Basic Recipe for Vegan Muffins

By
Pete Scherer
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Pete Scherer
Pete Scherer is a cook and baker with a decade of experience across many facets of the Southern California food scene.
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Updated on 12/10/21
Basic Recipe for Vegan Muffins

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 muffins
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
8g Fat
38g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 163mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 189mg 4%
*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.)

Once you start getting into the habit of muffins, you won't want to stop. As the seasons change, there are so many different flavors to try. This recipe provides a sturdy canvas for your various muffin creations, and it just happens to be vegan. These muffins are flavorful, without compromising on the moist, tender texture and mildly sweet deliciousness that makes a muffin such a versatile treat.

They’re made with three different grains (if you use the oat milk) and sweetened with only the natural sugars in applesauce and maple syrup. Flaxseed is a common way to replace egg in vegan baking recipes, and adds its own wholesome nutty essence. The coconut oil keeps the texture soft and delicate. These muffins are very enjoyable just as they are, and they can also be dressed up with spices, fruits, nuts, chocolate—just about anything that inspires.

This recipe is very quick and easy to prepare. There’s no need for a mixer; only a muffin pan and a couple of mixing bowls. Be sure to give the flax egg time to hydrate.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal

  • 3 tablespoons boiling water

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup oat milk, or other nondairy milk

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

  • 1/2 cup white spelt flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • Vegan butter, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Heat oven to 350 F.

    Basic Recipe for Vegan Muffins ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Prepare 6 cups of a muffin pan with pan-release spray or muffin liners.

    muffin pan with muffin liners

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Put the ground flaxseed in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Stir to combine and leave to soften while mixing the other ingredients.

    Put the ground flaxseed in a small bowl and add the boiling water

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Place the applesauce, maple syrup, oat milk, coconut oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl.

    Place the applesauce, maple syrup, oat milk, coconut oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat and spelt flours, salt, and baking soda.

    whisk together the whole wheat and spelt flours, salt, and baking soda

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Whisk the hydrated flax mixture into the applesauce mixture until well combined.

    Whisk the hydrated flax mixture into the applesauce mixture

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Add the applesauce mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a spoon until just combined.

    Add the applesauce mixture to the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Portion the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

    Portion the batter into the prepared muffin pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  9. Transfer the muffins from the pan to a cooling rack. Serve while warm with vegan butter, or cool completely and store in a sealed container for up to three days.

    Basic Vegan Muffins with vegan butter

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

How to Store Vegan Muffins

Muffins are best served fresh on the day that they are made. Store muffins at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 to 3 days. After that, they'll start to dry out.


Freeze in zip-close bags for up to 2 months. Defrost the muffins as needed either in a low oven (325 F) for 15 minutes or so, or thaw overnight in the fridge briefly reheat in the microwave.


Muffins that are stale after a couple of days are especially good split in half, toasted in a hot cast iron pan, and slathered with butter or honey.

Recipe Variations

These muffins can be jazzed up in so many ways. Try folding one of these additions into the batter before portioning it into the muffin cups. If adding fruit, line the tins with muffin liners.

  • Fresh fruit such as blueberries, diced apple, or banana
  • Vegan chocolate chips
  • Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are great; so is pumpkin pie spice.
  • Dried cranberries, raisins, blueberries, or coconut flakes
  • Lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, toasted walnuts, or chopped almonds