Easy Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins

These vegan blueberry banana muffins are tender, light, fluffy, and bursting with juicy blueberries yet 100% egg and dairy-free. They come together with just one bowl, 7 ingredients, and can be made with regular or whole wheat flour – perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!

Fluffy and Light Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins

It’s hard to believe that it was over a year ago that we all seemed to collectively decide that banana bread was ‘the thing’ to bake while we were all stuck indoors (hasn’t time flown!). Soon after, quick breads turned to muffins, and we’re still obsessed with whipping up a batch of these fluffy vegan blueberry muffins whenever we have the chance (they’re also in our cookbook Plant-Based on a Budget!)

With the combination of banana puree, oil, and an abundance of bursting blueberries, these easy vegan blueberry muffins are super moist and fluffy. Plus, with tons of ways to adapt the recipe (like blueberry walnut muffins, lemon blueberry banana muffins, etc.), you may struggle to eat just one!

Luckily, with a simple muffin recipe that requires just one bowl, 7 inexpensive pantry staples (including regular, whole wheat, or even gluten-free flour and an unrefined sugar option), and that freezes wonderfully… Well, we’re in full support of making a double (or even triple) batch! You can even adapt the recipe to baby blueberry muffins or a loaf!

These easy vegan blueberry muffins are also adult and child-approved and can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a mid-afternoon snack, or even for dessert! And if you’re looking for even more vegan blueberry treats, you might enjoy this blueberry breakfast bread, banana blueberry pancakes, or easy blueberry pancakes!

The Ingredients

• Flour: You can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour (white or regular), or a 50/50 combination of the two (which will provide the extra health benefits but without affecting the flavor/density as much). Spelt flour may also work.
• Sugar: Use regular white sugar or an unrefined option like coconut sugar or date sugar (the color of the muffins will vary). You can also slightly reduce the amount of sugar used.

We haven’t tried this blueberry banana bread muffins recipe with a sugar alternative like erythritol as it may impact the texture of the bake. However, if you try, let us know the results in the comments below.

• Leavening agents: These vegan blueberry muffins rely on baking powder and baking soda to provide the correct lift and texture.
• Salt: Just a pinch will enhance the flavors in these blueberry and banana muffins.
• Oil: Use a neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil.
• Banana: Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots or bruises for the best flavor.
• Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw first).

Optional add-ins & Recipe Variations

These vegan blueberry banana muffins are actually surprisingly versatile. Here are just a few ways you can experiment with the recipe.

• Vanilla extract: For slight extra flavor, add a teaspoon of natural vanilla extract.
• Other berries: Use the same amount but swap out the blueberries for raspberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries, etc.
• Citrus: Add the zest of an orange or lemon for a wonderful extra fragrance to the vegan blueberry muffins. Orange or lemon blueberry banana muffins are actually one of our faves!
• Orange/ Lemon glaze: For a sweeter treat, feel free to add a simple orange or lemon glaze to the vegan blueberry banana muffins.
• Sugar crust: Use a sprinkling of coarse sugar (demerara or turbinado) over the blueberry and banana muffins before baking.
• Coconut: Add 2-3 tbsp of unsweetened coconut flakes for texture and subtle flavor.
• Vegan chocolate: Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks. Use sugar-free vegan chocolate, if preferred. I recommend adding around ¼ cup for a light sprinkling of plant-based chocolate or 1/3 cup for slightly more.
• Nuts: Add a ¼-1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or almonds.
• Zucchini: Use around ¼-1/3 cup of shredded and well-drained (squeeze by-hand or through a nut milk bag) zucchini to hide extra nutrients for healthy blueberry banana muffins.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon blueberry muffins taste surprisingly delicious. Add a large pinch.
• Flax meal: Add 1-2 tbsp of ground flax meal for extra fiber and nutrients to these eggless banana blueberry muffins.
• Banana–free: You could experiment with using unsweetened applesauce instead.

How to Make Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins?

1) First, preheat the oven to 350F/175C and lightly grease a muffin tin (or alternatively, lightly grease some paper liners).

2) Then, add the bananas to a large bowl and mash them using a fork.

3) Add the sugar, oil, leavening agents, salt, and flour to the mashed bananas. Gently stir until well combined. However, be careful not to overwork the flour, as it can lead to dense vegan banana blueberry muffins.

4) Next, carefully fold the blueberries into the batter and divide the batter between the muffin pan cups. Make sure to fill each cup to the top.

5) Bake for 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine, but no wet batter). Then, allow the blueberry and banana muffins to sit in the pan for at least 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool further. Then, enjoy!

How to Store?

You can prepare the muffin batter a day in advance, minus the leavening agents and blueberries. Store covered in the refrigerator. Remove the bowl from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and fold in the berries and baking powder/soda and then bake as usual.

Once baked, store the vegan blueberry banana muffins loosely covered on the countertop for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

You could also freeze them for up to 3 months. We recommend freezing them on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to a Ziplock/Stasher bag. You can leave a muffin to thaw in the refrigerator, on the counter, or even pop straight in the microwave from frozen (for 30-40 seconds).

How to Serve?

These vegan blueberry banana muffins can be enjoyed alone or with one of several sides (at room temperature or warm), including:

• A dollop of dairy free yogurt and either nuts or granola for breakfast.
• Enjoy warm with a drizzle of your favorite nut/seed butter.
• Toast/warm the muffin and enjoy with a scoop of ice cream.
• Toast with vegan butter. Slice the muffin in half, spread a little butter (or oil) over the cut sides, and then crisp up in a non-stick skillet until slightly crispy and ‘buttery’.
• Enjoy a vegan banana blueberry muffin for breakfast along with a healthy smoothie – like this citrus mango smoothie, kale pineapple smoothie, cherry banana smoothie, etc.

These decadent and healthy blueberry banana muffins also make for a great addition to a brunch spread, including pancakes, waffles, granola, yogurt, fruit, and more!

FAQs

Can I make gluten-free blueberry and banana muffins?

You may be able to experiment with using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s). However, we haven’t tried, so can’t guarantee results.

We don’t recommend using coconut four or almond flour, though, as they’d very likely require further recipe tweaking (the first is extremely absorbent, and the second has lots of natural fats, so they require different ratios of ingredients). However, if you do try – let us know any further adjustments you made to the recipe in the comments below.

Can I make them into a blueberry banana loaf?

While we haven’t tried, it should work. Use a greased small loaf tin and adjust the baking time. Check on it at 30 minutes and every few minutes after, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool before removing it from the loaf tin. Alternatively, check out our recipe for this simple blueberry banana bread!

Can I substitute the oil in the recipe?

While we haven’t experimented with creating an oil-free version yet, you may be able to experiment by reducing the oil to half and using either unsweetened applesauce or vegan Greek yogurt instead. You could also refer to this oil-free banana muffins recipe and add blueberries!

If you give it a try, let us know how it worked out for you in the comments below!

Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar?

Using a liquid sweetener in these dairy-free blueberry muffins could throw off the balance of wet and dry ingredients. If you want to experiment with using a liquid sweetener, we recommend slightly reducing the oil amount.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• To speed up banana ripening: If your bananas aren’t quite at the level to make these vegan blueberry banana muffins, you can speed the process along. Place them in a bag with ethylene-producing fruits like apples, pears, or peaches. Within a day or two, they should be ready to go! Alternatively, place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350F/176C or until the skin is completely blackened.
• Test your leavening agents are active: Otherwise, you may end up with flat, unrisen bakes. First, check the BBE date. If it’s close to the date, you can further test them. For baking powder, combine a small amount with warm water. For baking soda, combine it with vinegar. They should fizz immediately on contact with the liquid.
• To make mini/‘baby blueberry muffins’: Test that they’re baked after 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Don’t overmix the batter: If you overwork the gluten in the flour, it can lead to dense banana muffins.
• Use fresh or frozen blueberries: If using the latter, use them from frozen for the best results. Otherwise, they can become too tender and burst, turning the batter purple.
• Blueberry distribution: You can optionally keep a handful of the blueberries to push into the top of each muffin before baking.

More Vegan Muffin and Quick Bread Recipes

• Pineapple walnut muffins
• Peach blueberry muffins
• Carrot cake muffins
• Simple banana muffins
• Vegan peach bread
• Zucchini bread
• Vegan apple cinnamon bread

Photos by Alfonso Revilla