Rich, fluffy vegan banana muffins that taste like bakery perfection! These dairy-free treats combine ripe bananas with simple pantry ingredients to create the most tender, flavorful muffins you’ve ever made. These vegan banana muffins are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or whenever you crave something sweet and satisfying.
Recipe Info
SERVES: 4 | PREP: 15 MIN | COOK: 22 MIN | TOTAL: 37 MIN
Ingredients for Perfect Vegan Banana Muffins
Dry Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 1½ cups |
| Baking powder | 1½ teaspoons |
| Baking soda | ½ teaspoon |
| Salt | ¼ teaspoon |
| Cinnamon | ½ teaspoon |
Wet Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ripe bananas, mashed | 3 medium |
| Unsweetened applesauce | ¼ cup |
| Maple syrup | ⅓ cup |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Non-dairy milk | ⅓ cup |
Optional Add-ins
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chopped walnuts | ¼ cup |
| Mini chocolate chips | 3 tablespoons |
Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions for Vegan Banana Muffins
Phase 1: Getting Your Kitchen Ready (5-7 minutes)
1. Heat Your Oven Properly Turn your oven dial to 375°F (190°C). Place the oven rack in the center position – this ensures even heat circulation around your muffins. Most ovens take 10-15 minutes to fully preheat, so do this first.
Why this matters: Starting with a properly heated oven gives your vegan banana muffins the immediate heat boost they need to rise properly.
2. Prepare Your Muffin Pan Take a standard 12-cup muffin tin and place paper liners in 8 cups (you’ll only need 8 for this recipe). If you don’t have liners, generously grease 8 cups with coconut oil or cooking spray, making sure to coat the bottom and sides completely.
Beginner tip: Paper liners make removal easier, but greasing works too. Avoid butter – it’s not vegan!
3. Set Up Your Workspace Clear a clean workspace near your oven. Get out two mixing bowls – one large (for wet ingredients) and one medium (for dry ingredients). Having everything ready prevents scrambling later.
Phase 2: Preparing Your Bananas (3-4 minutes)
4. Choose the Right Bananas Look for bananas with brown spots covering at least 50% of the peel. They should feel soft when you gently squeeze them. If your bananas are still yellow, they’re not sweet enough yet.
What to look for: The peel should have brown speckles, and the banana should yield to gentle pressure without being mushy.
5. Mash Your Bananas Properly Peel the 3 bananas and place them in your large mixing bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash them until you have a chunky paste. Some small lumps are perfect – they’ll create pockets of banana flavor in your finished muffins.
Texture guide: Aim for mostly smooth with pea-sized chunks remaining. Over-mashed bananas can make your muffins gummy.
Phase 3: Mixing Dry Ingredients (4-5 minutes)
6. Measure Flour Correctly Using a dry measuring cup, spoon flour into the cup without packing it down. Level off the top with a knife edge. Packed flour will make your muffins dense and heavy.
Measuring tip: Never scoop flour directly from the bag – this packs it and gives you too much flour.
7. Combine All Dry Ingredients In your medium bowl, add the measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a whisk or fork, stir everything together for about 30 seconds until evenly mixed.
Why this step matters: Pre-mixing dry ingredients ensures even distribution and prevents pockets of baking soda or salt in your finished muffins.
8. Check Your Baking Powder If your baking powder is older than 6 months, test it by adding ½ teaspoon to ¼ cup hot water. It should bubble vigorously. No bubbles means it’s dead and won’t help your muffins rise.
Phase 4: Creating the Wet Mixture (5-6 minutes)
9. Add Wet Ingredients to Bananas To your bowl of mashed bananas, add the applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. The applesauce replaces eggs and adds moisture, while maple syrup provides sweetness.
Ingredient roles: Each wet ingredient has a job – applesauce binds, maple syrup sweetens, vanilla adds flavor, and non-dairy milk creates the right consistency.
10. Mix Wet Ingredients Thoroughly Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the wet ingredients together until completely combined. The mixture should look smooth and consistent with no streaks of applesauce or maple syrup visible.
Visual cue: The mixture should be light brown and creamy, with no unmixed ingredients visible.
11. Let the Mixture Rest Allow your wet ingredient mixture to sit for 2-3 minutes. This resting time lets the ingredients meld together and helps create better texture in your final muffins.
Phase 5: Combining Wet and Dry (Critical Phase – 3-4 minutes)
12. Create a Well in Dry Ingredients Using your spoon, make a shallow crater in the center of your dry ingredient mixture. This well helps you mix more evenly and prevents flour from flying everywhere.
13. Pour Wet into Dry Ingredients Pour all of your wet banana mixture into the well you created in the dry ingredients. Don’t worry about being neat – just get it all in there.
14. Mix with Extreme Care Here’s the most important step for tender muffins: Using a wooden spoon or large spoon, gently fold the ingredients together. Start from the bottom of the bowl and fold over the top, rotating the bowl as you go.
Mixing technique: Think “folding laundry” rather than “stirring soup.” Gentle, deliberate motions work best.
15. Stop Mixing at the Right Time Mix only until you can barely see streaks of flour. The batter should look lumpy and rough – this is perfect! Count your stirs: 12-15 gentle folds maximum.
What good batter looks like: Lumpy, slightly rough, with maybe a few tiny flour streaks visible. It should NOT be smooth.
16. Add Optional Ingredients If using nuts or chocolate chips, sprinkle them over the batter and fold in with just 2-3 more gentle strokes. Don’t overmix trying to distribute them perfectly.
Phase 6: Filling and Baking Your Vegan Banana Muffins (25-30 minutes)
17. Fill Muffin Cups Evenly Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, divide the batter among your 8 prepared muffin cups. Fill each cup about ¾ full – this prevents overflow while ensuring nice, domed tops.
Portion guide: Each cup should get about 3-4 tablespoons of batter. They should look evenly filled but not overflowing.
18. Level Your Muffin Pan Gently tap the filled muffin pan on your counter 2-3 times. This settles the batter and removes air bubbles that could create holes in your muffins.
19. Get the Oven Timing Right Place your muffin pan on the center rack of your preheated oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes – you’ll check them then, but they might need 2 more minutes.
Oven positioning: Center rack ensures even heat from top and bottom. Too high and tops burn; too low and bottoms get soggy.
20. Test for Doneness Properly At the 20-minute mark, insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If you see wet batter, bake for 2 more minutes and test again.
Visual cues: Tops should be golden brown and spring back lightly when touched. They should smell fragrant and banana-y.
21. Check Multiple Muffins Test 2-3 different muffins with toothpicks, especially if your oven has hot spots. Some might be done while others need more time.
Phase 7: Cooling Your Vegan Banana Muffins (15 minutes)
22. Initial Cooling in Pan Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a heat-safe surface. Let the muffins cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes. This allows the structure to set without becoming soggy.
Why this timing matters: Less than 5 minutes and they’ll fall apart; more than 10 minutes and they’ll stick to the pan.
23. Transfer to Cooling Rack After 5 minutes, gently turn out each muffin onto a wire cooling rack. If they stick slightly, let them cool 2 more minutes in the pan.
Cooling technique: Turn the pan upside down and tap gently, or use a butter knife to loosen edges if needed.
24. Final Cooling Let your vegan banana muffins cool on the rack for at least 10 more minutes before eating. They’ll be very hot inside and need time to set their final texture.
Temperature guide: They’re ready when you can hold one comfortably in your hand without burning yourself.
Chef’s Notes for Better Vegan Banana Muffins
• Banana ripeness is everything – Use bananas with brown spots for maximum sweetness and easier mashing. Under-ripe bananas won’t provide enough moisture for these vegan banana muffins.
• Measure flour correctly – Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level off. Packed flour creates dense, heavy muffins that won’t rise properly.
• Room temperature ingredients work better – Take non-dairy milk out 30 minutes before baking for smoother mixing and better texture.
• Test doneness carefully – Vegan baked goods can look done on top while still wet inside. The toothpick test is essential for perfect vegan banana muffins.
Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 185
- Protein: 4g
- Carbs: 38g
- Fat: 3g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 16g
Delicious Vegan Banana Muffin Variations
Blueberry Banana Muffins
Add ½ cup fresh blueberries to the batter in step 16. Toss berries in 1 tablespoon flour first to prevent sinking. For more berry inspiration, try these vegan blueberry muffins too!
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Fold in ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips for extra indulgence. Use dark chocolate chips for richer flavor that complements the banana perfectly.
Banana Nut Muffins
Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and healthy fats. Toast nuts first for deeper flavor that enhances these vegan banana muffins.
Spiced Banana Muffins
Increase cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and add ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and pinch of cloves for warm spice notes.
Storage & Reheating Your Vegan Banana Muffins
Room Temperature Storage
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking and maintain their fluffy texture.
Freezer Storage
Wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Label with the date and “vegan banana muffins” for easy identification.
Reheating Tips
Microwave for 15-20 seconds to restore softness. For crispy tops, warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting Guide for Vegan Banana Muffins
Dense, Heavy Muffins
Cause: Overmixed batter or too much flour Solution: Mix just until ingredients are combined – lumpy batter creates the best vegan banana muffins
Dry, Crumbly Texture
Cause: Overbaked or bananas weren’t ripe enough Solution: Check doneness 2 minutes earlier next time; use very ripe bananas with brown spots
Flat, Not Rising
Cause: Old baking powder or oven temperature too low Solution: Test baking powder freshness; verify oven temperature with thermometer
Sticking to Liners
Cause: Not cooled completely or low-quality liners Solution: Cool completely before removing; invest in parchment liners for best results
Uneven Baking
Cause: Oven hot spots or uneven batter distribution Solution: Rotate pan halfway through baking; use ice cream scoop for even portions
Equipment Essentials for Making Vegan Banana Muffins
• Large mixing bowl – For mashing bananas and wet ingredients • Medium bowl – For dry ingredient mixing • Standard muffin tin – 12-cup capacity • Paper liners or cooking spray • Measuring cups and spoons • Wire cooling rack • Wooden spoon or spatula – Prevents overmixing • Ice cream scoop – For even batter distribution (optional)
Shopping List for Vegan Banana Muffins
Produce Section
- 3 ripe bananas (with brown spots)
Baking Aisle
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Maple syrup
Refrigerated Section
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Non-dairy milk (almond, oat, or soy)
Optional Additions
- Walnuts or pecans
- Mini chocolate chips
Success Secrets for Perfect Vegan Banana Muffins
1. Banana Selection is Key – Choose bananas that are very ripe with brown spots covering at least half the peel. They should yield easily to gentle pressure and smell sweet.
2. Don’t Overmix the Batter – Stir wet and dry ingredients together with just 12-15 gentle folds. Lumpy batter creates the most tender vegan banana muffins.
3. Fill Muffin Cups Correctly – Use ¾ full as your guide. Too little creates flat muffins; too much causes overflow and uneven baking.
4. Test for Doneness Early – Start checking at 20 minutes. These vegan banana muffins can go from perfect to overbaked quickly since they contain no eggs.
5. Cool Before Removing – Let muffins rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes before transferring. This prevents breaking and allows the structure to set properly.
These vegan banana muffins prove that plant-based baking can be just as delicious as traditional recipes. The combination of ripe bananas and simple ingredients creates muffins that are moist, flavorful, and satisfying for everyone at your table. Perfect alongside these vegan biscuits for a complete breakfast spread that will impress both vegans and non-vegans alike!
