Quick and Easy Vegan Banana Muffins

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 muffins

Banana muffins are an ideal use of overripe bananas and are great breakfast bites, snacks, and even desserts. Easy to make, with simple ingredients, these moist vegan banana muffins are also a nice base for fruit, nuts, and even chocolate chips. Mix and match your favorite add-ons to make your own version using our recipe as a template. Eat these muffins warm with vegan butter and fruit for breakfast, with nut butter for a protein-packed snack, or with a scoop of vegan ice cream for a simple and delicious dessert.

Vegan baking yields equally flavorful items, without milk, butter, or eggs, and a few simple tricks can help you convert any traditional baked good into a delicious vegan version. These muffins are no exceptions, and they don't even require egg replacer. This simple recipe is great for kitchen newbies, as it comes together in one bowl and it's easy to bake, with very little cleanup.

If you're craving a vegan muffin and don't have ripe bananas, simply bake the unpeeled bananas at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bananas are completely blackened. Let them cool, scoop the banana from the peel, and mash.

Vegan banana muffins topped with chopped walnuts

The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

"These vegan banana muffins came out soft and fluffy, and the prep for this recipe was a breeze. I used 3 large bananas and added the walnuts. I also topped them with some demerara sugar. They were absolutely delicious!" —Diana Rattray

Vegan Banana Muffins Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 very ripe medium bananas

  • 1/4 cup oil, or softened vegan margarine

  • 1 cup organic granulated sugar

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

  • 2 tablespoons demerara sugar, or any organic sugar, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for vegan banana muffins recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin either with liners or by lightly greasing. In a large bowl, mash 3 bananas with a fork until soft.

    Mashed bananas in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Add the oil or vegan margarine and sugar. Mix until creamy.

    Oil and sugar added to mashed bananas in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda until well mixed. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, stirring gently just to combine. Don't overmix. The batter will be thick. If the batter is too dry and not malleable, mash the remaining banana and mix it in.

    Flour mixture added to the banana mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  5. If using walnuts, gently fold them in. Alternatively, you can sprinkle them on top of each muffin before baking.

    Chopped walnuts added to banana batter in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Carefully spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each well about 2/3 full. If desired, sprinkle the organic sugar on top just before baking.

    Banana batter filled into muffin tin lined with paper inserts

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin. Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy while still warm. Cool entirely for longer storage. Enjoy.

    Golden brown baked vegan banana muffin in muffin tins

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

Aren't All Sugars Vegan?

Although assuming all sugar is vegan is a common mistake, the fact is that regular white processed sugar contains animal products. Bone char is used to help the sugar achieve its pristine white color, but it's also used in processing brown sugar. Chances are if the white sugar you buy uses bone char, the brown sugar of the same brand also contains it.


Although many countries have already regulated this product's use in the sugar industry, it is still very common to find it in the sugars processed in the U.S. To be safe, always choose organic sugar—the organic label ensures it wasn't processed with bone char. If you're not sure of the ingredients, purchase unrefined sugar or beet sugar to keep in line with vegan dietary guidelines.

How to Store and Freeze Vegan Banana Muffins

While most baked goods are at their best when fresh, here are a few tips for safe storage of these tasty muffins:

  • Store at room temperature in a covered container for two to three days.
  • If not consuming right away, place the muffins in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before eating to soften the texture.
  • If freezing, separate the muffins with waxed or parchment paper in a covered container and freeze for up to six months. Thaw them at room temperature, covered, or wrap them in foil and heat in a 375 F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. For a quick defrost, microwave in 30- to 40-second spans until soft.

Add-Ons and Substitutions

This easy recipe is a great base to add other ingredients to and make different flavors of vegan muffins:

  • Use 1 cup of vegan semisweet chocolate chips or carob chips instead of the walnuts, or a mixture of both.
  • Add other nuts like cashews or almonds instead of the walnuts.
  • Swap up to half of the flour with white whole-wheat flour.
  • Use pepitas or sunflower seeds if baking for someone with tree-nut allergies.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest for a fragrant touch. Alternatively, add a few pinches of cinnamon or a little vanilla extract.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder for a delicious coffee flavor. Decorate with chocolate-covered coffee beans.
  • Add 1 cup of coconut flakes and use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil to enhance the coconut flavor.
  • Add 1 cup of fresh blueberries to make a banana-blueberry breakfast muffin. You can also add 1/2 cup of your favorite granola to add extra crunch.
  • Replace the oil for the same amount of apple sauce for an oil-free version.
  • Use gluten-free flour in a 1:1 ratio to make gluten-free muffins.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
217 Calories
5g Fat
42g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 217
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 132mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 163mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)