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Simple, flavourful, and perfectly baked, these vegan banana bread muffins are everything you love about banana bread but in portable muffin form! You can mix in your favourites, such as nuts or chocolate chips, or keep them plain if you prefer.
They're full of homemade, nostalgic banana flavour, plus, they’re egg-free, dairy-free, and I've included gluten-free options for those who need them.
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If you have a few overripe bananas and you’re about to throw them out, STOP! There’s no good reason to toss bananas that have passed their prime because there are so many simple, delicious vegan banana recipes you can turn them into.
This recipe for easy vegan banana bread muffins is one of my go-tos whenever I’ve got ripe bananas sitting around. I’ll bake a batch, and my family happily snacks on them through the week. And if I have more bananas than I need for one batch, I’ll just double the recipe and freeze half for later (they freeze really well!).
These easy vegan muffins are like little banana breads baked into individual portions. They’re packed with banana flavour, lightly spiced, and wonderfully soft and fluffy. They come together fast with simple ingredients and are great to enjoy with breakfast, as a snack, or on the go.
Now let’s turn those overripe bananas into a batch of cozy banana muffins!
Grab These Ingredients
Notes on Ingredients and Options
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - You'll need all-purpose white flour for this recipe.
For vegan gluten-free banana bread muffins: Instead of changing this recipe, check out my vegan gluten-free banana muffins or my vegan banana oat muffins (that recipe has a gluten-free option). Both are just as tasty and satisfying as this one!
Brown Sugar - I use brown sugar, but I've tested with coconut sugar and the results were just as good. See the recipe notes for more details.
Puréed Bananas - I like to purée the bananas with a stick blender (any type of blender will work!) so they're perfectly smooth and no chunks remain, but if you prefer, you can mash them with a fork or a potato masher. Use bananas that are soft, very ripe, and have lots of brown spots or are fully brown. They aren't appealing to eat as-is, but they'll bring lots of flavour to your muffins.
Banana Tip
Avoid any bananas that are leaking or showing signs of mould, and skip the ones that are still green or tough to peel since they’re not ripe enough. Using underripe bananas will give you muffins that turn out dry and without that soft texture or natural banana flavour that makes them so good.
Add-Ins - Every time I make these muffins, I make them differently, it all depends on what add-ins I have on hand or which one I'm in the mood for. For the muffins you see in the pictures, I used chopped walnuts, but I often make them plain, with chocolate chips, or raisins. Chopped pecans or chopped dates can also be used.
Oil - Vegan banana bread muffins with oil stay extra soft and moist thanks to the fat in the recipe. I like to use safflower or sunflower oil, but any neutral-tasting oil will work with the bananas to give your muffins a tender texture.
And in case you're wondering, yes, bananas are used as an oil replacement in some recipes, but in my testing, I found that using a small amount of oil in this particular recipe, along with the bananas, was ideal and gave the best texture.
How They Come Together
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Combine the two, stir, then mix your add-in into the batter.
Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
Recipe Tip
Scooping even amounts ensures all muffins are the same size and that they finish baking at the same time.
Continue scooping until all muffin cups have been filled, and then bake!
Once the baking time has ended, remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
After a few minutes, carefully lift the muffins out of the pan and set them on a cooling rack. Have them warm or once they’ve fully cooled. Now you have 12 scrumptious muffins to enjoy and share.
See? No reason to ever throw those overripe bananas out!
If you’re in the mood for something to sip alongside, try them with any of these hot homemade vegan drinks.
Quick Tips to Get Them Right
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a scale and my weight measurements (see the "suggested equipment" section in the recipe card). Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly.
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. If they aren't, your muffins will end up dense, flat, and gummy.
- Don't overmix the batter. This will make the muffins tough and dense instead of soft and fluffy.
- Take extra care not to over-bake your muffins, or they'll be dry and crumbly.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared my tips gathered during testing so you get everything right. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
When You Try This Recipe...
I’d love to hear how your vegan banana muffins turned out! Share your thoughts with a comment and rating below, and/or post a photo of your muffins on Instagram and tag me so I can see it. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Soft and Moist Vegan Banana Bread Muffins
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups (219g) all-purpose white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (245g) puréed bananas
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (80ml) oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (90g) chopped walnuts (optional, see note below)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Add muffin liners to your muffin pan or generously grease the inside of each cup with oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the puréed bananas, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract together.
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined, don't over-mix.
- Fold in the walnuts (or other add-in, if using).
- Using a spoon or a large scoop, evenly divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean. Carefully remove the pan from the oven.
- Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes, then remove and place them on a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the info above and below before making this recipe.
- Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar. Use ½ cup (75g).
- Use your favourite add-in, such as walnuts, like I used here, raisins, chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or sunflower seeds. You can also make them without any add-in.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. After three days, place container in the refrigerator for another 2-3 days.
- To freeze, once they've cooled completely, store them in a container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to two months. Thaw them at room temperature.
- The nutrition info listed below is based on one muffin with walnuts. Nutrition info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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