Apple Streusel Muffins (Jessica in the Kitchen)
What better way to kickstart your morning than with a scrumptious vegan breakfast muffin? These delightful morsels are not only a treat for your taste buds but also packed with nutrients that set the tone for a healthy day.
If used, choose palm-oil-free vegan butter. Avoid choking hazards (nuts, cherries etc) for young children, and keep recipes away from pets due to unsafe ingredients (chocolate, caffeine, citrus, nutmeg, dried fruits, fresh dough etc). Read more on keeping people & pets safe in the kitchen.
One area also to be aware of these days is what you bake with. Green bakers are moving away from non-stick Teflon sheets, aluminium foil and chemical-coated baking paper, and instead using reusable silicone baking sheets and cupcake trays, which last for years, then are easily recycled.
Key Ingredients for Vegan Breakfast Muffins
The base of any muffin is its flour. Whole wheat flour adds a nutty flavour, while almond flour offers a moist texture. Oat flour brings in soluble fibre, which is fab for heart health. Each type of flour adds its own unique touch, so you can pick one that suits your taste and nutritional needs.
Natural sweeteners like maple syrup and agave nectar are not just healthier—they bring depth to your muffins that refined sugars can’t match. They give just the right amount of sweetness without the guilt trip.
Eggs often serve as binding agents in baked goods. But in the vegan world, alternatives are needed. Enter, flaxseeds and chia seeds. These nifty little seeds, when mixed with water, provide the binding quality along with a dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
More Simple Vegan Muffin Recipes
Apple Muffins (Rainbow Nourishments) can make use of windfalls. These freeze well and are as good as any from a top bakery. The crunchy topping is made from chopped apple and raw granulated sugar. You don’t need egg replacers, just lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to react with the plant milk to make ‘buttermilk’ for a fluffy texture.
Double strawberry muffins (Rainbow Nourishments) are very simple to make, with just a few common ingredients. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries, and use beetroot powder to make them more pink (to avoid chemical pink food dyes). Anthea recommends baking every other muffin tin, for taller muffins.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins (Full of Plants) are very simple to make, and include plant-based yoghurt for a tang and fluffiness. Made with oil and plant milk, and sweetened with vanilla, you can add optional nutmeg. Moo-Free chocolate chips are vegan, sold in stores.
Cornbread Muffins (Feasting at Home) are lovely to serve with savoury stews. They only take 15 minutes prep time, the eggs replaced by cornmeal and applesauce for a light texture, and no need for a ‘vegan egg’.
These raspberry, banana & chocolate muffins (Full of Plants) are an ideal breakfast treat, with a morning cuppa. These are not like your giant American muffins, but smaller and more tasty muffins, from a French chef (when asked why they don’t get fat, one French woman in London replied it’s because shops in France don’t sell muffins big enough to eat your car!)
