As vegans, most of us are passionate about our decision to live vegan lives. After some thought about how to encourage others to eat vegan food even now and then, muffins seemed an easy introduction. In the past, I’ve taken muffins into my husband’s work once in a while. But I’m shifting up my game. I’m making a once-a-month effort to take a batch of muffins to unsuspecting places. For example, my library and yoga studio are on my target list. It’s an easy thing to do, and something I’m hoping you might want to join. To make it even easier, Celine and I have started a new blog all about the project. We’re lucky to have the support and encouragement of our positive-thinking like-minded friends over at Vegans On the Move.

Here’s a recipe to get you started, but be sure to check out the Vegan Muffins on the Move blog.

Cinnacrunch Muffins
Makes 1 dozen

Cinnamon lovers, this one is for you. The delicious crunch is baked right inside the muffins, not just on top. To make your next batch easier, make a double or triple batch of the crunch mixture. It stores well for up to two weeks if kept airtight.

Crunch:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons vegan margarine

Muffins:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground nutmeg

Crunch: Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter (or your fingers), crumble in the margarine until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack for 2 hours, then break the crumb mixture apart so you have slightly larger than pea-sized crumbles. Set aside.

Muffins: Lightly oil a muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, applesauce, soy milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Add 1 1/4 cups of the crunch mixture. Stir gently to combine, but don’t overmix. Transfer the batter to the muffin tin, filling the cups to almost full. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining crunch mixture onto each muffin.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to finish cooling.

(recipe from American Vegan Kitchen, published by Vegan Heritage Press, 2010, copyright Tamasin Noyes)