Chocolate Chai Muffins with Cinnamon-Sugar Pecan Topping

Best treat to wake up to.

That coffee cake muffin from Cincinnati's Coffee Emporium is still on my mind. Yes. It was dry. But not so bad, especially that crunchy cinnamon delight sprinkling the top. 
I wanted to make pretty tasty muffins for a quick reheated grab and go. Plus a present for old friends of mine. This recipe is modeled a bit from one of my favorite bloggers Kathy Patalsky of the sweet Healthy Happy Life Blog. She created scrumptious Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins. Here instead of espresso, Tazo's alluring Chocolate Chai takes its place.

When having no coffee, steeped tea can be all one needs.

This is amazingly wicked tea. Aromatic symphonies playing between cocoa peels and traditional chai ingredients drives me a bit insane before taking first seductive sip. Rich, brilliant flavor combining my two favorite winter beverages is a gift that never stops giving. Until both mug and pot are empty.
The tea provides liquid replenishment to muffin batter. Once puffed, super risen treats escape oven, topped with delicious cinnamon-sugar pecan topping any bad thoughts start fading. Kitchen smells like sweet escapism. Excited teeth sink into crunchy and moist texture.

Chocolate Chai Muffins with Cinnamon-Sugar Pecan Topping Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup olive oil (coconut oil or applesauce would be great too)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup brewed Tazo Chocolate Chai
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup pecans, crushed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a twelve cup muffin tin.
Mix crushed pecans, sugar, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
Make Tazo Chocolate Chai according to directions. Let steep and warm to room temperature.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.
Add olive oil, vanilla, and chai to dry mixture. Apple cider vinegar gets stirred in last.
Pour into pan.

Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon-sugar pecan topping onto each muffin. Bake for 12 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 and back for 6-8 minutes more.

It was all too easy to scoop these out of the pans. No big deal. Whew!

Delicious close up.

Try to keep serving size at 2.

Glazed Banana Orange Walnut Muffins

The only fats are the walnuts which provide satisfying crunch to a delicious fruit fulfilling treat.

I still am coping with extreme guilt. A few weeks ago was a good friend's birthday. I made orange banana muffins with Valencia orange zest that turned out awful. The chunks may have been too large. Maybe I acquired a bad orange. Extremely bitter tasting zest ruined flavor of the entire muffin. Plus, I forgot the walnuts! Ugh. Such a mess. I wound up bringing sliced strawberries. Although washed and hand sliced, strawberries lacked "from the heart" sentiment.
Thus, I went back to the drawing board and naturally recreated muffins without fresh grated orange zest. Located in the spice aisle, McCormick's makes this great Valencia Orange Peel that comes out in tiny granules. It doesn't overwhelm moist, blissful muffins and strangely enough far sweeter without atrocious bitter taste.
Sweet, irresistible muffins are then topped with a simple coconut milk and orange juice glaze. Banana and walnuts provide all the oils needed. I think my friend will adore these so much more than original failed idea. Recipe makes 12 muffins. It's hard to eat just one.

Introducing something refreshing and vegan every Wednesday!

Now this post is participating in Virtual Vegan Potluck's new weekly link party as a dessert entry. I found out about this weeks ago, but just decided today to join the fun. Are you a 100% vegan, cruelty free blogger wanting to participate in sharing a recipe in one of eight courses? Well, find out all the exciting details here by vegan lady blog hostesses: An Unrefined Vegan, Bunny Kitchen, and Canned Time.

Glazed Banana Orange Walnut Muffins Ingredients and Preparation

1 large banana, ripened
1/2 cup Tropicana No Pulp Orange Juice
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon McCormick's Valencia Orange Peel
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup walnuts

Orange Coconut Glaze

1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/8 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix banana, orange juice, and vanilla almond milk together. (I got it all smooth in a blender).
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, McCormick's Valencia Orange Peel, cinnamon and salt.
Add wet to dry, stirring evenly.
Lastly, add apple cider vinegar and walnuts. Stir again.
Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into muffin tin.
Bake for 23-25 minutes. Fork should be clean if done.
Let cool.

Pour glaze over cooled muffins.

Sprinkle extra McCormick's Valencia Orange Peel atop.

Yummy goodness. May be hard to stop at just one.

Perfect with strawberries and a cold glass of almond milk.

Sharing is caring- makes belly happy that's for sure! However, humor aside, cannot wait to see what my friend thinks most of all.

Vegan Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Delicious, not too sweet banana oatmeal muffins are to die for!

Once upon a time, in a kitchen far, far away, two little once yellow green bananas sitting on the counter turning browner and browner, stared at a vegan maker dancing hardcore to The Smiths, wondering if she would stop and bake them into something wonderful and tasty.
Yes.
It's not just in my imagination.
Sometimes the food really speaks.
So I obliged the fruit by quitting horrible jiving that would never get me on "So You Think You Can Dance" and instead focused my creative talents on baking yummy addictive muffins worth sharing!

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ripened bananas at room temperature
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (used Almond Breeze brand)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoon cocoa (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin with baking cups.
Mix all dry ingredients separately.
Cream vanilla, bananas, and almond milk in a blender.
Combine wet with the dry.
Add remaining ingredients.
Pour into cups and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cool.
Eat.
Share!

I love these polka dot baking cups! Running quite low on them.

These are super duper moist & rich muffins.

Meant to be enjoyed with almond milk & chick flicks.

Spicy, sultry banana vixens in a muffin cup!
All the taste buds reveal is banana at its creamy finest blended with the best of seasonings, a reminder of the warm autumn breeze as each soft, tender bite of moist, decadent muffin is savored slowly. Gotta love that chewy texture of oats and coconut combined with the crunch of walnuts, and that hearty cinnamon flavor.
Great for an on the go breakfast!
If you want a little spread on top, might I suggest almond butter or a bit of fruit jam?
Though, I highly recommend it strictly naked with a side of dairy free milk! Yummmy!!! :)
Since there were many leftover sweet treats to spare and overcome with a rather joyous disposition after having my desired fill, I placed extra muffins in my trusty "spread the love" wicker basket and handed them out to friends, always happy to bring that unexpected vegan celebration to someone's stomach.
As always, the feedback was positively uplifting!

Chocolate Banana Walnut Muffins

A beautiful treat made especially for a friend.

"If I could make you anything special, what would you like?" I asked a very good friend of mine- the one with the July 11th birthday would revealed last visit that he doesn't really eat blueberries. *sobs*
"I like bananas and walnuts," he replied. "Can you do a banana walnut bread or muffin?"
Since I replied a solid "yes" to his question, not even sure if I actually could whip up such a thing, knew I had to make this into an extra scrumptious dessert catered to his liking.
He's not one for sugary overload (like me!) so I kept this recipe light and simple.

Chocolate Banana Walnut Muffins Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (used buckwheat)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ripened bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Blend all dry ingredients together & a separate bowl combine mashed bananas, apple sauce, & vanilla.

Combine wet to the dry & then add vinegar & water.

Last but certainly not least- walnuts!

Fill up baking cups with awesomeness.

20-23 minutes later- voila- chocolate banana walnut muffins! Don't you just love these vintage inspired polka dot baking cups? Got them from Michael's for $2!

Topped one with blueberries & a lucky frozen strawberry.

It was over much too quickly.

Very, very delicious!!!
Moist, delicately balanced, and slightly crunchy from walnut bits, this light chocolate flavored banana muffin is not that overpoweringly kind of sugary that makes the teeth/gums tingle.
In fact, it's just terrific.
Also tastes so very fibrous if there's a such thing. 

Basket is packed for spreading some cheer. Hope he likes them!