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: These muffins came 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.

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.

Recommended Tools/Products for Vegan Blueberry Muffins

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• Muffin tin
• Glass bowls
• 2 tablespoon cookie scoop
• Cupcake liners
• Glass bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Zester, if adding citrus zest

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 blueberries 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. 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.

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.

Let cool slightly before enjoying!

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these vegan muffins rise?

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.

Fun fact: 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.

Help! My vegan muffins rise.

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!

How can I make these muffins a little more vibrant?

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! 

Can I freeze these muffins?

Let the baked muffins come to room temperature, then place them on a small baking sheet. Transfer this to the oven, 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.

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?

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.