Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Add some sweetness to your morning with these Vegan Blueberry Muffins. This is a simple muffin recipe that packs a sweet and slightly tart punch and bakes up beautifully to be a part of breakfast or brunch. Makes 18 muffins.
Looking for more vegan muffin inspiration? We’ve got Vegan Banana Muffins, Vegan Pumpkin Muffins, Vegan Orange Cranberry Muffins and Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, too!
These Fluffy Blueberry Muffins are a nod to my newspaper photographer days. Back then, I traveled Southern Mississippi on the regular, photographing everything from monster truck throwdowns to sporting events and political rallies to festivals.
One of the festivals I had the opportunity to cover was the Blueberry Jubilee in Poplarville, Miss, and I’ve been obsessed with these lovely blue fruits ever since.
Now, I’ll be honest: This blueberry muffin recipe into being one weekend years and years ago because I didn’t have any eggs on hand, and I didn’t have any milk, either.
The resulting recipe was a happy accident vegan muffin that tastes every bit as beautiful as the kind you’d find at your favorite bakery. The texture is fluffy. The blueberries are full of flavor. And the muffins are incredibly easy to make, too.
Whether you eat a vegan diet or you don’t have eggs and milk on hand right now, these muffins have been loved by all for years because they’re delicious. And we can all agree about eating recipes that are delicious, no matter our diet or lifestyle, right?
Love blueberries for breakfast? Here are a few more favorites: Mini Meyer Lemon Blueberry Muffins | Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake | Blueberry Lemon Crumble Muffins | Lemon Blueberry Bread
Looking for breakfast inspiration? Check out my Breakfast Recipe Index.
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Muffin pan or tin
- Glass bowls
- 2 tablespoon cookie scoop
- Cupcake liners or muffin liners
- Glass bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Zester, if adding citrus zest
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need to grab:
- Fresh blueberries — these are the basis for this muffin recipe. I do not recommend using frozen berries.
- All-purpose flour — I keep unbleached AP flour in my house, but the regular kind works, too. I have not attempted this recipe with any gluten-free flour blends, so I do not recommend using that.
- Leaveners — we’re using a combination of baking soda and baking powder. Make sure yours are fresh!
- Kosher salt — I like to use medium grain kosher salt in my baked goods. If you’re using table salt, use a little less since table salt is saltier.
- Unsweetened applesauce — this adds moisture and a little lift to our batter. Make sure yours is unsweetened.
- Vegetable oil — or another neutral oil, like refined coconut oil, canola oil or avocado oil. You could also substitute this with the same amount of melted vegan butter.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this is the sweetener we use to make these muffins.
- White vinegar — this is going to make our vegan buttermilk mixture. You could replace it with another acidic ingredient, like fresh lemon juice.
- Pure vanilla extract — this brings all the flavors together!
- Unsweetened almond milk — or your favorite plant-based milk. Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc., all work. Just make sure yours is unflavored and unsweetened.
- Turbinado sugar — for sprinkling
How to make Vegan Blueberry Muffins
First and foremost, preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with baking cups, too.
Measure the blueberries into a bowl with a tablespoon of flour. Gently toss the fresh berries with the flour until they’re coated so they don’t sink to the bottom of the muffins when baking.
Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Whisk them until combined, and then set them aside for later.
In a third and final bowl (or a large liquid measuring cup), combine the sugar, oil and applesauce. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to whip ’em up until light and fluffy.
Add the vinegar, vanilla and non-dairy milk to the wet ingredients. This makes a vegan buttermilk of sorts. Stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients, and stir them until just combined. Immediately toss in the blueberries, and fold them into the batter gently.
Dollop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. You can use a cookie scoop or a spoon for this step because either works, though I prefer a cookie scoop for evenly scooped muffins. Sprinkle ’em with turbinado sugar on top, too.
Pro tip!
These muffins rise because of the combination of baking soda with the vinegar. As soon as the wet ingredients meet the dry ingredients, they’re going to start bubbling and fizzing, so you want to get these into the oven ASAP once the ingredients have been mixed.
Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Confirm they’re baked through with a toothpick test.
Cool on a wire cooling rack, and enjoy!
How to store and freeze muffins
Store the leftover muffins at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To freeze the muffins, let them come to room temperature, then place them on a small baking sheet. Transfer this to the freezer, and let the muffins freeze until solid, about 4-6 hours, depending on your freezer situation. Once they’re frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe storage container or bag for up to 6 months.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Vegan muffins are one of my favorite things to have on hand for an at-home brunch, as well as a playgroup.
I love ’em for brunch because I can make them in advance and they add a little sweetness, which is something I adore. They pair really nicely with a Mimosa Bar, too, especially when you add fresh blueberries to the bar.
I make vegan muffins whenever I host kids and mamas for playgroup because they are free of two major food allergens and always go over well with kids.
Here are some tips and tricks for the easiest kind of entertaining:
- Bake the muffins in advance. They’ll keep for 1-2 days, so make it easier on yourself and do them well in advance.
- Serve the muffins slightly warmed. We like to reheat ours in the toaster oven, but you could throw them into a 200F oven for a few minutes to get them warmed through and those blueberries gooey again.
- Pair the muffins with other vegan-friendly breakfast items, like Vegan Breakfast Apple Crisp, Hazelnut and Pecan Baked Oatmeal and Fresh Fruit Salad.
- Serve alongside with your favorite berries, like blackberries, strawberries and raspberries.
Frequently Asked Questions
The combination of baking soda and white vinegar fluffs up these egg-free muffins during the baking process. Baking powder also gives our batter a lift, too, but it can’t do it alone, so it some help from baking soda and white vinegar.
The baking soda and white vinegar combination is an easy egg substitute for many baking recipes. While it doesn’t work all the time, it works nicely in recipes like this one.
If your baking powder and baking soda aren’t fresh, your muffins might not rise well.
Similarly, if you let the batter sit after mixing it before dolloping it into the paper cups and baking immediately, they might not be as fluffy as they could be because the chemical reaction between the baking powder and liquid (and the baking soda and vinegar) begins the moment the dry ingredients meet the wet.
Also, if your oven’s temperature isn’t consistent, these muffins might not bake the way they’re supposed to. I’ve run into problems with these muffins being cooked halfway through and raw on the bottom because of an inconsistent oven. So learn from my mistakes and make sure yours is baking at the correct temperature!
There have been complaints about these muffins being “too bland,” so if you are concerned a plain blueberry muffin is too plain, add a tablespoon of lemon, orange or even lime zest!
Tips and Tricks for Making the BEST Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Your muffins might struggle to rise if your baking powder and baking soda are not fresh.
- Store the muffins at room temperature for 2-3 days, covered, or in the fridge in a food storage container for 5-6 days. However, I don’t think they’ll last that long!
- This recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce. The batter is more than sweet enough without adding sweetened applesauce, so please read your labels.
Now who’s ready for a muffin? Here’s how you make these…
Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups blueberries fresh
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Equipment
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups, then spritz with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized glass bowl, toss the blueberries in 1 tablespoon of flour using a spoon. Set aside. (This will ensure they don’t sink as the muffins bake.)
- In a bowl, measure out the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients, which are the sugar, oil and applesauce. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to beat until light and fluffy.
- Add vinegar, vanilla and almond milk to the wet ingredients. Stir until incorporated.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture on top of the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- Add in the flour-coated blueberries, and fold into the batter gently with a rubber spatula.
- Immediately dollop the batter into the prepared baking cups using a cookie scoop or a spoon. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar, if desired.
- Transfer the muffin tin to the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool for a few moments before enjoying warm.
Notes
- You can use any non-dairy milk in this recipe, though I caution against using something thicker like a coconut cream. We keep unsweetened cashew milk on hand, and that is our current go-to.
- If you’re not vegan and are not serving people who eat a vegan diet, cow’s milk works in this recipe, too.
- Apple cider vinegar will work in a pinch, too, in case you don’t have white vinegar on hand.
- Frozen blueberries work in this recipe. However, they make the batter turn a bright purple if you don’t take the time to pat them dry beforehand.
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. If they’re not, your muffins might not rise well.
- Similarly, you MUST preheat the oven and have everything ready to go. When the wet ingredients mix with the dry ingredients, the chemical reaction begins so they can rise, and if the batter sits for long, the muffins will deflate in the oven.
- Make sure your oven is at the suggested baking temperature before popping the muffins into the oven. I’ve run into problems with these muffins being cooked halfway through and raw on the bottom because of an inconsistent oven. So learn from my mistakes and make sure yours is baking at the correct temperature!
- This recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce. The batter is more than sweet enough without a sweetened applesauce, so read the label and ensure your applesauce fits the bill.
Nutrition
The photos and recipe for these Vegan Blueberry Muffins were originally published on February 8, 2013. The photographs, along with the text of this blog post, were updated on March 20, 2018.
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I really liked this recipe. While I made some weird changes, I think that this recipe would be excellent as written, which is why it’s so easily adaptable! I used whole wheat flour and subbed 1/4c with homemade almond meal because I wanted to use it up. I added a little flax for fun, and subbed the blueblerries with frozen cranberries and chocolate chips! These muffins don’t taste like they’re missing any oil, which makes them an extra nice breakfast/snack/treat! Thanks TSP!
I really liked this recipe. While I made some weird changes, I think that this recipe would be excellent as written, which is why it’s so easily adaptable! I used whole wheat flour and subbed 1/4c with homemade almond meal because I wanted to use it up. I added a little flax for fun, and subbed the blueblerries with frozen cranberries and chocolate chips! These muffins don’t taste like they’re missing any oil, which makes them an extra nice breakfast/snack/treat! Thanks TSP!
Hey Dana! Thank you SO MUCH for your comment and your review. 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you think the recipe was excellently written (thank you, several years of edits!) and that your “weird changes” worked because of it. 🙂 I love the idea of adding cranberries to these muffins, too. I hope you and yours enjoy these muffins for years to come!
YUM!! Carolyn is that person in the grocery store who stands there grunting and giving you the evil eye instead of just politely saying “excuse me”. She could very well have asked you to break down the recipe better. Carolyn, don’t be so nasty or your baked goods will never turn out nice.