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Lazy Cat Kitchen

A food blog with plant-based recipes from all over the world

Vegan banana bread muffins

June 8, 2018 by Ania - 78

baking, bananas, easy, gluten-free, healthygo to recipe

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vegan banana bread muffins one

Even though vegan banana bread muffins are the last thing I would like to make right now, as we are currently in the middle of a mini heatwave, in Crete, I’m really happy with this ’emergency’ recipe and I stand by it. Our current go-tos are fruit and veg salads, espresso freddos and an occasional summer vegetable pasta, as this relentless heat decimates your appetite completely. Luckily, there is plenty of sea to cool yourself in…

When I came up with these muffins, my reality could not be any more different. I was sitting in a cold house in Bristol where the summer has been dragging its feet so much that we’ve had to put our heating on for a couple of evenings (at the end of May) and these seemed perfect!

They are quick to make – they only use 6 ingredients and no equipment other than a bowl and a fork – as they were unashamedly borne out of one of my ‘I really want something sweet’ urges that I try to fight daily. Hence I’m referring to them as ’emergency’ muffins.

They started their life as giant cookies (and later morphed into muffins), which I decided to come up with when I succeeded at not buying any chocolate, but not at giving a home engineered sugar hit a miss, sadly.

I excuse myself by saying it’s the time of the month, but if that’s not an addiction I don’t know what is…The only line of defence I have is that these quick and dirty muffins are fairly healthy as they use no oil or refined sugar, so even if you are watching what you eat, you can easily get away with having one, for sure.

PS: If you make my vegan banana bread muffins, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen and use the #lazycatkitchen hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!

vegan banana bread muffins mashing banana

vegan banana bread muffins batter

vegan banana bread muffins making

vegan banana bread muffins close up

vegan banana bread muffins cross section

5.00 from 23 votes
Print
  • makes: 6 muffins
  • prep: 10 min
  • cooking: 18 min

Ingredients

WET INGREDIENTS

  • 2 medium overripe bananas (about 300 g / 10 oz bananas)
  • 60 ml / ¼ cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
  • 60 ml / ¼ cup all natural almond butter or peanut butter

DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 60 g / ½ cup GF all purpose flour (I used Dove’s Farm) or buckwheat flour or all purpose wheat flour*
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • just over ¼ tsp baking soda

EXTRAS

  • slivered almonds, to decorate (optional)

Method

  1. Warm up the oven to 180° C / 355° F and line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases (or grease them with a bit of oil). Move the oven rack a notch down from the middle position.
  2. Mash both bananas with a fork, mash one rather finely and leave the other one a little more chunky.
  3. Combine the mashed up bananas with maple syrup and nut batter in a medium-size bowl. Mix very well.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and mix them well until there is no dry flour left, but do not overmix (that’s only important if you are using a flour containing gluten).
  5. Transfer the cake batter into the prepared muffin tray. Decorate the tops with slivered almonds (if using).
  6. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out fairy clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool down before eating.

Notes

*These are the three flours I have tried and they all yielded a very nice end-result. If you are gluten-free and want to use buckwheat flour, please ensure you use a brand that has been certified as gluten-free as otherwise there may be traces of gluten in it due to factory cross-contamination.

This recipe only makes 6 muffins, if you like the challenge of having an entire tray of them around you, simply double all the ingredients.

If you want more info on some of the ingredients that we use in our recipes, check out our glossary.
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This recipe has been written by Ania. She is the cook, stylist and photographer behind Lazy Cat Kitchen. You can read about her journey into food blogging here. You can also check her out on Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Comments

    Leave a comment

  1. Andrea says

    June 8, 2018 at 6:30 pm

    These are delicious! Perfect for solving my sugar craving this afternoon…and as these things go, pretty healthy and guilt free! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      Thanks, Andrea! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed them! Ania

      Reply
  2. Sally says

    June 8, 2018 at 11:53 pm

    Hi, was thinking you might find the wedding dress in Crete? Perhaps Minoan style 😉

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      Ha ha, yes, it did cross my mind, but I am not a good shopper and especially not in extreme heat so unless a perfect dress hits me in the face, I don’t think I will bother shopping here, plus we are staying in tiny seaside places.

      Reply
  3. Wendy mackay says

    June 9, 2018 at 2:46 am

    I’m not quite sure what I did wrong but I couldn’t get my muffins to bake completely in the middle. I’ve gone back over the instructions & can’t see anything obvious other than I used Nuttelex instead of peanut/almond butter. I used regular plain flour. Any tips for a very novice baker?! I increased the length of cooking time too but still no joy.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2018 at 12:10 pm

      Hi Wendy,

      I’m so sorry to hear that. My first guess is that maybe your oven bakes hotter than mine so you might want to decrease the overall temperature and bake them for a touch longer so that the inside has a chance to cook while the outside doesn’t get too brown too quickly. Also, ensure your oven has been properly pre-heated before putting the tray in. Other than that, I’m not sure what else to suggest, I made these several times and never had this issue. Ania

      Reply
  4. Allison Smith says

    June 9, 2018 at 8:47 am

    A teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie spice or some cinammon and cardoman would be delicious added to this, I am making these to take for the annual fundraiser for the Cancer Council ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ that we are holding next Tuesday at our local Community House, this recipe has arrived just in time!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2018 at 12:06 pm

      Hi Allison,

      Agreed, the spices will be a great addition. I initially had cinnamon in these, but I wanted to keep the recipe as simple as possible so decided to do away with it! What a great cause! I hope you and your fundraiser guests will enjoy these! Ania

      Reply
  5. Celia says

    June 10, 2018 at 5:18 pm

    Tried these this morning and they were so easy and delicious! I like them even better than non-vegan muffins. Thanks Ania!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2018 at 11:46 am

      Aw, thanks so much, Celia! That’s a massive compliment indeed! I’m so chuffed to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  6. A says

    June 11, 2018 at 4:23 am

    I made these today. Super easy but seemed undercooked, so I cooked it a bit longer and it burnt a bit and crumble apart. Seems to be missing something. Still very tasty…

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 12, 2018 at 11:45 am

      Hi,

      Sorry to hear that you weren’t completely happy. From your description, it sounds like they were overbaked (baked for too long or maybe your oven burns hotter than mine) a little. Hope you decide to give them another go! Ania

      Reply
  7. Bec Milgrom says

    June 18, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    Hey there, any chance you could leave out the sugar/maple syrup all together? I know they wouldn’t be as sweet but do you think they would still bake OK or is it all a delicate chemistry balance?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 18, 2018 at 5:47 pm

      Hi Bec,

      I’m not sure to be honest. While maple syrup (and any sugar in general) provides sweetness, it also gives structure and those crispy tops to baked goods. My guess is that skipping it completely, will result with soft and soggy cookies. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  8. Cynthia HSIEH says

    August 6, 2018 at 8:49 pm

    Hi, These muffins turned out quite uncooked inside ( I used all-purpose wheat flour). What’s I have done wrong? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 7, 2018 at 12:43 am

      Hi Cynthia, I am sorry to hear that – sounds like maybe your oven burns less hot than mine and they needed to be cooked a little longer. I made them a bunch of times and never had this issue. Ania

      Reply
  9. Maggie says

    August 24, 2018 at 9:54 am

    Do you think soft brown sugar would work as a sweetener?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 24, 2018 at 12:02 pm

      Yes, I think it should work just fine. Ania

      Reply
  10. Julie Mansius says

    August 31, 2018 at 4:47 am

    You are a genius! These are by far the best muffins I’ve made, so light and fluffy. Way better than those I used to make with dairy and white flour. The only additions I made were to add vegan chocolate chips and flaxseed meal. I used whole-wheat flour.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 31, 2018 at 11:20 am

      Aw, thanks, Julie!! I’m so pleased to hear that you enjoyed them so much. Great additions too! x Ania

      Reply
  11. Jen says

    September 11, 2018 at 2:12 am

    Thank you soooo much for this very easy recipe! I’ve been baking bread and muffins for years and this is so far the quickest and easiest recipe I’ve ever found! I baked it on bread tin and sliced it before serving to my kiddos (5 and 2yrs old) and they absolutely love this! I use whatever available in my cupboard that includes macademia butter or pumpkin butter, date syrup, cassava flour or buckwheat flour thrown some flaxseed, chia and hemp seeds as well and all comes out nice and fluffy.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 11, 2018 at 9:05 am

      Thanks Jen! I’m delighted to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  12. Monique says

    September 24, 2018 at 11:21 am

    These turned out wonderfully! Lovely and soft, with a slight fudgy quality that is delicious. I swapped the maple syrup for golden syrup and it worked great.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 24, 2018 at 12:33 pm

      I’m really pleased to hear that, Monique! Thank you 🙂 Ania

      Reply
  13. Laura says

    November 8, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    Had these in the oven in only 5 minutes this morning when I found out about some guests dropping by. Great emergency recipe! They were quick and delicious. I would bet easy to customise too. Keeping this recipe forever 😀

    Reply
    • Ania says

      November 9, 2018 at 6:26 pm

      Aw, thanks so much, Laura! I’m delighted to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  14. ANNA says

    January 11, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    Hi, do u think I can use Almond Flour instead since I’m on a low carb diet? Thanks

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 11, 2019 at 11:58 pm

      I assume you mean instead of flour (not instead of almond butter) – it should be okay, but I haven’t tried so cannot vouch they will come out perfect, I’m afraid. Ania

      Reply
  15. Louise says

    January 12, 2019 at 11:08 am

    Is your oven temperature for a fan or conventional oven?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 12, 2019 at 2:31 pm

      Hi Louise,

      It’s for a conventional oven, if you want to use the fan function reduce it by 20° C. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  16. Natasha the lonely vegan girl says

    February 14, 2019 at 4:09 am

    I made these muffins exactly as they are written only adding a sprinkle of cinnamon. They are so delicious. Love how easy they were to make as well. I will be making these again without a doubt. So yum, thank you!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      February 14, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      So nice to hear, Natasha! I’m delighted you enjoyed this recipe so much! Ania

      Reply
  17. Helena says

    February 18, 2019 at 3:49 am

    Hi Ania, made these yesterday and they were sooooo delicious!! Moist and fluffy, exactly the kind of muffin I was craving! 🙂
    Thanks for such a simple and tasty recipe! I used buckwheat flour but I don’t always have it on hand, so I was wondering if oat flour would work instead. Any thoughts?
    xx

    Reply
    • Ania says

      February 18, 2019 at 1:08 pm

      I’m delighted to hear that, Helena! Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed them so much and for rating the recipe – much appreciated. Oat flour might make them a bit heavier, I think, but it should work too. A splash more milk might be needed if the batter looks denser than when made with buckwheat flour. Good luck! x Ania

      Reply
  18. Melissa says

    March 9, 2019 at 5:13 pm

    DELICIOUS!!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      March 17, 2019 at 1:08 pm

      Thanks Melissa! I’m delighted to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  19. Emily says

    April 24, 2019 at 12:49 am

    Can I use almond flour in this recipe? xx

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 24, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Hi Emily,

      I haven’t tried, but I do think so, they just may end up a little heavier maybe. It’s worth a shot! Ania

      Reply
  20. Amala says

    April 28, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    Hey! Can this recipe made as a banana cake as well? If any changes are to be made could you please tell me what they are?
    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 28, 2019 at 1:00 pm

      Hi Amala,

      I haven’t tried making these into a cake, but I don’t see why that would not work. I would say that you may need to increase the amount of batter (depends on your tin) and the baking time. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  21. Maya Reese says

    May 14, 2019 at 2:29 pm

    These are by far the best muffins I’ve ever made. Perfect texture and flavor. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 14, 2019 at 3:13 pm

      Aw, thanks so much, Maya! I’m soooo happy to hear that! x Ania

      Reply
  22. Sarah says

    May 19, 2019 at 2:52 am

    This is a fantastic recipe! I used all purpose flour, crunchy natural peanut butter and added some mini choc chips.
    I made 12 small cupcakes instead of muffins and the result was a light, delicious treat that will be perfect with a cup of tea for an afternoon treat.
    I will be making this recipe over and over again, thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 19, 2019 at 12:34 pm

      Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Sarah! I’m so happy to hear that! x Ania

      Reply
  23. Alicia says

    June 2, 2019 at 11:58 pm

    My first attempt making these completely flopped. They did not cook on the inside and it was clear there wasn’t enough flour. For my second attempt, I doubled the flour (I used Bobs all purpose GF flour) and baked them at 375 for 16 minutes. They turned out perfect!! This will definitely be my go-to muffin recipe!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 3, 2019 at 12:32 am

      Glad you enjoyed them after your modification, Alicia, but the amount of flour isn’t incorrect. I make them often according to this recipe. Cheers! Ania

      Reply
  24. Lena says

    June 8, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    Hi Ania,

    I just found your blog by looking for a new banana bread recipe. These muffins turned out really well! Almost magical how easily they are whipped up. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely try out more of your recipes. Very inspiring!

    Lena

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 10, 2019 at 6:47 pm

      I am delighted to hear that, Lena! And thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe – much appreciated! x Ania

      Reply
  25. Natasha says

    July 31, 2019 at 10:54 pm

    Hi, would it be possible to swap the almond butter for a different fat such as coconut oil? Would it need a touch more flour?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 1, 2019 at 12:31 am

      Hi Natasha,

      Yes, I am pretty sure it will work fine and you may need (not necessarily though – you need to see how it goes) to add a touch more flour. x Ania

      Reply
  26. Sasha says

    August 6, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    Hi, these turned out pretty well for a first try. I used 50g buckwheat flour and 10g flaxseed and coconut sugar. I have a fan oven so baked at 16 0 degrees but had to bake for about 25 mins. I think these will taste even better tomorrow when the flavours have had a chance to develop. They would be delicious warmed up for breakfast! 😋

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 6, 2019 at 1:45 pm

      Great to hear, Sasha!! x Ania

      Reply
  27. Allison Smith says

    August 28, 2019 at 8:42 am

    I made these but I have to “tweak” the recipe a bit, I didn’t have any maple syrup so I did use the coconut sugar and found when I added the flour (Buckwheat) it was a little dry so I added some apple sauce and maple essence, as well as some cinnamon – delicious

    Reply
    • Ania says

      August 28, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      Glad you enjoyed them, Allison. Yeah, swapping liquid sweetener for a solid one does call for an adjustment of wet ingredients. Sounds like you have a good baking instinct! Ania

      Reply
  28. Tina says

    September 6, 2019 at 2:12 am

    These have become my go-to muffin recipe! I love how healthy they are and my 2 year old gobbles them up! I always make a double batch, but that doesnt mean they last as long as they probably should (:

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 6, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Aw, thanks Tina! I am delighted to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  29. Ashley says

    September 12, 2019 at 5:47 pm

    While I did adapt this a little bit, these muffins were so delicious and moist! Perfect mini muffins for our toddler. I used 1/2 amount of maple syrup because my bananas were super ripe and previously frozen aka extra liquid-y. I also added 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt and used white whole wheat flour. Little additions that made them extra yummy. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 12, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      That’s great to hear, Ashley! Thanks for taking the time to rate this recipe – much appreciated! x Ania

      Reply
  30. Moe says

    September 17, 2019 at 9:21 pm

    Hello Ania
    I loved this recipe, thank you!
    I was just wondering, do you think they could be frozen?
    Moe

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 18, 2019 at 12:03 pm

      Thanks, Moe! That’s lovely to hear. I have never frozen any baked goods (they never last in my house), but if you do and are happy with them once thawed, I am pretty sure that these muffins will be no different. Ania

      Reply
  31. Madina says

    April 4, 2020 at 8:40 pm

    Hi Ania

    Thank you for such an easy recipe! I used sunflower butter and muffins came out fluffy and moist. My only concern is I could taste baking soda or baking powder a little bit as the muffins had a slight metallic taste to them. If I use less of baking soda and baking powder would the muffins still rise?

    Otherwise it is the most moist vegan, gluten-free muffins I’ve ever made so far! 😀

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 4, 2020 at 10:39 pm

      Oh no, I am so sorry about the baking soda taste. I swear I did not find that to be the case during tasting but yes, reducing it is a good idea – they will still rise, just a touch less. Glad you liked them in general though. Ania

      Reply
  32. Rony says

    April 30, 2020 at 10:05 pm

    Love these!
    Made it with whole rice flour and it turn out fantastic. Also added crumble on top, also made with wrf. Thanks for yet another great recipe!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 1, 2020 at 12:36 am

      Thanks, Rony – I’m delighted to hear that! Ania

      Reply
  33. Mary D says

    May 14, 2020 at 11:56 am

    Having recently started a plant based diet, this recipe is far yummier than my non-vegan banana bread which I no longer miss! I added dark chocolate chips in it and it’s amaaaaazing. The kids fight over them every single time. My oven is quite hot so I turn the temp down slightly and cook them a few mins longer than suggested. I hardly write comments on recipes but this was too good and so easy to make 🙂

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 14, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      Aw, I am delighted to hear that, Mary! Your comment made my day – thank you so much for taking the time to review the recipe. Ania

      Reply
  34. Lucy Black says

    May 22, 2020 at 9:03 am

    Will this work with plain white flour?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      May 22, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Yes, definitely! Ania

      Reply
  35. Dominika says

    June 25, 2020 at 10:58 pm

    These are amazing! I made them today, I increased the ingredients to get 9 muffins, as I had some friends visiting. Really simple, quick to make, I like the short ingredients list. My son, 3.5 year old had two already (2nd one he took/stole from the tray without asking!) Will definitely add to my favourite list, thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 27, 2020 at 2:42 pm

      Thanks so much, Dominika! I am really happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed them so much! Ania

      Reply
  36. Kelsey says

    July 14, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    What do you think that calories are per muffin??
    They were delicious! I loved them!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      July 14, 2020 at 5:42 pm

      Thanks Kelsey! Unfortunately, I am not able to provide calorie count on my site, but I am sure you Cronometer or a similar app could help. Ania

      Reply
  37. Sam says

    July 17, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    I’ve made these at least 4 times and they turn out perfect! It’s my go to recipe for when i have over ripe bananas. They’ve turned out great with both buckwheat and whole wheat flour. I make them for my kids and add a little chocolate chips. They love them and they’re always gone by the next day 🤣

    Reply
    • Ania says

      July 18, 2020 at 12:50 pm

      It’s so nice to hear that you enjoyed these enough to make them 4 times already, Sam! I’m delighted and thanks for letting me know! x Ania

      Reply
  38. Nicole Madsen says

    July 22, 2020 at 10:05 pm

    Oh my god, these turned out sooooo freaking delicious! I want to eat the whole tray. I made these in a mini muffin tray in my toaster oven, and followed the recipe exactly (though I omitted the slivered almond topping). My baby girl is going to love these muffins when she wakes up 🙂 Thank you for sharing a SUPER TASTY recipe for the best banana bread muffins EVERRR!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      July 23, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      Aw thank you so much for your kind words, Nicole! I am delighted to hear that you loved them so much and I do hope your little girl does too. x Ania

      Reply
  39. Naomi says

    December 31, 2020 at 9:13 am

    Was really excited to make banana bread muffins so I tried this recipe but as others have said there is no where near enough flour in the recipe!! I cooked for almost 30 mins but I had a feeling that 60 grams flour with so many wet ingredients wouldn’t work out, should of gone with my instincts…. I would say this needs double the amount flour.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      December 31, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Hi Naomi,

      The flour is clearly mentioned in step 4: Add the dry ingredients and mix them well until there is no dry flour left (…) . As for the amount of flour, I assure you it is absolutely correct. Not only did I test this recipe several times, I also have had plenty of people make these muffins successfully. The amount of flour a recipe needs depends on the texture you are after, these muffins are designed to be light and fluffy and so to achieve this I used less flour than normally. I’m sorry you are not happy with the outcome but I strongly feel that something must have gone awry in the process of making them or maybe this recipe is simply not to your taste. Ania

      Reply

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Ania Marcinowska
Hi, I'm Ania. I love good food but I love animals more! Adopting a plant-based diet has been the best decision I've made and that's how this blog was born. It's a space where I want to show you that creating delicious plant-based food isn't actually hard at all.
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