Vegan Coconut Date Walnut Muffins

On Friday night after work, I made muffins. Of course my cats were involved, since I plainly prefer my baking ventures to be as unsanitary as possible.

Buntin, our black and orange tortie, really seems to relish the hustle and bustle of baking–and seeing what she can get away with amid the hurly-burly. She likes sneaking into cupboards when I open them. She also enjoys sneaking into drawers. On Friday night she tunneled into a drawer in the Hoosier cabinet and proceeded to bathe herself among my cookbooks.

Carl, meanwhile, was convinced I was mixing up some cat-food muffins, so he was running around the kitchen making very demanding eye contact and “yelling.” He got up on the counter to press his point. He was sure I was holding out on him.

Despite all the goings-on, my muffins turned out really good–sweet and moist and satisfying. Here’s the recipe, minus the accidental two cups of cat fur.

Vegan Coconut Date Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping:

2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with papers.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, almond milk, canola oil, and vinegar. Mix well. Add the flour mixture, stirring until the ingredients are just blended. Fold in the coconut, dates, and walnuts.

Fill the muffin tin and bake about 20 minutes until the muffins are lightly browned on top.

Once the muffins have cooled, dip the tops in melted butter, then dip them in sugar.