Gluten-free Pantry Muffins - Blueberry and Chocolate Chip

I have had a box of Gluten-free Pantry Muffin and Scone mix for a long time now.  I don't know what I was waiting for, exactly.  Some moment of revelation when it would become clear to me that this was the time to make them?  Probably not.  Probably it just got hidden behind all of the other ingredients in my pantry.  Sad and forgotten on the back of the shelf.

But now it has its time to shine.  Instead of following the directions exactly as they were written, I substituted applesauce for some of the fat, used Pumpkin Spice soy milk instead of regular milk, upped the vanilla, and tossed blueberries into half the batter and chocolate chips into the other half.  Of course, this meant I had to sample one of each muffin when they came out of the oven, just to ensure the highest quality.  And highest quality they were - moist, but not too crumbly, and with a wonderful vanilla flavor that was perfectly complemented by the blueberries and chocolate chips.  I can absolutely recommend this mix - these muffins came together quickly and were completely delicious.  I have since been defrosting the ones that I froze, and they taste just as good as they did when they were fresh from the oven. 

Gluten-free Pantry Muffins Two Ways

1 package Gluten-free Pantry Muffin Mix
4 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
3 tbsp. applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup Silk Pumpkin Spice Soy Milk (or plain)
1/2 cup rice milk or Trader Joe's Whole Grain Drink
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla
1/2 - 1 cup blueberries (more if desired)
1/3 cup chocolate chips (more if desired)
Durkin Maple Cinnamon Spice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the Earth Balance buttery spread, applesauce, and the package of muffin mix.  Using a pasty mixer or a fork, cut the mix into the butter until a crumbly mixture forms.  Add the 2 eggs, the Pumpkin Spice soy milk, the rice milk, and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 - 4 minutes, or until all the lumps are gone.

If you want to make two different kinds of muffins, divide the dough in half.  Add the blueberries to one of the bowls, and the chocolate chips to the other. Pour the batter evenly into the muffin tins, filling them almost to the top (but don't overfill or they will spread too much onto the pan!).  Sprinkle the Durkin Maple Cinnamon Spice over the blueberry muffins.

Bake muffins for about 14 - 17 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and they are slightly browned on top.  Remove from oven and leave in the muffin pan for about 2 - 3 more minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Eat warm from the oven or wait until they are cooled.  Freeze the muffins you don't eat right away and defrost as needed.

Tip:  The blueberry muffins, when spread with maple butter or drizzled with a bit of maple syrup, taste exactly like a blueberry pancake!