These delicious Vegan Banana Muffins taste just like classic banana bread... but in portable, fun-sized form! They're tender, moist, naturally sweetened, and made with no refined oil. (Vegan, gluten-free, refined oil-free.)
These vegan banana muffins taste just like classic banana bread, but in convenient hand-held form! They have the most soft, tender texture and are packed with big banana flavor.
Even though they taste like the real deal, they're actually made with healthier ingredients. No eggs, dairy, gluten, refined sugar, or refined oil needed!
Best of all, the muffin shape makes them portioned and portable. So they're great for meal prep breakfast, grab-and-go snacks, lunchboxes, or a healthier dessert. Our family loves these and I hope you do too!
Ingredients For Vegan Banana Muffins
For this recipe, you'll need:
- Ripe bananas: You'll need 3 large very ripe or overripe bananas, which is about 1.5 heaping cups mashed banana. (Or use 4-5 smaller/medium bananas.) The riper they are, the more moist and sweet they'll be.
- Coconut sugar: I use this for a refined-free sweetener. But you can substitute your own favorite like cane sugar which is a little sweeter.
- Dairy-free milk: I use homemade cashew milk, but use any non-dairy milk you have on hand like soy milk, almond milk, etc.
- Almond butter: Just a couple tablespoons adds richness, tenderness, and moisture to the muffins.
- Vanilla extract
- Apple cider vinegar: We'll add a little acid to react with the baking soda and give rise to the muffins. (But don't worry, the sour vinegar flavor bakes off and you won't be able to taste it.)
- Ground flaxseed: This is also called flaxseed meal. We'll make a flax egg by stirring together a couple tablespoons flax with water. This is a great substitute for regular eggs and it acts as a binder and "glue" to hold everything together.
- Oat flour: Weigh the two flours with a kitchen scale if you can, because they can vary a lot by volume. (You'll find my precise gram measurements in the "metric" tab in the recipe card.) Also ensure your oat flour is certified gluten-free if needed.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour: Most of the time I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free all-purpose baking flour.
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder: Double-acting baking powder acts as a leavener and helps create the dome shape, making the muffins light and soft rather than dense and heavy.
- Baking soda: This is a second leavener that reacts with the vinegar and bananas.
- Salt: I use fine grain sea salt. This helps balance all the flavors.
Customizing
Sugar topping: If you like a bakery-style crunch & sparkle, add a tiny sprinkle of turbinado sugar on the muffin tops before baking. Then lightly press it in so it doesn't fall off.
Spices: Substitute the cinnamon with 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for a stronger, more fall-flavored essence.
Add nuts: I haven't tested this, but toasted walnuts or pecans could be a great addition. Just don't add too many otherwise your muffins may become crumbly. (Add about 2/3 cup.) Fold them into the batter at the very end so they don't sink. You can also lightly press some into the tops after scooping.
Add chocolate: Mini chocolate chips work best. (I use dairy-free & refined oil-free.) Again, add about 2/3 cup and fold them in at the very end after the batter rests. Or reserve some to press into the tops after scooping.
Serving
These muffins are best served at room temperature after cooling. Or you can gently warm them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds if you prefer.
Storing
Allow the muffins to cool completely after baking, otherwise the texture can become mushy and sticky. After fully cooled, store the muffins in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5 days. (Or you can transfer them to the fridge after 2 days on the counter to keep for another 3 days.)
Freezing: This recipe freezes well. Again, completely cool the muffins, and place them in a freezer bag or container and freeze. They keep for about 2 months. To thaw, I place them in the fridge overnight (not countertop).
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan breakfast recipes.
Vegan Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free!)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 3 large bananas, very ripe*
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
- 1/4 cup dairy-free milk
- 2 Tbsp. almond butter
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. ground flax + 1/3 cup warm water
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup oat flour (GF if needed)
- 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with parchment baking liners.
- Flax egg: Make a flax egg by stirring together the ground flax and 1/3 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5-8 minutes to thicken. I give it another stir halfway through. (If using cool water, it'll take about 15 minutes to gel.)
- Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Then add all other wet ingredients. Add the thickened flax egg. Whisk to combine.
- Dry ingredients: Add all dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain. (Try to avoid over-mixing; the batter should be thick and lumpy.) Set aside and let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. This allows the oat flour to absorb moisture which creates a softer, less-crumbly texture.
- Transfer: Portion the batter evenly throughout the lined cavities. (I use an ice cream scoop with thumb press for easy transferring.)
- Bake: Place in oven and bake for about 18-21 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbles).
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and cool for about 60-90 minutes. (This is an important step because they're soft & fragile when hot, but firm up as they cool. They also need to be completely cool before storing.)
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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