Old-Fashioned Bramble Muffins

Course: Afternoon tea, Dessert, picnic, Snack

Cuisine: British, Scottish

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: muffins

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Jacq

Our Old-Fashioned Bramble Muffins are prepared with Scottish brambles otherwise known as wee wild blackberries. But you can also use ordinary blackberries. Our sweet muffins are egg-free and dairy-free so they are great for vegans, plant-based diets, egg allergies, dairy allergies, as well as for those who just love budget-friendly old-fashioned homely bakes.

Additionally, we provide details for two muffin variation recipes - Vegan Blueberry Muffins and Vegan Mixed Berry Crumble Muffins which have the most delicious crunchy Cinnamon Crumble Topping.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

12 cup muffin tray [our tray measured 14 x 11 inch, and each muffin cup measured 1½ inch deep and 3 inch wide]
muffin baking cases
sieve
Mixing bowl
Measuring jug

Ingredients

450 grams self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
200 grams soft brown sugar [light brown sugar]
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80 mililitres vegetable oil [such as rapeseed, sunflower, or a light olive oil]
60 grams apple sauce [smooth or fine diced apple sauce or apple puree - jarred apple sauce is fine]
330 mililitres soya milk [or your usual milk]
200 grams brambles [small blackberries] [fresh or frozen, can also use blackberries]

Optional, for the topping

4 tablespoons demerara sugar [or any crunchy type of sugar, or sugar pearls or nibs]

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 Fan, 200C, 392 Fahrenheit, Gas 6.
Pop a muffin case into each muffin cup.
Add the milk, apple sauce, vanilla, and oil to a jug and stir together.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 80 mililitres vegetable oil, 60 grams apple sauce, 330 mililitres soya milk
Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
450 grams self raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
Add the salt, cinnamon, and sugar to the flour, and stir.
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 200 grams soft brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until everything is just combined. Its important not to use an electric mixer as the muffin mix only needs a short mix.
Keep a few of the brambles back to add to the muffin tops before they bake and stir the rest of the brambles into the muffin mixture carefully to avoid too much juices leaking.
200 grams brambles [small blackberries]
Divide the muffin mixture between the muffin cases. It will look like a lot of mixture but just divide it out.
Scatter a few brambles over each muffin and sprinkle each muffin with one teaspoon of the demerara sugar.
4 tablespoons demerara sugar
Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 18-20 minutes. For fan ovens check at the 17-18 minute mark as these types of ovens tend to bake faster.
Muffins are ready when they are well risen, firm, and a skewer popped in the middle comes out clean apart from any fruit juice.
Allow to cool in the muffin tray for just a few minutes before removing the muffins to a cooling rack.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients can vary.
If you would like to re-crisp your muffins crunchy sugar top then the best way is to pop them into a warm oven [about 150 Fan, 170 C, 338 Fahrenheit, Gas 3] for about 5-10 minutes and then once removed the sugar will crisp up as it cools slightly.
If you'd like to see photos of our two recipe variations then do have a look at the recipe variation sections that can be found under the how to prepare section. Just scroll back up from this recipe.
Recipe variation - Vegan Blueberry Muffins
For blueberry muffins switch out the brambles for blueberries, either fresh or frozen, and instead of vanilla add the zest of 1 small lemon. Of course if preferred you can also add the vanilla.
Recipe variation - Vegan Mixed Berry Muffins with a Crumble Topping:
For these muffins switch out the brambles for mixed berries -either fresh or frozen [we used a frozen mixed berries which contained blackberries, raspberries, red currants and black currants]. These muffins can be baked with a crumble topping. We made a few changes with these muffins - we switched out the apple sauce for 3 tablespoons of seedless raspberry fruit jam [Co-op (UK) own brand of jam. But you can still use apple sauce if you prefer.
Crumble topping recipe [prepare this before you start the muffins]:
Melt 3 tablespoons [45 grams]of margarine or vegan butter. Place 4 ¾ tablespoons [65 grams] of demerara sugar [or dark brown sugar], 6 tablespoons [50 grams] of plain [all-purpose flour], and ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon to a mixing bowl.
Stir, then pour in the melted margarine and mix well.
Use a cutlery knife to slice up the crumble into smaller pieces but it doesn't need to be very small.
Once mixed the crumble may look a little wet but as it sits it will dry out more. Once the muffin mixture is in the muffin cases, top the muffins with a few extra berries that you can hold back from the main mix, and then crumble the mixture over the muffins.
Bake as per the main recipe but increase the baking times to 23 minutes before checking for doneness. If using a fan oven check at 20 minutes. Cool in the muffin tray for just a few minutes.
These mixed berry muffins have large homely muffin tops! As they are so deliciously rustic! So to remove from the muffin tray use a knife to gently loosen the edges and then carefully pull the muffin up by the muffin top before supporting the base of the muffin, and it should come out easily. If necessary to crisp up the crumble topping you can pop them in a warm-hot oven for 5-10 minutes, but our crumble topping still had crunchy bits on day 3 and 4.
For lots of useful and helpful recipe notes, FAQs, and photos of our recipe variations, do check out those sections above this recipe card.

Nutrition