Vegan Banana Muffins

If you’ve got overripe bananas sitting on your counter, these vegan banana muffins are the perfect way to use the fruit. The muffins bake up soft, fluffy and full of natural fruit flavor, with no dairy or eggs required.

With simple ingredients and a quick prep time, this recipe for vegan banana muffins is sure to earn a permanent spot in your muffin recipe collection. Customize them with a handful of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried cranberries or other mix-ins you love, and enjoy them for breakfast, a wholesome snack or a freezer-friendly anytime treat.

Ingredients for Vegan Banana Muffins

• Flour: We use regular all-purpose flour to give the muffins structure while still keeping them soft. Be sure to measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off—scooping flour directly from the bag can pack it down, resulting in dense muffins.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar adds sweetness and helps create a tender crumb. You can swap in light brown sugar for a caramel-like flavor, but it’ll make the muffins a bit moister and heavier.
• Baking soda: This leavening agent helps your muffins rise so they’re tall and fluffy. Ensure it’s fresh—expired baking soda won’t give you the lift you need.
• Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
• Bananas: Ripe and even overripe bananas are perfect for baking, adding natural sweetness, moisture and the signature banana flavor. The more speckled your bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
• Oil: Vegetable oil keeps the muffins extra moist and tender, while also keeping the recipe dairy-free. Other neutral cooking oils, like avocado and canola, work if that’s what you have. You can also use melted coconut oil, but it’ll add a tropical flavor and aroma.
• Vanilla: A splash of vanilla rounds out the flavors and adds a warm, floral-like aroma. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Optional add-ins: Customize your muffins with semisweet chocolate chips for extra sweetness or chopped walnuts for crunch. Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips to keep the banana muffin recipe vegan.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the batter

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the oil and vanilla extract to the bananas and mix until well-combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. If desired, fold in chocolate chips or chopped walnuts.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t overmix the batter—stirring too much develops the flour’s gluten and can make the muffins dense. Mix until the dry ingredients disappear; a few small lumps are OK.

Step 2: Fill the muffin pan

Grease a muffin pan with vegan cooking spray or line the cups with paper liners. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about halfway.

Step 3: Bake

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Variations

• Change the mix-ins: Chocolate chips and walnuts are classic, but dried cranberries, raisins, pecans and shredded coconut are tasty twists. You could even fold a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter for banana blueberry muffins.
• Add peanut butter: Turn this recipe into peanut butter banana muffins by stirring 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter into the wet ingredients for a nutty flavor.
• Spice them up: Sprinkle a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground nutmeg or cardamom into the dry ingredients to add a warm, cozy flavor.
• Please chocolate lovers: Stir 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the dry ingredients and fold in dairy-free chocolate chips for vegan double chocolate banana muffins.

How to Store Vegan Banana Muffins

Once completely cooled, store the vegan banana muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep on the counter or in a pantry for up to three days. You can refrigerate them to make them last longer (up to five days), but chilling can dry out baked goods faster.

Can you freeze vegan banana muffins?

Yes! These vegan banana muffins freeze well and stay fresh in the freezer for up to two months. After cooling, arrange the muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. When it’s muffin time, thaw one or the whole batch at room temperature or pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up.

Vegan Banana Muffin Tips

Can I use frozen bananas for this recipe for vegan banana muffins?

Yes! Frozen bananas will work perfectly in these muffins and other baked goods. Thaw them first, then drain off any liquid before mashing them and preparing the batter.

How do you get bananas to ripen quickly?

If your peels aren’t quite spotty enough for baking, you can quickly ripen bananas by placing them, peel and all, into a 250° oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They’ll soften and sweeten up perfectly for flavorful muffins. For even faster ripening, microwave bananas in 30-second increments until they’re soft enough to mash.

Can I make a banana muffin vegan and gluten-free?

Yes, you can easily make this recipe for vegan banana muffins gluten-free. Simply replace the all-purpose flour  1:1 with your favorite gluten-free baking blend. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but double-checking that any mix-ins are also gluten-free is always a good idea.

Why did my banana muffins turn out dense?

Dense muffins usually come down to two things. The most common reason is overmixing the batter. Stirring too much develops the gluten in flour, leading to tough, heavy baked goods. To prevent this, mix the wet and dry ingredients until the flour disappears—a few lumps are A-OK!

If you were careful not to overmix, your baking soda could be to blame. If it’s old or expired, it won’t give your muffins the lift they need for a light, fluffy texture. Before baking, do the baking soda test to check that it’s active.