maple walnut oatmeal muffins

i've been holding out on you with muffins.  maple walnut muffins to be exact.  i made them way back on saturday after my friend anne mentioned that she was busy making muffins for breakfast over at her place and i thought, yeah! i'll bake some muffins too!  {really and truly, that was my honest saturday morning enthusiasm in these here parts.}  there must have been something in the air, because my pal heather was also whipping up a batch!

anywho, back to my morning excitement.  being the good little canuck that i am i sought out to make maple walnut muffins.  i've been trying to go easy on the gluten lately, so for my gluten-free readers, you'll be happy to know that you need not adapt these to suit yourself - they're already good to go!

these muffins are probably my favourite kind of muffin - the muffin itself is not too sweet and full of hearty ingredients like oats, flax, walnuts & fortified almond milk, and then there's the top - a little crunchy on the exterior with a sweet, caramelized nut topping that can be gently popped off and savoured last. 

{saturday morning projects}

i dare say the muffin top is my favourite part.  for sure.  and, can i just say,  i love a little muffin top.  and no, i don't mean the one that pops out of my jeans {though i'm trying to embrace that one too as it doesn't seem to be going anywhere...}  but really, this muffin top rocked my socks off.  it took every ounce of willpower not to rip all of the tops off and hide them for myself.  they're just so good with their tempting, sweet candied maple walnuts just calling me...

{maple walnut oatmeal muffins}

maple walnut oatmeal muffins gf, vegan 
makes 12 muffins
1 cup gluten-free flour blend {i used bob's red mill}
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats {not quick oats}
1 cup almond milk {or any non-dairy milk}
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 flax egg {1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp hot water + 5 minutes to soak}
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or sunflower oil
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped 

for the topping
1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 tbsp maple syrup

preheat oven to 375f.  in a large bowl, mix up the dry ingredients except for the oats and set aside.  in another bowl, mix together the almond milk and vinegar to curdle.  to the milk add the oats, prepared flax egg, sugar, oil and extracts.  mix well.  add the wet bowl to the dry and mix gently to combine before folding in the walnuts.  scoop into paper-lined muffin tins.

prepare the topping by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.  divide the topping among the uncooked muffins, about a teaspoon on top of each.  bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  allow them to cool in the tin for at least 5 minutes before carefully removing them to cool fully on a cooling rack.

{nice muffin top}

these muffins will make you friends.

my favourite way to eat them?  from the bottom up, eh. 

{eh}

save that muffin top for last.