Vegan banana muffins (4 ingredients)

Vegan banana muffins (4 ingredients)

vegan banana muffins four plated

This recipe here is probably my favourite banana muffin recipe I have created so far! I know that’s high praise indeed, but hear me out. It is ridiculously easy to make. You can either make it in a bowl, using a fork to turn ripe bananas into mush or you can totally make it in a food processor too! It’s so quick. These muffins are perfectly sweet, but not too sweet, contain no vegan butter or oil and are ridiculously light and fluffy! Aaaaamazing! Try it!

This recipe was born out of my experimentation with banana cookies, but halfway through the experiment I realised that while my cookies are not quite the way I wanted them to be, I accidently created awesome banana muffins! Serendipidity or what? This recipe is so simple, only uses 4 key ingredients and there is hardly any process so there is not much to talk you through, but here are a few details about the ingredients and the method (to my madness 😉 )…

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

BANANAS: As the recipe name suggests, bananas are a key ingredient here and I am not sure why you would want to use anything else (kidding), but no, they cannot be replaced with any other fruit or veg puree without extensive changes – trust me, I did have a go! The key is using perfectly ripe, spotty bananas and being rather precise about measuring them. When it comes to baking, please use kitchen scales!! If you are lucky, your greengrocer’s may be selling ripe bananas at half price or giving them away for free when they are in this state as many people do not appreciate the preciousness of a perfectly ripe banana. If that’s the case, pounce – take as much as you can 😉 . And while I am pretty sure this recipe will work with frozen (and defrosted) bananas, they tend be wetter so you may need to extend the baking time a bit.

MAPLE SYRUP: I use maple syrup as that’s what I have but any other neutral tasting sweetner will work, agave syrup or brown rice syrup would be my suggestions.

ALMOND BUTTER: I like almond butter in these (PB works well too), but if you cannot have them, any nut or seed butter will work. The key thing is for the butter to be drippy (i.e. to have some fat in it, not just solids).

FLOUR: Both all purpose white flour and GF flour mix work well. I tested a popular gluten-free flour mix (Dove’s Farm) but other flour mixes that contain a good dose of starches should work just as well.

RAISING AGENTS: A combination of baking soda and baking powder. Not much to say about these other than their amounts have been carefully calibrated to make these muffins light and fluffy.

SALT: A true cupboard staple that most cakes and desserts benefit from.

easy banana muffins ingredients

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made both by hand and in a food processor and both versions are delicious.

banana muffins by hand step 1 and 2

On a large plate, mash up your bananas well using a fork. Transfer to a big bowl. Add maple syrup and almond butter, stir until well combined.

banana muffins by hand step 3 and 4

Next, add in baking agents, salt and flour in two batches, folding it gently into the wet ingredients using a spatula or a wooden spoon. By the end, your muffin batter will be quite runny (that’s the way it is meant to be, trust me!) yet still a little chunky.

banana muffins by hand step 5 and 6

Alternatively, make the batter in a cinch, using a food processor (or blender!) Blend bananas until smooth, next add in maple syrup…

banana muffins food processor step 1

…and almond butter and blend until smooth. Finally add both baking agents, salt and slowly add flour (through the chute) while blending. Stop as soon as the mixture is homogenous although due to the batter being quite runny, you don’t have to worry about overprocessing too much provided you measure the ingredients accurately.

banana muffins food processor step 2

Distribute the batter between 10 (for taller muffins, like in my photos) or 12 muffins, decorate and bake. Allow them to cool down completely before judging – they may appear undercooked whilst warm.

banana muffins food processor step 3

vegan banana muffins five

banana muffins cross scection

vegan banana muffins single

serves
12
PREP
10 min
COOKING
20 min
serves
12
PREPARATION
10 min
COOKING
20 min
INGREDIENTS
MUFFINS

  • 400 g / 14 oz peeled bananas*
  • 120 ml / ½ cup maple syrup
  • 120 g / ½ cup drippy almond butter, peanut butter or other seed / nut butter
  • 125 g / 1 cup all purpose wheat flour or GF all purpose flour mix (I tested Dove’s Farm)
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • heaped ¼ tsp fine sea salt

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

  • cinnamon or any banana bread spices you like (nutmeg, all spice)
  • slivered almonds, to decorate (optional)
METHOD
  1. Heat 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 bananas with a fork or use a food processor to blend them smooth.
  3. Add maple syrup and nut (or seed) butter and stir well to combine. Again, you can also do that in a food processor.
  4. Finally add in flour, both raising agents and salt. Gently fold them into the wet ingredients until there are no dry flour pockets left. You can also do this in a food processor, by adding the flour gradually through the chute. If you use a food processor, the batter will be rather runny, if you do it by hand, a little less so but still pourable.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between 10-12 muffins. 10 will give you slightly taller muffins and require more like 21-22 minutes baking time. Decorate the tops if you wish.
  6. Bake until a toothpick comes out fairly clean, about 20-22 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool down COMPLETELY before eating.

NOTES
*BANANAS: approx. 1 and ¾ cups mashed banana (2 full cups is 450 g) This recipe was created using fresh, ripe bananas. If using bananas that have been frozen and thawed, be aware that they contain more moisture so you’ll need to bake them for longer (one reader reported having to extend baking time by 10 minutes).

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
153
8%
sugars
11 g
13%
fats
6 g
8%
saturates
1 g
4%
proteins
3 g
7%
carbs
24 g
9%
*per muffin (out of 12 muffins)
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5.0
19 reviews, 23 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Maureen:
I love this recipe! Yesterday I wanted to try using some fresh chocolate mint from the garden so I added about 1/2tsp -1tsp of the chopped mint and 1/4cup cacao to make them banana choc mint muffins - delicious! The mint is subtle but leaves a nice flavour the tongue.
Couple of other adjustments I had to make due to necessity: I didn't have enough banana so ended up subbing 100gm for date paste. I used Bobs Red Mill GF flour. I also ended up adding a splash of almond milk just because it was a bit too thick. The m
The muffins turned out beautifully, nice and light and cooked perfectly! I do however tend to end up with fewer muffins than you, this time I got nine out of it. How much batter would you usually put in each muffin?
Thanks so much for the recipe :-)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Maureen, I'm delighted to hear that this recipe has served you so well and good thinking on your feet too. Perhaps your muffin holes are bigger than mine? I use a standard size tin and, from memory, put about 1/3 cup into each muffin. Hope this helps! x Ania
Barb:
I love this recipe and have made it so many times. So fast and simple but tastes much like the banana bread with all the oil and refined sugar from what I knew growing up. I like to mix it up and use peanut butter and chocolate chips sometimes too. It's a keeper!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Barb! I am so happy to hear that these banana muffins have become such a favourite of yours and thank you for taking the time to review - I really appreciate it. x Ania
ROBERTA:
HI, ANIA! WE CONTINUE TO MARVEL AT YOUR CREATIVITY & ENJOY MANY OF YOUR WONDERFUL RECIPES!! SINCE I DON'T DO ANY SOCIAL MEDIA, I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE PUBLIC ACCOLADES YOU SO DESERVE. I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT YOU PROVIDE A NOTE ABOUT MAKING ALL THESE TERRIFIC MUFFIN/CUPCAKE RECIPES AS CAKES, IE, IN TERMS OF PAN CHOICE & BAKING TIME. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TREMENDOUS IDEAS YOU SHARE. I CAN'T RECALL A SINGLE RECIPE OF YOURS THAT WE DIDN'T LIKE OR LOVE! HOW IS DUNCAN, & HOW IS TINA? OUR 3 FELINE JUVIES ARE ALL RULING THE CONDO, AS USUAL. WE ARE THEIR SERVANTS - LOL! MANY BLESSINGS, ROBERTA IN SOFL PS: YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS ARE PRETTY DARNED AWESOME, AS WELL!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Roberta,
    Thank you for your kind words about my work, that's so nice to hear! I have converted this recipe to a loaf (here is the link) and as you'll see the height of the bake necessitated that I increase the amount of flour used otherwise it was raw inside. If you were to make it in a flat tin, I suspect it would work fine as it is (with only 1 cup of flour for light and fluffy texture). My guess is that an 8" x 8" tin would be fine and as for baking time, I would start checking after 25-30 minutes. Hahaha, your comment about your cats treating you like a servant made me laugh - I can totally relate - our Tina also thinks she is the head of the household most of the time (until it comes to paying the bills and then she is out of the catflap in a flash ;) ) Warm greetings to you and your family, including the four-pawed members x Ania
Susan Dorling:
Absolutely a five star recipe! I added some cocoa powder and used peanut butter rather than almond butter, and these muffins were the best banana anything I've ever made. Moist, fluffy, and delicious, could not stop eating them! And they were tall, substantial muffins, even though divided among 12 muffin cups. Bravo, we love all your recipes! Thank you for your dedication to developing excellent recipes for everyone to enjoy.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much Susan! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed these muffins so much and thank you so much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Praniti:
Muffins were nice and moist! I needed about 25 minutes for them to cook Thru.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Praniti, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed them. As for the timing, that's not that unusual, no two ovens are the same :) Ania
Sandie Hodgetts:
Lovely and moist muffins. I used self raising flour and they worked out beautifully.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Sandie! I am delighted that you enjoyed these and thanks for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it! Ania
Joanna:
Made these this afternoon and they turned out deliciously! Thank you Ania x
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm delighted to hear that, Joanna! Thanks so much for taking the time to review. x Ania
Stephen:
Great recipe and a quick bake with great results, really enjoy baking your recipes and it's the second one I have done now.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Stephen, I am really pleased to hear that! x Ania
Angus:
This recipe was amazing! Whipped it up very easily with ingredients in the pantry, great use of ripe bananas too, you can’t even tell they’re healthy!
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed these and found them easy to make, Angus! Thank you for taking the time to review - it helps my work be found by more people so I appreciate it. x Ania
Floortje:
Thank you so much for this recipe, they turned out perfectly moist and fluffy. Can’t wait to make them again. And I just wanted to say how much I love your posts and recipes!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thank you so much for your kind words, Floortje! I am delighted to hear that you enjoy this and my other recipes too. And I really appreciate you taking the time to review - it helps me a lot, thank you. x Ania
Basia:
I made these today and they are delicious! Most of the ingredients were items that I have been able to finally use up in my kitchen, which is very satisfying. I used 4 black bananas (they were on the brink of spoiling), a couple tablespoons of leftover icing from Christmas that was still in the fridge somehow and some almond butter that has completely separated into almond oil and rock hard almond solids. It came out really well!
One thing I am wondering about is whether 1 c flour really is 125 g? It seemed very little when I was adding it to the rest of the batter so I added a bit more. I was making the batter in a Thermomix and weighting everything is easier for me.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Basia, I am glad you enjoyed these and I agree, using up leftovers/things that are on the brink of spoiling is very satisfying indeed. Yes, 1 cup of properly weighed AP flour is 125 g exactly. This recipe is deliberately low on flour as I wanted these to be light and fluffy so while you can get away with more flour, sure, it is best to stick to the recipe ;) x Ania
Charlotte:
These were amazing! I had one warm and one as soon as it had cooled down. They were so light and fluffy. I only had around 375g of banana 😅 so I added a little bit more peanut butter and they were still soo good.
Your recipes are the best. Please don't ever give up your day job 🤩
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hahaha, thanks Charlotte - you are so sweet! I wasn't planning on giving up but it's nice to know that my efforts are appreciated - when you work all by yourself it's easy to forget. I'm so happy you enjoyed these and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave this review - reviews help my work be found by more people so thank you. x Ania
Alissa:
My whole family LOVED these muffins!! I used 3 bananas and doubled the rest of the ingredients. I used spelt flour and peanut butter. These will be a staple in our house!! Thank you so much!! ❤️
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much Alissa, I'm delighted to hear that they went down so well and thank you so much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Lauren:
Because I had only one sad banana left in my fruit bowl, I halved this recipe and made a dozen mini muffins: may add a few chocolate chips next time for fun ;)
    Ania
    Ania:
    What a perfect use for a lonely sad banana! I'm so happy you enjoyed these and chocolate chips will certainly not be ill-advised ;) x Ania
Janet:
Light and fluffy goodness - not heavy like traditional banana bread. Everyone in my house loved these including the 2-year-old, who said delightedly, "Muffin?!?"
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Janet! I am so happy to hear that they went down with everyone, inlcuding the little person - I hear that they are not the easiest to please ;) x Ania
Juliet:
I’ve made these several times. I use slightly larger cases to make them a meal. They are amazingly soft and flavoursome. A great recipe.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Juliet! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed them so much and I really appreciate you taking the time to review, thnak you. x Ania
Caireen:
I have struggled to get light fluffy sponge with Vegan AND Gluten Free - but these muffins really work, they are the lightest and best I've ever made - such a simple recipe! Thank you... I added some chopped walnuts, also my peanut butter wasn't 'drippy' so I warmed it lightly with the maple syrup in a pan.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much Caireen! I am delighted that they hit the spot and that they came out as fluffy as I planned them to be. With regards to peanut butter, the drippy one is preferred as it means that there is some naturally occuring peanut oil in it as well as peanut solids (ground up peanuts), which keeps baked goods moist, but I am glad it worked out well regardless. x Ania
Kaitlyn:
Delicious! I used peanut butter and added a half a cup of mini dark chocolate chips (vegan, of course). Such a moist and decadent crumb! I'd love to try these with oat flour next time--I'm sure the texture would end up different but I love the idea of using whole grains. Thanks :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Kaitlyn! So pleased you enjoyed them, and you can never go wrong with a helping of dark chocolate, I agree :) I don't think I ever get tired of banana muffins and I love oats so I am happy to see what I can do, watch this space. x Ania
Nikki:
Hello, I absolutely love your recipes. When we go to print them now the image is not available. Could that be re-instated please?
Many thanks in advance
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hello Nikki,
    Thanks for letting us know. We took it off on purpose as we found that due to the aspect ratio of the images I post, it was impossible to get a neat & compact layout of the printed version. We will look into putting it back it, but it may be a while as much husband works full time and he does this kind of things for me. x Ania
Kirsten:
Super easy recipe (I used the food processor). I used a cinnamon, maple almond butter, which added a cinnamon flavour and probably a bit more sweetness. I was worried they would be dry, but they are perfect! So tasty!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay, thank you Kirsten - the photo of your muffins you posted on Facebook looked perfect (I could not believe how quickly after I posted you made them)! I am so happy that you enjoyed them and found the recipe to be quick and easy as this was my hope when creating it and thank you so much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Aoife:
These look great! Adding them to my want to bake list 😉
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear, Aoife! Hope you'll enjoy them! x Ania
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