The name of these muffins was created by my daughter as they are perfect as a dessert, snack or even breakfast item for Christmas! These Merry muffins taste just as rich as Christmas cake and are so moist but without the calories from alcohol, dairy, eggs and refined sugar.
The spices do mature with time, so they taste much better a few hours after baking. I like serving these with plant-based custard (see a recipe for this in my pineapple upside down cake recipe)
If you are nut free then substitute the almond flour for more oat flour, they will just be a bit more sense.
This makes approximately 12-14 cupcakes.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (e.g., almond, soy, or oat milk)
1/4 cup maple syrup or date paste (adjust for sweetness)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
Mince Pie Mix:
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped dried figs or dates
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Method
Instructions
Prepare the Mince Pie Mix
In a small bowl, combine raisins, chopped dried figs, apricots, orange juice, and spices.
Let it soak for 10-15 minutes to soften and infuse flavours.
Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350F) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or use a silicone muffin tray.
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine oat flour (or rolled oats), almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix well.
Prepare the Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together applesauce, plant milk, maple syrup or date paste, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add the Mince Pie Mix
Drain any excess orange juice from the soaked dried fruits and fold them gently into the batter.
Scoop and Bake
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Fill each cup about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool and Serve
Let the muffins cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutritional information: Each muffins contains 138 calories, 3.6 grams of fat (0.5 grams of saturated fat), 21.4 grams of carbohydrates and 3.7 grams of protein.