Trader Joe's Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I have already, on many occasions, sung the praises of Trader Joe’s grocery stores. Aside from being incredibly affordable, they have the greatest selection of prepared foods I have ever seen. They somehow manage to make food quick and delicious, never sacrificing flavor for efficiency. Another gift particular to the vegan community, they publish a frequently updated list of all their vegan products on their website, and many of their items have a V* symbol on the outside of the package to denote its vegan status. Considering how much time I’ve spent over the last 10 months wading through often indecipherable ingredient lists, and wondering if dextrose is vegan, this is an inestimable treasure.

While I have been enjoying Trader Joe’s products for years, I have discovered a new fun food activity with Trader Joe’s baking mixes. As with most baking mixes, these products call for milk, butter, and eggs. However, the mix itself contains no animal products, and lends itself very well to substitution. My current favorite is the Cinnamon Crumb coffee cake. I substituted 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water, blended until frothy, for the egg, non-dairy versions of the butter and milk, and added 1 cup of frozen blueberries because blueberry coffee cake is my personal favorites. Just follow the instructions on the box, and voilá! An easy, quick and delicious breakfast you can always have in your pantry!