If you love lemon, you will love these Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins! Growing up, I always looked forward to getting lemon poppy seed muffins from the local bakery, which is why I was inspired to create a vegan version of this nostalgic treat! These wholesome muffins make the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch. These muffins are packed with flavor thanks to the additions of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and a perfectly sweet lemon glaze.

Ingredient Breakdown

The base of these muffins is made with a combination of oat flour and almond flour, two of my favorite gluten-free flour alternatives! Oat flour adds structure to these muffins and is full of wonderful health benefits. If you have never worked with oat flour before, it can easily be made by processing whole oats in a blender. or food processor. You can also purchase oat flour at most grocery stores. The almond flour in this recipe adds moisture and tenderness to these muffins to help create the perfect texture.

These vegan lemon poppy seed muffins also contain coconut sugar and maple syrup for sweetness. Coconut sugar is a sugar that is made from the sap of coconut palm trees. It also contains more vitamins and minerals than white sugar. Although you may substitute white or brown sugar in this recipe if that is what you prefer.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest ensure that these muffins are perfectly tangy, sweet, and flavorful. Of course, poppy seeds give these muffins their signature look and add a subtle layer of texture.

Just two tablespoons of coconut oil help create the moist texture of these muffins. The almond milk (or dairy-free milk of your choice) in this recipe also works to add moisture to the muffin batter and creates a softer muffin.

Making the Lemon Glaze

These muffins are topped with a super simple lemon glaze that can also be customized to your liking! To make the glaze, combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. For thicker icing add more sugar, and for thinner icing add more milk or lemon juice.

If you love these muffins, be sure to check out a few of my other favorite muffin recipes! Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Muffins, Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, and these Blueberry Banana Muffins.

If you tried this recipe be sure to leave a comment below, leave a review on my Pinterest, or tag me on Instagram! Happy baking!

Print

Vegan and Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These dairy-free and gluten-free muffins are fluffy and full of lemon flavor from using fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and the perfect lemon glaze.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Keyword easy, gluten free, healthy breakfast, lemon, muffins, poppy seeds, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 2 cups of oat flour can be made by processing oats in a blender until flour consistency is reached
• 1/3 cup of almond flour
• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons of almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1.5 tablespoons of poppy seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin for 9 muffins.
• Combine the first 6 dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.
• Evenly distribute batter into muffin tin and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins 5-10 minutes to cool on the tray before transferring to wire rack.
• While muffins are cooling, make the icing: combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of dairy free milk, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt (for a thicker icing add more sugar and for a thinner icing add more milk). Whisk until very smooth and drizzle onto the top of each muffin.
• Enjoy! Store in an air tight container.

The post Easy Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

This recipe for Healthy Pumpkin Muffins is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free! These muffins are packed with warm fall flavors and filled with chocolate chips in every bite.

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, one of which being all of the pumpkin-flavored desserts! Although in reality, I eat pumpkin desserts all year round because why would I deprive myself of something SO good?! These pumpkin muffins have become one of my latest obsessions, and I am so excited to share this recipe with you!

If you love pumpkin, you will love these healthy pumpkin muffins. They are moist, flavorful, and secretly made with healthy ingredients! The flavor combination of warm spices, pumpkin, and chocolate chips is one that is truly addicting. These muffins make the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert and I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Ingredient Breakdown

This recipe is simple and easy, and can be made in just one bowl. I always start by stirring together all of the dry ingredients to a medium bowl first. Then once everything is evenly combined I stir in the wet ingredients, and lastly the chocolate chips. These muffins are made with healthy ingredients that you can feel good about. Let’s breakdown some of the key ingredients in this recipe:

These muffins call for Almond Flour or Almond Meal, either option will work wonderfully for this recipe. I love using almond flour as a gluten-free flour substitute because the high-fat content keeps baked goods extra moist and decadent. Almonds are also a healthy fat source that contain a variety of nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamin e, and many other antioxidants.

Oat Flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flour alternatives that is easy to make and affordable. To make oat flour, you just have to take regular whole oats and place them in a blender or food processor and blend until flour consistency is reached.

Pumpkin Pie Spice and Cinnamon work together to ensure these muffins are full of warm fall flavors. If you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own at home by combining ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Pumpkin is obviously one of the most important ingredients in these muffins! Make sure that you are using canned pure pumpkin that only lists “pumpkin” on the ingredient list. You do not want to confuse canned pumpkin with pumpkin pie filling, which has many other added ingredients. Pumpkin is not only delicious, but it is low in calories and full of nutrients! It is packed with vitamins and nutrients that are good for your vision, skin, hair, and immune system. Plus, it is linked to many other health benefits.

These muffins call for Dairy-free Milk. I usually use almond milk because it is what I have on hand. Although, you can use any dairy-free milk that you would like. Just make sure it is unsweetened or else the flavor may differ slightly.

Just three tablespoons of Coconut Oil help ensure that these muffins are perfectly moist. You want to make sure that the coconut oil is in its liquid state so you may need to melt it on the stove or in the microwave. This helps evenly combine the coconut oil into the batter.

Of course these pumpkin muffins call for Chocolate Chips because who doesn’t love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate!? The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, which I think is the perfect amount without being too chocolatey. Although, you can add more or less depending on how much chocolate you like.

If you love these Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, be sure to check out some of my other favorite pumpkin recipes like these Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies, Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Pumpkin Bread, Maple Pumpkin Granola.

Happy Baking!

Print

Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups of almond flour or almond meal
• 1 and 1/4 cups oat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup dairy free milk
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tray with 10-12 liners or grease with coconut oil.
• In a medium bowl combine the first 7 dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Evenly distribute batter into prepared muffin tray and top with additional chocolate chips.
• Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean and tops are slightly golden brown. Allow muffins to cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before enjoying.

The post Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

My idea for this recipe was inspired by my recipe for these Healthy Banana Oat Cookies. I wanted to utilize a similar ingredient list and create moist, flavorful, and healthy muffins, and I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you.

These Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins make a wonderful morning or midday snack, and you would never guess that they are made with vegan and nutritious ingredients. Just look at these photos of how happy these muffins make my beautiful roommate! Who is my favorite taste tester, and also happens to have her own vegan blog (Hangin’ with Hales) that is a great resource for information about veganism, health, and loving yourself!

And I promise that when you try these amazing Healthy Muffins you will be just as excited as she is! Because how could you not be excited about a decadent muffin that is made with good-for-you ingredients!?

Key Ingredients

Let’s go over the key ingredients in this recipe.

Oat Flour is the base for these muffins. If you have never heard of oat flour before, it is a wonderful gluten-free flour alternative that is perfect for healthy baking. You can make your own oat flour by processing two cups of whole oats in your blender or food processor until you have reached flour consistency.

This recipe calls for three overripe Bananas. Bananas give these muffins their flavor, are a natural source of sweetness, and work as a vegan egg-replacement.

These muffins call for three to four tablespoons of Maple Syrup depending on desired sweetness. I usually only add three tablespoons because the natural sugar from the bananas also adds sweetness. Although, if you prefer a sweeter muffin I would add in four.

Natural Peanut Butter is another key ingredient in this recipe. It works as a healthy fat source to keep these muffins moist. It is important to note that the peanut butter in this recipe is natural. Natural peanut butter has a much different consistency than other brands of peanut butter that contain added sugar and oil. I like to use Natural Chunky Peanut Butter because I like the texture that it gives these muffins. You may substitute other kinds of natural nut or seed butter if you prefer, but it may alter the taste.

Of course, these muffins have the addition of Chocolate Chips! Banana and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Chocolate helps add the perfect amount of decadence to these wholesome muffins, but peanut butter chips would also work well here!

If you’re looking for more ways to use your overripe bananas? Check out these banana recipes Banana Blueberry Muffins, the Best Vegan Banana Bread, Healthy Banana Oat Cookies, Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread, Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Nice Cream, Chocolate Banana Milkshake, and these Blueberry Banana Baked Donuts.

Print

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat flour (made by processing whole oats in a blender until flour consistency is reached)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup depending on desired sweetness
• 1/4 cup almond milk or dairy-free milk
• 3 overripe mashed bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter smooth or chunky
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line/grease a muffin tray for 9 muffins.
• Combine the first four dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until evenly combined.
• Add the rest of the ingredients (aside from the chocolate chips) and stir until evenly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Evenly distribute batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each muffin cup almost to the top. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the tray and cooling on wire rack. Enjoy!

The post Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

Can’t decide between a muffin or a donut for breakfast? Now you don’t have to choose! These Vegan and Guilt-Free Blueberry Banana Donuts are the best of both worlds. They are the perfect cross between a flavorful blueberry muffin and fluffy banana bread. The best part? They’re secretly made with 100% wholesome ingredients and are refined sugar-free.

I am a firm believer that donuts are one of the sweetest indulgences in life. Although, most donuts contain a large amount of sugar and high-fat content. I wanted to create a recipe that would allow me to indulge in my favorite breakfast treat completely guilt-free, and this my friends, is how these delicious baked donuts were born. Made with ingredients like whole wheat flour, bananas, and sweetened with maple syrup, you can feel good about enjoying this morning classic. These donuts are packed with banana flavor, bursting with blueberries, and filled with warm cinnamon in every bite.

Ingredient Breakdown

These blueberry banana baked donuts contain a few key ingredients that ensure their soft texture and perfect sweetness:

Whole wheat flour

First, these donuts are based on whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is a great alternative to white flour if you want to get more nutritional benefits. This flour also helps give these donuts their tender texture and helps to add an additional layer of flavor.

Banana

Since this recipe is made from 100% vegan ingredients, banana works as a plant-based egg replacement. Banana helps to keep baked goods light, fluffy, and moist. Plus, it is also the main flavor profile within these donuts and is a wonderful all-natural sweetener.

Maple syrup

1/4 of a cup of maple syrup help to give these donuts their sweetness alongside the banana. Maple syrup also adds subtle hints of vanilla and maple to every bite of these donuts.

Coconut oil

Melted coconut oil ensures that these donuts stay moist, tender, and flavorful. It is important that you use almond milk that has been slightly warmed to at least room temperature (I just heat it up in the microwave) so that it does not solidify the coconut oil when the two ingredients are combined.

If you love these donuts, be sure to check out my Vegan Chocolate Donut recipe or my Blueberry Banana Muffins for more breakfast ideas.

Print

Blueberry Banana Baked Donuts

These delicious donuts are secretly made healthy with wholesome and vegan ingredients.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

Donuts

• 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of almond milk (room temperature or warm) or dairy free milk of choice
• 1 1/4 cups of mashed banana about 3 large overripe
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3/4 cup of fresh blueberries

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of almond milk
• Or to keep refined sugar free drizzle donuts with a small amount of maple syrup

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan (if you do not have a donut pan, these will make wonderful muffins!)
• Combine the first 5 dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk.
• Combine the melted coconut oil, mashed bananas, maple syrup, almond milk (make sure your almond milk is slightly warm so it does not solidify the coconut oil) and vanilla in a small bowl and stir until well combined.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry and gently stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
• Evenly divide batter into prepared pan, filling each donut to the top. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until donuts have risen, spring back to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.
• Make glaze by combining sugar and almond milk and drizzle over cooled donuts.

The post Blueberry Banana Baked Donuts appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

Craving chocolate? I’m always craving chocolate and these Double Chocolate Muffins are the perfect fix because they are secretly made healthy and vegan! There is something so magical about a warm chocolate muffin that is fresh out of the oven. I went through a phase of making these muffins every single day because they were such a hit, and the best part is that they’re made with guilt-free ingredients.

Vegan baking basics

It can be difficult to make vegan muffins that are still moist and fluffy without using ingredients like vegan butter or flax egg. Personally, I like to utilize real ingredients that I know I will always have on hand. This is why these muffins call for banana as their egg replacement. Banana helps to make these muffins tender, fluffy, and flavorful. This recipe also calls for apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) that gets combined with almond milk to create a similar result to using buttermilk in non-vegan baking. A homemade buttermilk replacement gives these muffins an extra lift and helps to create their soft texture.

If you are looking for an acceptable reason to eat chocolate for breakfast, these muffins are the perfect solution. Plus, no one would ever guess that they are made with plant-based ingredients. I know you will love these muffins, but be warned: these babies are dangerously addicting.

If you love this muffin recipe, try out my Blueberry Banana Muffins for more!

Print

Double Chocolate Muffins

These are the ultimate chocolate muffins. They are soft, moist, and filled with chocolate. This recipe uses simple ingredients like whole wheat flour and bananas to make these muffins extra flavorful and wholesome.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• ¾ cup almond milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 overripe mashed bananas
• 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips (vegan if desired)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line a muffin tin (yields about 9 muffins)
• In a small bowl stir together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice – let stand for 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 6 dry ingredients until combined.
• Add the coconut oil, vanilla, bananas and maple syrup to the almond milk mixture and stir to combine.
• Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tin (filling each to almost the top)
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and cool on wire rack. I like to store these muffins in the freezer and heat them up whenever desired!

The post Double Chocolate Muffins appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

Okay, let’s get real. I am a firm believer in the idea that chocolate cake should be a breakfast item. These donuts taste like the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had, but they’re shaped like a donut…which makes it acceptable to eat chocolate cake for breakfast. What could be better than that?

This is a recipe that I have made over and over and over again. One of my favorite Christmas gifts that I received this past year was a silicone donut tray, and I knew that the first donut I wanted to make had to be chocolate. These donuts turned out to be one of my favorite recipes of ALL TIME. They are so moist, so chocolatey, and dangerously addicting.

Why this recipe works:

The secret ingredient in these vegan donuts is pumpkin. Pumpkin makes these donuts exceptionally moist, but you would never guess that they are made with pumpkin when you taste them.

The other key ingredient that makes these vegan chocolate donuts moist and fluffy is just one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. When apple cider vinegar is combined with baking soda, a chemical reaction occurs that gives cakes (or in this case donuts) an extra lift.

I promise that these vegan baked chocolate donuts will be the best donuts that you have ever had. Plus, they will most definitely be a crowd pleaser amongst all types of eaters. I hope you enjoy splurging on these little chocolate gems as much as we do. If you love donuts, be sure to check out my Blueberry Banana Baked Donuts recipe for more!

Print

Secretly Vegan Chocolate Baked Donuts

These (secretly) Vegan Chocolate Baked Donuts are seriously life changing. They are chocolatey, rich, soft, and SO easy to make. I promise that anyone who tries these donuts will be begging you for the recipe, and no one would ever guess that these babies are vegan!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour (whole wheat flour may be substituted)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup light olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk (warm if using coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup optional chocolate chips (vegan if desired)

Glaze

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons warm almond milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease or prepare a nonstick donut tray.
• Combine the first six (dry) ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
• Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Here you may add the optional chocolate chips.
• Fill each donut mold to the top with batter and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or until the tops have puffed up and spring back when touched (you do not want them to be wet in the centers).  
• Place tray on a wire rack too cool for 10-15 minutes before removing donuts from the molds.
• Once the donuts have cooled, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl and whisk. Dip each donut into the glaze twice and serve. You can eat these the same day or store in the fridge!

The post Vegan Baked Chocolate Donuts appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

There is something so special about a warm homemade muffin fresh out of the oven. Blueberry muffins are one of my best friend’s favorite treats and I knew that I had to create a vegan version that was worth the splurge. I was determined to create a vegan muffin that was moist, fluffy, and bursting with flavor – and I was SO excited to share this recipe as soon as I tasted one of these babies. They turned out even better than I could have imagined, and you would never guess that they are vegan. The entire batch was devoured in less than 24 hours!

Why does this recipe work?

The secret ingredient in these blueberry muffins is really the banana. Not only does banana give these muffins extra flavor, but it also works as an egg replacement. Egg is often one of the most crucial ingredients in developing recipes for non-vegan baked goods. Banana works in a similar way to eggs by creating a soft, fluffy, and tender muffin. To be sure that these muffins had the best texture possible, I also added a tablespoon of applesauce to make these muffins lighter and fluffier.

These muffins are finished off with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar before they go into the oven, which adds an extra touch of sweetness that is impossible to resist!

If you love muffins, be sure to check out my recipe for Double Chocolate Muffins. Happy Baking!

Print

The Best Blueberry Banana Muffins

These are the BEST Blueberry Banana Muffins. Bursting with blueberry and banana flavor, I can promise that these fluffy, flavorful, and tender gems will be a crowd pleaser among all types of eaters.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 large overripe mashed bananas
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
• ½ cup almond milk (slightly warm)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (to sprinkle on top of the muffins before baking )

optional

• Extra blueberries or pecans to add to the tops of the muffins

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line a muffin tin.
• Whisk together the first 5 dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. 
• Mash bananas until no large clumps remain and combine with applesauce, coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla. Stir together wet ingredients until well combined. 
• Gently pour wet ingredients into the dry and fold to combine. 
• Add blueberries until well incorporated. 
• Evenly distribute batter in your muffin tray (should make 12 muffins).
• Add cinnamon sugar, pecans, and/or extra blueberries to the top of each muffin. 
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool in the tray for 15-30 minutes and then remove onto wire rack.

Notes

Freezer instructions: freeze after cooled and heat up in the toaster oven or microwave whenever desired!

I like to use a standard size muffin tin, but if you would like to make mini muffins or larger muffins decrease or increase the baking time and test frequently. 

The post Secretly Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins appeared first on Splurge with Ella.