No matter how many times I remind people of the adage, “Read the entire recipe before you start it,” sometimes I forget to follow my own advice. That was the case with the original version of this recipe, which is from a wonderful vegetarian cookbook called Super Natural Every Day. A dear friend gifted it to me at a dinner party, and I frequently reference it for new ideas. For some reason, I remembered the Millet Muffins recipe being vegan, but once I started making it, I realized it’s not even remotely vegan. So I started substituting. And running out of things. And adding more substitutions. Surprisingly, the end result turned out to be delicious, so I thought I’d share it for any vegans who want a convenient snack that’s perfect for taking on early morning mountain adventures.

Recipe for Vegan Millet & Seed Muffins 
Makes 18 muffins

(Heavily adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson)

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup raw millet
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
2 tablespoons flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (approx. 1 large banana)
1/2 cup applesauce
3 teaspoons Ener-G (egg replacer)
4 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup lightly melted Earth Balance (butter replacer)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup brown sugar
Grated zest from 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cupcake tin with coconut oil or use liners. Whisk together flour, millet, flax seeds, chia seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix together banana, applesauce, Earth Balance, brown sugar, agave nectar, lemon zest and lemon juice. In a smaller bowl, thoroughly whisk together the Ener-G egg replacer and water, then add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is just incorporated. Divide the batter among the cupcake cups, filling just a little bit below the rim. Bake for 15 minutes, until the muffin tops are browned and just starting to crack. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then flip over the tin to remove muffins. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Best enjoyed on a hiking trail with a view.