Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- PREP 10min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 30min
Here’s my family’s favorite vegan blueberry muffin recipe. They turn out just as delicious as traditional blueberry muffins but are made without eggs and dairy. The easiest egg replacer for this recipe is a flax egg made with flaxseed meal (ground flax seeds) and water (the method is provided below). Alternatively, you can use aquafaba. If you’d like to use aquafaba instead of the flax egg, see our tips below the recipe.
You Will Need
1 tablespoon (7g) ground flaxseed meal to make 1 flax egg
2/3 cup (160ml) unsweetened soy milk or other non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) neutral oil like avocado oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cups fresh or frozen blueberries, about 6 ounces
Directions
1Make the flax egg: Stir 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Place in the refrigerator and let it set for 15 minutes.
2Prepare the oven and the muffin tin: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
3Make a non-dairy buttermilk substitute: Combine soy milk (or plant-based milk) with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, then set aside for a few minutes. The mixture will curdle and thicken slightly and is essentially a vegan buttermilk.
4Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until well blended.
5Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, oil, non-dairy buttermilk mixture, vanilla, and the flax egg.
6Make the muffin batter: Use a large rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in three parts, stirring gently until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the blueberries.
7Divide the batter between muffin cups, and then divide the remaining 1/4 cup of blueberries between each muffin cup by gently pressing each blueberry into the top of the batter.
8Bake the muffins: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Place the cooled muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Flax egg vs. aquafaba for vegan muffins: When making this recipe, choose to use either a flax egg or aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas). Both options make some seriously delicious muffins. There isn’t a significant difference in the final baked muffin, but while a flax egg is the easiest, I’m inclined to give aquafaba the edge since it helps brown and dome the tops nicely. With that said, we’ve made this recipe with both options more times than I can count, and each time, the muffins were devoured!
- Substitute aquafaba for the flax egg: To make the muffins using aquafaba, lightly shake a can of chickpeas and then open it. Drain the beans and reserve the liquid. Measure 3 tablespoons of the liquid and place into a small bowl. Whisk the chickpea liquid (also known as aquafaba) until it becomes very frothy. Add the whisked aquafaba to the wet ingredients instead of the flax egg.
- Batter thickness: The batter should be thick and “scoopable” — not runny and not dry or extra thick like dough. If the batter is too runny, add flour, a tablespoon at a time until correct consistency. If the batter is dry or too thick, add milk, a tablespoon at a time until the proper consistency.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Calculations assume a flax egg.