Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, No-Sugar Vegan Banana-Date Walnut Muffins

1.Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together the wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and salt until evenly combined.

3.In a separate medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until smooth.

4.Add the vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil), flax egg (prepared by mixing ground flaxseed with water and letting it sit for 5 minutes), vanilla extract, and unsweetened plant-based yogurt (or unsweetened plant-based milk) to the mashed bananas. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

5.Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold them together using a spatula until just combined; do not overmix to keep the muffins tender.

6.Fold in the chopped dates and toasted walnuts evenly throughout the batter.

7.Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full to allow room for rising.

8.Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.

9.Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

10.Serve warm or at room temperature. These vegan muffins are delicious on their own or spread with a little vegan butter or plant-based cream cheese.