Whole Wheat Gingerbread Flax Muffins (Vegan)

My gingerbread cupcakes with a caramel glaze and gingerbread cheesecake should confirm that fact that I love gingerbread.  It's true---I love gingerbread.  Unfortunately, gingerbread-type recipes seem to be reserved for only Christmas time, which is an absolute shame.  Making gingerbread-inspired recipes NOT during Christmas  is a choice that only you, the chef, can make.  I decided to make Isa Moskowitz's gingerbread flax muffins with some slight variations.  I used 100% whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour, blackstrap molasses instead of light molasses, and mashed banana instead of applesauce.  I also eliminated the recommended sugar and salt.  I think gingerbread is more of a savory experience than a sweet one; this is why I let blackstrap molasses be the only sweetener.  That's about all I changed.  Isa did a wonderful job creating this recipe, so feel free to view her original version.

Here is my recipe:

WHOLE WHEAT GINGERBREAD FLAX MUFFINS (VEGAN)

Yield= 6-8 Muffins, depending on how generously you fill your muffin tins.

WET INGREDIENTS
-1/3 cup soymilk
-1 teaspoon vinegar
-2 Tablespoons ground flax
-1 medium banana, mashed
-1/4 cup canola oil (or an additional mashed banana)
-1/3 cup blackstrap molasses

DRY INGREDIENTS
-1 1/4 cups 100% whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur Flour)
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 Tablespoon ground ginger
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 F, and line a muffin tin with paper liners.  I always use a non-stick silicon muffin tin, so I avoid this step.

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a smaller separate bowl, whisk together soymilk, ground flax, and vinegar until thick and curdlely.  Add oil, mashed banana, and blackstrap molasses to the wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once, mixing until just combined.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (about 22 minutes).

Cool muffins slightly in muffin tins, and transfer to a coooling rack when cool enough to handle.

These muffins can be frozen and eaten at a later date.  That's what I did!