Preheat the oven to 180ºC and grease a muffin tray.
Mix the soy milk and vinegar in a medium bowl, and set aside to curdle.
In a large bowl, add the flour, ground flaxseed, cocoa powder, bicarb, salt, spices and oats and mix well.
Add the canola oil, blackstrap molasses and sugar to the curdled soy milk, and mix to combine.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and mix until combined (don't overmix).
Stir in the chopped dates (optional).
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffins tin, filling each cup ti about ¾ full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before removing the muffins from the tin.