Vegan Anti-Aging Goji Berry Muffins

By Rachel Venokur-Clark, Green Options

Going Meatless on Mondays doesn’t have to mean deprivation of all your favorite foods. By making some simple changes to recipes, you can easily swap out the animal products for vegan options. Here is a simple veganized muffin recipe, so you can start your Meatless Monday off with delicious, healthy, energizing and decadent baked good.

Tibetan Goji Berries are regarded in Tibet as the “Fruit of Longevity and Well Being.” Goji berries have been traditionally regarded as a food that offers your body longevity, strength-building, and sexual potency. Gojis are a complete protein source and a low calorie snack that strengthens your immune system, increases energy and helps to curb cravings. It has one of the highest antioxidant contents in all food, which helps to fight free radicals, keeping you young and vibrant. Gojis contain 18 amino acids, vitamin C, beta-carotene, 20 rare trace minerals, vitamin B1, B2 and B6 and vitamin E.

In honor of this Meatless Monday, let’s boost our energy, keep ourselves looking and feeling young and chow down on some delicious vegan, anti-aging muffins.

Goji Orange Muffins

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 22 min
Yields: 12 muffins

1 3/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Sucanat or other natural dry sweetener
1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer (found at most health food stores)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 cup Almonds-chopped
1/3 cup Safflower Oil
1 cup Goji Berries
1 1/4 cup Soy, Almond or Rice Milk
Zest of 1/2 an Orange

1) Pre-heat oven to 375 and prepare muffin tins with liners.
2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sucanat, egg replacer, baking powder and salt.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and milk.
4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until barely combined.
5) Gently stir in the gojis, almonds and orange zest.
6) Divide batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins.
7) Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Green Options Media is a network of environmentally-focused blogs providing users with the information needed to make sustainable choices. Written by experienced professionals, Green Options Media’s blogs engage visitors with authoritative content, compelling discussions, and actionable advice. We invite anyone with questions, or simply curiosity, to add their voices to the community, and share their approaches to achieving abundance.

Read more: Food, Health, anti-aging, free radicals, goji berries, muffins, vegan

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jennifer C.

7:24PM PDT on Apr 9, 2011

I love Goji Berry! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

send a green star

Mervi R.

2:36PM PDT on Sep 7, 2010

Great, thanks!

11:55PM PST on Jan 9, 2010

Been loving goji berries in my morning cereal. We get them at our local asian market for about 1/4 the whole foods' price.
english breakfast tee

Marcla G.

2:57PM PDT on Oct 7, 2009

Like Kevin, I have planted goji berries also. Remember, we have relatives of them in the U.S. Research, research research. Me, I think gojis ROCK!!! BUT you do have to find the good ones, know the company you're buying them from. I've have the best and the worst. The best were maybe a dollar more than the worst. The main thing I'm saying here also is grow your own. If it provides you with seeds and is not cooked/irradiated, it will provide you with more food!!!! It's just that simple. And there is nothing more satisfying as enjoying something you have grown, both watching it grow, then provide you with nourishment, THEN more seeds to grow more! Wow, what a circle of life!

Gina M.

12:51PM PDT on Oct 7, 2009

Hi Jay..I too am from Michigan! Anyway, does anyone know what I can substitute for the egg-replacer in this recipe? Have tried Ener-G and find it gives baked goods a funny "off" taste. I'll also be substituting dried cherries or cranberries. Thanks! p.s. bought some blueberries yesterday and they were very bitter..must be end of season.

Genevieve H.

12:15AM PDT on Oct 7, 2009

If the photo that you posted is that of goji berries, we also have them in Japan, and they taste ..... so tart! They're quite awful!
I totally agree with Carol H., why buy exotic produce that have a large environmental footprint ? Is not this site about Saving the Planet and promoting eating and living habits that are more environmentally friendly ? Read Gandhi, he condemned the consumption of imported foods. Everything you consume should be produced locally.
To carry on living so mindlessly is a crime against future humanity, against all the children who will inherit this dump because you wanted to live your selfish, self indulgent American dream!

megan m.

1:31PM PDT on Oct 6, 2009

I've had goji berries before.... ick.
I'll stick to blueberry muffins :)

Kevin W.

9:30AM PDT on Oct 6, 2009

I am looking forward to making this recipe. By the way, I planted some goji berries in ericacious compost and some in ordinary compost - not sure that it makes a lot of difference but a single berry makes up to 20 plants. It might well be worth trying to grow them yourselves and see what happens.

Jennifer R.

9:22AM PDT on Oct 6, 2009

We have aronia berries where I live that are supposed to be very high in antioxidants. They are quite sour though.

Heidi L.

8:59AM PDT on Oct 6, 2009

I agree with Carol H. While I'm sure Goji berries are great-we like them on cereal, I doubt they are the perfect food as claimed. It's cranberry season here in the states-let's support our own super foods!!