These Vegan Banana Muffins Help Me Live My Best Life—Let Me Explain

Let me paint a picture. It’s 11 p.m. My apartment is filled with candlelight and the sound of Harry Styles’ voice. I’m dancing in front of my oven, waiting for the vegan banana muffins that I decided to bake at 10:30 p.m. Because it’s a Friday night during the era of social distancing. Standing over the counter with a fresh banana muffin in my hand, I realize I made the right decision. I’m living my best life.

That was three years ago now. While the spring of 2020 completely overhauled my social life, I won’t lie: I’m still singing and dancing my heart out in the kitchen on many Friday nights. Because one of the beautiful things about quarantine is that I started falling in love with my own company. And these vegan banana muffins, of course.

How These Vegan Banana Muffins Came to Be

Now that we’re strolling down memory lane, I’ll remind you: everyone was making banana bread. There was a full and unapologetic embrace of 2020’s homemaker vibes. We were cultivating sourdough starters and learning to (properly) brew coffee. Folks were starting gardens and working their way through their TBR lists. We were all leaning into the meditative state that comes with using your hands and connecting to life off-screen. And during that time, I found that there was no greater opportunity for self-care than making the most of my kitchen counter’s overripe bananas.

And yes, I’m still happily baking up these treats in 2023. They’re that good, that easy, and that foolproof.

There’s a reason so many of us call banana bread our go-to. It’s simple, straightforward, and lends itself to customization for those of us with a constant hankering for chocolate or cinnamon crumble.

With plenty of time to experiment in 2020, I had obsessively been playing around with vegan banana bread. (Perhaps my past self could predict that egg prices would skyrocket?) The result was these vegan banana muffins perfect for a quick brekkie. They’re perfect for those mornings when you wake up late for your 8 a.m. Zoom call. And parents, rejoice! These muffins are the ideal easy snack for kids who always seem to be in search of something sweet.

Tips for Making These Muffins Fluffy, Flavorful, and Moist

I gave these vegan banana muffins a nuttier flavor with the addition of tahini and almond flour in the batter. And we can thank the nutty topping trifecta of sesame seeds, sliced almonds, and oats for sending that flavor home.

Time to talk texture. These muffins are out-of-this-world fluffy and moist. Could I eat a whole baking tray of these? Sure could. But lucky for me, the batter for these vegan banana muffins comes together so quickly that I can replenish the stack in my kitchen counter cloche, so I’ll never have to be without.

Vegan Nutty Banana Muffins

Serves 12 muffins

Quick and easy vegan banana muffins for a healthy breakfast on the go.

By Suruchi Avasthi

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

30 minutes

Categories

Ingredients

for the crumble:

• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

for the batter:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon (use 3/4 teaspoon if pre-ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon tahini or natural nut butter
• 3 large bananas, 1 1/2 cups mashed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tray with parchment or cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. Mix the crumble ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Prep the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and tahini. Whisk together until smooth.
5. Using the paddle attachment, incorporate bananas into the tahini mixture.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together just until combined.
7. With a spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
8. Scoop the batter evenly between the muffin liners. Evenly divide the crumble over the top of the batter in each liner.
9. Place filled muffin tray on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Remove muffins from oven and let cool in the tray for five minutes on a cooling rack. Remove muffins from tray and let finish cooling on the rack. Enjoy!