The Best Vegan Banana Muffins

Banana nut muffins are a delightful breakfast treat or snack. Their moist and fluffy texture, combined with the satisfying crunch of macadamia nuts, will surely make you smile.

I love a good banana bread as much as the next girl, but truthfully, I get a little bored of it being the go-to method for using up the rapidly darkening bananas that somehow manage to be constant tenants of the fruit bowl. 

Drawing inspiration from a swoon-worthy stack of banana pancakes I had in Hawaii (more on those in a moment!) I came up with the idea for a banana muffin recipe–fully loaded with sweet banana flavor and crunchy macadamia nuts–that would deliver big tropical flavors in an easy to whip up, completely vegan way. 

One bite of these muffins takes me right back to the Big Island every time, and my hope is that they can serve as a mini mental vacation for you too. Next time you find yourself in a banana surplus, give the banana bread a break and try out a batch of these vegan banana nut muffins instead!

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Pasty Flour- Any flour will do to make fantastic banana nut muffins. I use whole-wheat pastry flour to take them to the next level. Its lighter texture results in muffins that are airy and fluffy.
• Baking Soda- Used as a leaving agent to help the muffins rise and become soft. Baking powder can also be used as the leaving agent. 
• Salt- Enhances the flavors of all the other muffin ingredients.
• Ground Nutmeg- Adds a mild spice that complements the sweetness of the bananas.
• Bananas- Along with the classic banana flavor, ripe bananas also provide moisture to the muffins.
• Coconut Sugar- Provides a subtle essence of caramel, adding a delightful touch of flavor.
• Organic Sugar- Used as a sweetener.
• Vegan Butter-  Adds a rich buttery taste to the muffins while keeping them moist.
• Non-Dairy Milk- Binds the ingredients together and creates a smooth batter. Almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or soy milk will all work for this vegan banana muffin recipe.
• Egg Replacer- Common egg replacers, such as applesauce, mashed bananas, silken tofu, commercial egg replacement powders, and flax seeds or chia seeds, are great for helping to bind ingredients and provide moisture. I typically use flax or chia eggs since these are two ingredients I usually have at home, and making them is very easy. 
• Macadamia Nuts- Provides a rich buttery flavor that complements the sweetness of the bananas and adds a nice crunch to the muffins.

How To Make Vegan Banana Nut Muffins

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350℉. Place paper or silicone muffin cup liners in a 12-hole muffin pan, or lightly grease the cups if you don’t have liners. 
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined. 
3. Incorporate the wet ingredients. To the dry ingredients, add the mashed banana, coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, dairy free butter, dairy free milk, and prepared egg replacer. Note: if you are using a powdered egg replacer, please follow the instructions provided on package to reconstitute it prior to incorporating into your muffin batter.
4. Add the nuts. Gently fold half of the chopped macadamia nuts into the batter.
5. Portion the batter. Evenly distribute the batter between the 12 muffin cups. 
6. Top and bake. Use the remaining chopped macadamia nuts to top off the batter in each of the 12 muffin cups. Transfer the muffin pan to your preheated oven and bake until the tops are lightly golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  
7. Cool. Once baked, let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then remove them and place on a wire rack to cool completely.  
8. Serve! I 100% recommend enjoying one of these muffins while still warm from the oven, with a smear of your favorite vegan butter!

Watch Us Make These Banana Nut Muffins

Chef Tips

• Use Ripe Bananas- The key to making flavorful banana muffins is ripe and even overripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter they are, and the more flavor they will add to the muffins. 
• Don’t Overmix The Batter- When mixing the batter, be careful not to overmix it. Overmixing can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Mix until the ingredients are just combined. 
• Use Muffin Liners- I really dislike doing the dishes, so I’m always looking for ways to make cleaning up easier. One trick I use is to put muffin liners in my muffin tins. The liners not only prevent the muffins from sticking to the tins but also make them easy to remove. Additionally, you can choose fun, decorative liners to add a special touch to your baked goods for special occasions.

Popular Substitutions And Additions

• Nuts- Instead of macadamia nuts, you can use any other type of nut, such as chopped walnuts, cashews, or almonds.
• Sugar- You can use regular brown sugar instead if you don’t have coconut sugar.
• Flour- Use almond flour, oat flour, or gluten-free flour to make these muffins gluten-free.
• Shredded Coconut- While visiting Hawaii, I ordered banana pancakes from a local restaurant, and when the stack of flapjacks arrived, my mouth started to water. The pancakes were topped with fresh bananas, macadamia nuts, maple syrup, and coconut flakes, and they tasted absolutely delicious! I often add shredded coconut to my muffin batter to recreate those amazing flavors and relive that moment.
• Extras- For added flavor, add a pinch of ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, or vegan chocolate chips to the batter for an even more delicious muffin.

Banana Nut Muffins Storage

Store muffins in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Add paper towels to absorb moisture. 

Freeze for up to 2 months. 

Reheat them in the microwave in 10-second intervals to warm them up to ensure that they stay moist and tasty, just like when they were freshly baked.