Banana muffins make a wonderful breakfast or a great snack! They are one of the first things my grandma taught me to bake and I have loved them ever since! She always put ginger in her banana muffins and banana bread, and they just don’t taste right to me without it. It’s not a strong flavor in the muffins, but it really adds to the depth of the banana flavor so don’t leave it out! Here are the ingredients you will need:
My banana bread recipe makes too much batter muffins, so I scaled it down a bit. You can use this muffin recipe for six jumbo muffins, 12 regular muffins, or 36 mini muffins. You can also use this recipe to make banana bread in an 8″ x 4″ or 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan. However, you will want to use my full-size banana bread recipe for a 9″ x 4″ or 9″ x 5″ pan.
If you are gluten free, you will need to either use Freely Vegan GF Flour or make your own DIY gluten free flour with The Plant Based Egg. Using the right egg replacement (and not using flour that contains xanthan or guar gum) is essential if you want muffins with the perfect texture! The Plant Based Egg replaces both gums and eggs in gluten free baking. Please note that The Plant Based Egg is already built into Freely Vegan GF Flour, so you do not need to add any!
If you are not gluten free, you can use regular all-purpose wheat flour and add The Plant Based Egg as directed in the recipe. I do not recommend using any other egg replacer as you will not get the same perfect results! (Other egg replacers bind, but they do not also leaven, provide structure, and emulsify like real eggs as this one does.)
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine the flour (see recipe notes below!), baking powder, baking soda, and ginger in a medium-sized mixing bowl. (If you are using wheat flour, you will also add The Plant Based Egg now as well.) Set this bowl aside for now.
Use fresh bananas that are very ripe with brown skins. At the very least, they should be very spotted. I do not like using frozen and defrosted bananas as they change the texture of the muffins. Mash your peeled bananas with a fork until only small bits remain. If you weighed your bananas, you can go on to the next step now. If you didn’t weigh them, you will need to measure your mashed banana first and discard any extra or add more as needed to get to 1 1/3 cups of mashed banana. I highly recommend using a scale!
Add the plant milk (I use Silk Original Soymilk or another high protein plant milk), vanilla, and vinegar. Stir to combine, then set this bowl aside as well.
Combine the vegan sugar, vegan brown sugar, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread), and salt in a large mixing bowl:
Cream on high speed for two to three minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy:
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of the banana mixture and mix it in on medium-low speed:
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix it in:
Add half of the remaining banana mixture, then mix it in:
Add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix it in:
Add the rest of the banana mixture and mix again:
Add the rest of the flour mixture, and mix it in:
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then let your finished batter stand for ten minutes:
Stir in the chopped walnuts. (Stir down the batter even if you are not adding nuts):
Line your muffin tin(s) with paper liners. Divide the batter equally into 12 regular, six jumbo, or 36 mini muffin cups.
Sprinkle additional chopped nuts on top of each muffin if desired, then lightly press them into the batter.
For regular-sized muffins, bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 14 to 16 minutes until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed.
Place the pan on a rack to cool for a few minutes before removing the muffins to the rack to finish cooling. Let your muffins cool completely, or serve them slightly warm.
For jumbo muffins, bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 22 to 26 minutes until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed.
For mini muffins, bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 10 to 13 minutes until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed.
To make a loaf of banana bread in an 8″ x 4″ or 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan, use this recipe through making the batter, then follow the directions on my banana bread recipe.
Enjoy!
Vegan (& Gluten Free) Banana Muffins!
These delicious vegan banana muffins have wonderful flavor and a perfect texture! Make them with regular all-purpose flour or gluten free flour depending on your dietary needs.
Ingredients
- 220 g (1 3/4 c) Gluten Free Flour Blend or All-Purpose Flour (See recipe notes below!)
- 9.6 g (4 tsp) The Plant Based Egg (ONLY add if using wheat flour!)
- 7.5 g (1 1/2 tsp) Baking Powder
- 2.5 g (1/2 tsp) Baking Soda
- 0.6 g (3/8 tsp) Ground Ginger
- 320 g (1 1/3 c) Mashed Ripe Banana
- 80 g (1/3 c) Plant Milk (I use Silk Original Soymilk)
- 7.5 g (1 1/2 tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 5.0 g (1 tsp) Distilled Vinegar
- 75 g (1/3 c) Vegan Butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
- 75 g (3/8 c) Vegan Sugar
- 75 g (1/3 c packed) Vegan Light Brown Sugar
- 3.2 g (1/2 tsp) Salt
- 45 g (3/8 c) Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ginger in a medium-sized mixing bowl. (If you are using wheat flour, you will also add The Plant Based Egg now as well.) Set this bowl aside for now.
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Use fresh bananas that are very ripe with brown skins. At the very least, they should be very spotted. I do not like using frozen and defrosted bananas as they change the texture of the muffins. Mash your peeled bananas with a fork until only small bits remain. If you weighed your bananas, you can go on to the next step now. If you didn’t weigh them, you will need to measure your mashed banana first and discard any extra or add more as needed to get to 1 1/3 cups of mashed banana. I highly recommend using a scale!
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Add the plant milk (I use Silk Original Soymilk), vanilla, and vinegar to the mashed banana. Stir to combine, then set this bowl aside as well.
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Combine the vegan sugar, vegan brown sugar, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread), and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cream on high speed for two to three minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of the banana mixture and mix it in on medium-low speed.
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Now alternate adding and mixing in the dry and wet ingredients as you would with any recipe using the creaming method. (Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix it in. Add half of the remaining banana mixture, then mix it in. Add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix it in. Add the rest of the banana mixture and mix again. Add the rest of the flour mixture, and mix it in.)
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then let your finished batter stand for ten minutes. Line your muffin tin(s) with paper liners while you wait.
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Stir in the chopped walnuts. (Stir your batter to release the built-up air bubbles even if you are not adding nuts. This sounds counter-intuitive, but stir it anyway! You do not want any rise just yet, and the finished texture will be much nicer by stirring now.
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Divide the batter equally into 12 regular, six jumbo, or 36 mini muffin cups. Sprinkle additional chopped nuts on top of each muffin if desired, then lightly press them into the batter.
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For regular-sized muffins, bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 14 to 16 minutes until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed.
For jumbo muffins, bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 22 to 26 minutes until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed.
For mini muffins, bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 10 to 13 minutes until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when lightly pressed.
For all muffin sizes, keep the oven door shut until you need to check for doneness. You do not need to rotate the pan and opening the door lets too much heat out of the oven.
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When your muffins are done, place the pan on a rack to cool for a few minutes before removing the muffins to the rack to finish cooling. Let your muffins cool completely, or serve them slightly warm.
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The muffins freeze and defrost beautifully, so freeze any muffins that you won't eat by the next day. To defrost, place three mini muffins or one regular or jumbo muffin upside down in the microwave. Heat on 50% power for 45 to 90 seconds (less for mini and more for jumbo), then turn the muffin right side up and heat on 50% power for another 30 to 60 seconds until the muffin is defrosted and warm all the way through.
Recipe Notes
- To make this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, use the same amount of flour and add the equivalent of two eggs (9.6 g which is 4 level teaspoons) of The Plant Based Egg to the flour. Whisk together with the other dry ingredients. That is the only adjustment you need to make. (The liquid amount in this recipe has already been increased, so do not add extra as The Plant Based Egg package directions say to do. Those directions are only for recipes that include eggs and you are replacing them and veganizing the recipe with The Plant Based Egg.)
- If you are gluten free, you will need to either use Freely Vegan GF Flour or make your own DIY gluten free flour with The Plant Based Egg. Using the right egg replacement (and not using flour that contains xanthan or guar gum) is essential if you want muffins with the perfect texture! The Plant Based Egg replaces both gums and eggs in gluten free baking. Please note that The Plant Based Egg is already built into Freely Vegan GF Flour, so you do not need to add any!
- You can use this muffin recipe for six jumbo muffins, 12 regular muffins, or 36 mini muffins. To make a loaf of banana bread in an 8″ x 4″ or 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan, use this recipe and follow the steps through making the batter, then follow the baking directions on my banana bread recipe. Use my full-size banana bread recipe for a 9″ x 4″ or 9″ x 5″ pan.