture and natural sweetness of spelt banana coconut muffins. The result? A moist, golden muffin with subtle banana flavour and plenty of fresh strawberries in every bite.  Check out my other favourite muffin recipes - these strawberry muffins and these spelt banana coconut muffins.

My mom and I shared a vegan orange muffin at a cafe recently. It was a bit too "orangey" for me, but it got me thinking I could make my own muffins with a more subtle orange flavour. So I did. I'm adventurous like that.

I used store-bought orange juice and grated orange peel for flavour. I would tend to look for organic oranges, just because you are actually eating the peel. If you have the time, you could juice your own oranges too. But sometimes you just want a quick muffin.

While I enjoyed Christmas vacation for many reasons, not the least among them was the fact that I didn't have to make school lunches for the kids. It's not so much the act of making the lunches that bothers me, but the struggle to come up with healthy, portable snacks the kids will actually eat. (I know I'm not alone on this one!)

I always think a home-baked goodie is preferable to a store-bought treat whenever possible. And muffins are the ideal snack to pop into a lunchbox, whether it's for you or the kids. To increase the kid appeal, sometimes I like to go with miniature muffins.

Oh muffins, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

You are tasty, warm, healthy little treats that can be whipped up in a flash, making those miserable, cold mornings so much brighter. I have even been known to pop a batch of homemade muffins into the oven on a busy morning before dropping the kids off at daycare and heading to work. And I'm not an early riser by any means. Just mix the batter together in under 10 minutes and pop them into the oven while you take your shower. Your efforts will be so worth it come break time!

Now that I work from home, I confess I am often tempted away from my desk to make up a fresh batch of muffins for my mid-morning snack or an afternoon pick-me-up. Here are 6 of my favourite easy, vegan muffin recipes. I almost always use light spelt flour for my muffins, but you can certainly substitute other types of flour. Enjoy!

The kind people at Crofter’s Organic recently sent me samples of their strawberry and blueberry organic premium fruit spreads. 

Truth be told, I buy Crofter's jam all the time. I don't like nasty extra ingredients in my jam. Crofter's spreads are mostly made up of organic fruit. They are sweetened with Rainforest Alliance-certified organic cane sugar and contain one-third less sugar than standard jam. The strawberry is my absolute favourite, with chunks of tasty organic strawberries.

It's just week two of back-to-school for my kids, and I'm already running out of good ideas for healthy (to reasonably healthy) after-school snacks. The kids come home from school super hungry and don't want to wait even a second longer for something to munch on. If their snack isn't on the table when they get in, they start pulling random things from the fridge and the cupboards - and that probably won't turn out to be the most nourishing option. In fact, as soon as my son gets off the bus, he says, "What are we having for snack?"

Earlier this morning, I suggested that you spend a night at home this March evening, reigning as king or queen of your household in front of a late winter fire. Of course, you will also need to indulge in a cup of your hot beverage of choice. Mine's decaf green tea. And, with that hot beverage, you will need a little snack. I will, anyway.

After you finish all of your daily tasks—because, let’s face it, you probably don’t have household staff—and before you settle down with a book, whip up a batch of these bold tasting vegan berry muffins. These muffins are moist and flavourful with delicious bites of fresh, tasty and nutritious blueberries and raspberries. But you can substitute any berries (or even other fruit) that you wish.

My husband and I enjoyed seeing the whole gang, and, of course, eating Nonna’s food. We only told her we were coming a few hours before dinner time, so we offered to pick up some take-out. But, she would have none of that. I don’t know how she does it, but she had a whole big meal waiting for us. You can see in the pictures the ravioli and spaghetti that the others so enjoyed, the kamut penne that I had, and a dinner plate of: breaded and fried tofu, salad, cauliflower, asparagus and roasted potatoes. Nonna finished with a lovely fruit platter. We later had espresso or tea and a platter of chocolate chip bars that I made from a recipe in How it all Vegan.


On Tuesday, we had fun watching my son and his friends participate in a dribble, jump and shoot competition.


I also made Hannah’s delicious Coconut Vodka Sauce and served it on penne with sides of baked tofu and broccoli with garlic, olive oil and salt.


You know I had to have some sweets too! Besides making my favourite banana bread and some yummy berry oat bars, I also made these berry muffins from a recipe in Vegan Brunch.

When all of this eating occasionally upsets my tummy, I turn to my tea drawer. (It was once a tea chest, but the increased varieties necessitated a tea drawer.) For real tummy emergencies, my go-to brand is this Traditional Medicinals Eater’s Digest tea. It just works somehow.

Have a great weekend!

Linking up to: