I’ve decided there are a lot of things that have to go right in my day to make it a good one. Quality coffee, good hair, new wears, exceptional weather, and of course, delicious food. If any one of these factors are amiss, there’s a fair chance the day’s events will follow suit. However, one particular trip to Kansas City with John proved to be quite the opposite. It was, for a lack of a better adjective, awesome.
It started with a good 30 minutes of playtime with the nephew at my sister and brother-in-law’s place in KC. There were lots of plastic bats and softballs flying, and fits of toddler squeals every few seconds. It was sheer joy. Then, off to the ladies room I went and a few shots of dry shampoo and a swipe of makeup later, John and I were out the door. Our first stop was the Plaza where we had one thing on our minds: coffee.
After walking into Latte Land and having a quick scan of the menu, my eyes were immediately drawn to the most beautiful banana muffin I’d ever seen, studded with giant whole, shelled walnuts. My mind was made up: A medium house coffee and that giant banana muffin.
A few minutes went by after receiving my coffee and I realized they’d forgotten my muffin. Extremely apologetic, the barista snagged my prize from the pastry case and offered me some free milk as a remedy for his fault. I obliged. The setting was perfect: Coffee, a banana muffin the size of my fist, and free local milk and wifi – I was in sheer heaven.
One bite into that muffin and I already wanted another one. Instead, I settled for recreating the recipe at home. Just a few days later upon our return back to Wichita, that’s exactly what I did. And literally, this is one of the best muffins I’ve ever had.
Three things I love about this recipe are 1) it’s hearty and healthy, 2) takes less than an hour to prepare, and 3) yields two GIANT vegan muffins that are seriously worthy of being sold at that very coffee shop. I wonder if they have an opening for a part-time baker? If so, that would be awesome, because I’m convinced the world needs more of these muffins.
These muffins are insanely moist and perfectly sweet, and they scream with rich banana flavor. And those giant nuts up top? Everything I’d hoped for and more. Plus, thanks to wholesome ingredients like flaxseed, whole-wheat pastry flour, and whole, shelled almonds, they’re actually quite healthy. At about 370 calories a piece, one of these constitutes a full breakfast meal. Since that’s about what I eat in the morning anyway, I’d be happy to keep these as a special weekend treat or cycle them the into my weekday breakfast routine. Oh joy.
Vegan Banana Nut Muffins for Two
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 very ripe banana
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter (melted // heaping Tbsp is best)
- 1 small flax egg (1/2 Tbsp (3.5 g) flaxseed meal + 2 Tbsp (37 ml) water as original recipe is written)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 Tbsp whole walnuts for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter two small ramekins with non-dairy butter (adjust number of ramekins if altering batch size). Prepare flax egg and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana, leaving some texture.
- Add brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for one minute.
- Stir in flax egg, vanilla, melted butter and stir.
- Add flour and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly into the ramekins – about 1/2 to 3/4 full – and generously top with walnuts.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, remove from ramekins and serve warm. Additional butter isn’t necessary – these are very moist and quite perfect as is.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Lesley Larose says
I have made these muffins so often over the last couple of years that I don’t even need to look at the recipe any more. We always have an over ripe banana or two on hand…and this recipe is absolutely perfect! I do change the melted butter to walnut or avocado oil (just easier). Most times I add toasted chopped walnuts/chocolate chips to the batter. Today, I doubled the recipe just to see if it would work and it absolutely did. I have four tall muffins using my deep muffin pan (and my tulip baking cups.) Thank you so much for this terrific recipe!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Lesley. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Meg says
This has become a weekly staple in my house – my husband and I love them! I keep overripe bananas in the freezer just so I can make them whenever. We are in the mountains with higher altitude so I decrease the cooking time by a few minutes so they’re moist!
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoy the muffins. Thank you for sharing, Meg! xo
Natasha Moore says
Hi! I was wondering what the difference is between using coconut oil and using vegan butter. Does vegan butter have a more “buttery” flavor? Is there a brand you recommend?
Hi Natasha, vegan butter does have a buttery flavor where coconut oil tastes like coconut. We like Miyoko’s vegan butter!
CWlaz says
Made these for breakfast today. I used brown sugar blend and chopped walnuts on just one of them.
They were pretty good.
For future, I am changing the cooktime +5 minutes more at least. Still just a bit mushy inside.
Next time just use our big rubber muffin cups sprayed with nonstick spray, not ramekins.
Thanks for the review and for sharing your experience!
JennO says
These are THE best banana muffins EVER! I have made them on numerous occasions..,whenever I’m lucky enough to have very ripe bananas. The recipe is so easy to double. Most importantly, they are moist and delicious and a family favorite. I usually use pecans vs walnuts but it works well both ways. Thought it was high time I left a comment since I use it so often. Thank you!
Love it! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Jenn. We’re so glad these are a staple for you!
Antoinette says
Love these. I substituted spelt flour for the whole wheat pastry flour and added an additional 1/2 tablespoon of flaxmeal to for the flax egg mixture. They turned out great!
Thanks for sharing, Antoinette!
Caitlin says
I have TWO overripe bananas… was hoping to make a mini-loaf. Do I need to add another 1-2 TBSP of flour, or will I be OK?
Hi Caitlin! You’d probably want to add another ~2 Tbsp of flour, yes! Let us know how it goes!
Steph says
I made these with spelt and added a little hemp protein powder.
Very easy and tasty
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Steph! xo
Claire Padvaiskas says
If I wanted to make them banana chocolate muffins how many chocolate chips should I add? Also, would it work to use either all-purpose flour or almond flour? If so, which would yield the best results? :)
Hi Claire! We think when it comes to chocolate it’s best to measure with your heart… ;) but a good place to start could be 1/2 – 1 cup of chocolate chips. For the flour, all purpose would be the best choice here. Hope this helps!
Claire says
Thank you so much! Would 1 cup be too many chocolate chips since it’s just for two muffins, or would it bake okay still? :)
Sorry about that, Claire! We thought this was on our other banana muffin recipe =) 2-4 tablespoons would be better here!
Beatriz says
I was not able to find whole wheat pastry flour, ahoy Can I substitute using AP flour or Spelt flour?
Hi Beatriz! All purpose should work fine, but we aren’t positive that spelt will yield the same results. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Dylan says
Used ap flour and applesauce instead of flax and they turned out perfectly!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Dylan!
Beatriz says
It worked beautifully!!!! They were delicious!
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Beatriz! xo
Caroline says
Delicious and so easy to whip up! I’ve made these for the second weekend in a row–they’re that good.
:) I used spelt flour and coconut oil instead of whole wheat flour and butter and they turned out really fluffy and moist. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them, Caroline. Thanks for sharing! xo
Emily says
This recipe was so delicious. I subbed the flour for Oat Flour and it was perfect! I also used one small egg instead of the flax egg. Lastly, once it came out of the oven, I topped it with a dark chocolate square before it cooled. So. Delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Emily! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Parusha says
This recipe is everything I needed and more. Super easy and perfect timing for a morning treat. I subbed 1/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup cake flour and used coconut oil instead of the butter. Thank you!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Parusha. Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Irina says
This is going to me my tomorrow’s breakfast :) Just one question, what if I replace flax egg with a normal egg? Should I take 1 egg for two muffins? Thanks :)
Hi Irina, 1 small egg should work. Let us know how it goes!
RT says
This was soooo good. Like one of the other posts suggested I used all purpose flour. I also used egg replacer instead of flax seed as I did not have it. I had small ramekins so I got 4 small ones. I only filled half way and it rose spectacularly. Going to try with blueberry next as my spouse love blueberries. Thank you so much for this recipe.
SO wonderful! thanks for sharing, RT!
Megan Natrop says
A new favorite! We added a dab of apple sauce, subbed Coconut Sugar instead of the brown sugar, and doubled the recipe to use a muffin tin and we have no regrets – these are SO tasty! Thanks MB!
Hooray! So glad you enjoyed, Megan. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
fabienne says
i love how moist these came out, but they’re a little less sweet than i would normally like :X can i had some extra brown sugar without throwing the recipe off?
Sure!
Katie says
Delicious! I did what another commenter did and doubled the recipe to make 6. They were incredibly moist and my boyfriend didn’t even know they were vegan.
Thanks for sharing, Katie!
Kate says
These turned out great! I doubled the recipe and used a silicone muffin mould to make 6 muffins. I also used all-purpose flour because that’s what I had on hand. They needed about 35 minutes in my toaster oven.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Alana says
Very tasty! I might experiment using no sugar, maple syrup, or applesauce for the vegan butter sub. to make them a little healthier, but they were super easy and yummy to make. I doubled the recipe and it easily fit my 6 muffin tin. I substituted half pastry flour, half whole wheat flour (didn’t have whole wheat pastry), avocado oil for the vegan butter, and I added walnuts to the mix instead of just on top. 375 degrees for 20 minutes and they were ready…I think 25-30 in my oven would be too long. Thanks for the vegan recipe!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Alana. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Cheryl says
Came out great! I only had brown rice flour, whole wheat flour and bread flour. So I used a bit of each. Added vegan chocolate chips to batter. Posted pics on my IG with your tag!
Lovely! Thanks, Cheryl!
Charlotte says
I have made these so many times now and every single time they are delicious!
I actually upped the servings to 6 because I had 3 overripe bananas and I was able to make 12 muffins.
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Charlotte! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jodi says
Y U M. I made these last night with 2 spoiled black bananas and no sugar, and they were amazing! I also subbed avocado oil for the butter.
Such great texture. They rose so high and are so fluffy and moist even the next day! I baked them in a regular muffin tins, so they made 4 beauties and we’re done in about 20 min. Will be making again!
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Jodi!
Stephanie says
Delicious!!! I made it gluten free by subbing half almond flour and half quinoa flour. Texture and flavor were so good!!!!!
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
Maria says
I have made this recipe a good 6 times and every time is amazing! is the only recipe I know I can never go wrong with, I’ve done chopped almonds, blueberries and chocolate chips as topping, I have also done a full 24 mini cupcakes, and jumbo cupcakes, it’s just a perfect recipe!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Maria! xo
Rebecca says
Just made these – deliciously banana-y and that classic muffin texture where it’s part cake, part bread. Did some substitutions as currently living in lockdown with my non-vegan sister and had some food to use up: subbed the butter for 14g rapeseed oil, and the flax egg for an actual egg. Seemed to work great! Cooked at fan 190C for 15 mins then dropped it to 175 for a further 5 mins which seemed to be enough (should probably have gone lower temp on the fan for 20-25 mins but every oven is different and mine likes to BURN!). I also added some chopped up walnuts and a small amount of left over milk choc cookies through the batter. They get the sisterly stamp of approval and now we have one left to fight over :D
Rebecca says
Whoops I meant I added chocolate chips, not chocolate chip cookies!!!
Kelly says
These were soo good! I was looking for a one banana recipe for my single overripe banana (and a plus that whole wheat flour was what I had on hand!) Delicious with the toasty walnuts, I did use olive oil in place of the melted butter. Keeping this one, thank you for the recipe!
J. S. says
I doubled the recipe & baked them in 11 small silicon muffin moulds for 30 min. & they are delicious. I used regular sugar since I didn’t have brown sugar. I may add 1 tbsp. of extra sugar next time. Also substituted pastry flour with ½ whole wheat flour & ½ plain wheat flour. I also coated the walnuts with a little bit of flour before folding inside the batter just before scooping in the moulds & they didn’t sink to the bottom. Will be making with choco chips/coco powder next time for my daughter.
Do you think adding 1tbsp of coco powder & reducing 1tbsp of whole wheat pastry flour in your recipe good enough? Thank you so much for the simple but delicious recipe.
Thanks for sharing! That might work. Or maybe try our new banana chocolate chip muffins: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-bowl-fudgy-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins-vegan-gf/
Maureen says
This is an easy and delicious recipe!! I double it and used a mini muffin pan & it made 19 of them. Thank you. I will be bookmarking this one for sure. There is only 2 of us in the house so this is perfect.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Maureen. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Rachel says
Yumm, these were so easy and so good! Solo quarantine is a perfect time to make small batches of baked goods. I made a few modifications and they turned out great.
– I used refined coconut oil instead of vegan butter.
– I added chopped walnuts to the batter (highly recommend).
– I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour, so I subbed half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. I think I could have done 3/4 whole wheat.
– I didn’t have ramekins, so I used a regular muffin tin and made 3 muffins. They baked 18-19 minutes that way.
Maarit says
This recipe is just perfection. I don`t even know how many times I have baked these lovely muffins, but every time these just turn out so delicious! I even buy sometimes some extra bananas and keep these on hold so I can make these :D
Thank you for this recipe!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Maarit! Thanks for sharing!
Naza says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! The muffins came out great!!! I used GF oatmeal flour (made at home), added some roasted hazelnuts and added some melted chocolate. I was craving something very chocolaty :) and this just did it for me! Thank you Dana!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Naza! Thanks so much for sharing!
Neerali Parag says
Hi would it be ok to use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
Neerali Parag says
Okay I went and read previous comments and found the answer! Sorry! Thank you!
Margaret says
This is my first review ever! I had to let you know that these are my husband’s favorite muffin and he would eat them every day if they were available. Needless to say I make them very often. The giant muffin size is a plus. I always double or triple the recipe. Thank you ☺️
Aw, yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Margaret! xo
Catherine says
Nut Allergy: what can be substituted for the nuts & peanut butter for an equivalent nutritional value. This is a big problem I’m generally finding with vegan recipes. Many thanks
Hmm, that’s tricky! Depending on the recipe, maybe flax seeds or chia seeds?
Catherine says
Thank you
Joni says
Hello, I double this recipe and use 3 bananas. It comes out wonderful as a loaf of bread we can eat all week!
Glad to hear it, Joni! Thanks for sharing!
Ellen says
Hi
I’ve made these muffins many times. I’ve used Bob’s garbanzo bean flour for the added protein. Can also use Bob’s Gluten Free flour. I’ve added fresh blueberries and once added applesauce. All good choices for a moist muffin. I use convection bake at 350 for 12 minutes in a mini muffin tin. This gives me 15 mini bites which I prefer. All of my friends love these! Thank you.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Ellen. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Mirta Bates says
Hi, can I replace the flax egg mixture with a tablespoon of “just egg” its plant based, and if so what quantity?
Hi Mirta, we aren’t sure whether that would work. It might not bind as well. Let us know if you try it!
Vera says
HI,
Came out perfectly, had 4 medium sized muffins!
Perfect for a breakfast with a black coffee!
Saving money too by using my cupboard staples!
And I added raisins too in addition to the other changes I made!
(see below)
Thanks again!
Vera
Vera
Vera says
HI,
Just have the muffins in the oven! Thank you for the recipe! I adapted it and used what I had in the cupboard. I used white flour, chia seeds, and oatmeal along with the banana!
Can’t wait to try!
Best wishes,
Vera
Thanks for sharing, Vera!
natalie says
Made these into mini muffins! I doubled the recipe and got 18 mini muffins. Added mini vegan chocolate chips and did not add nuts to make a nut free version. Made them in a mini muffin tin instead of ramekins. Baked for 12 minutes and they came out perfectly cooked and nice & fluffy and moist!! YUM!
Monisha says
Hi _ This looks good -what Gluten free flour can i use ?
Thanks
Hi Monisha,
You could try subbing a gluten-free all-purpose blend (such as our DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend). Although we haven’t tried it and cannot guarantee the results. Hope that helps!
Debra says
If you look up the word perfection in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of these muffins. So moist and tender, so delicious, sweet and banana-y. I doubled the recipe and made six normal-ish muffins using some really cool unbleached parchment muffin papers. I rarely bake so even these simple muffins were scary. Now, I can’t wait to have more over-ripe yucky bananas so I can make these delicious gems.
Hah! We’re so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Debra :D
June says
I made these muffins and they were delicious!! So good, in fact, I’ve made them TWICE already! The second time with extra walnuts chopped in!
sarah says
Used that sad, black banana in the fruit bowl to make these this morning. Turned out great! I loved using my ramekins as I was able to bake these using my toaster oven (quick preheat)! True confessions…I used an egg vs. a flax egg :-) Gonna hide the second muffin for my breakfast tomorrow!
Sangs says
I just want to say thank you for all your wonderful recipes, I always use them and don’t usually leave a message but I want you to know how fantastic your recipes are! They always work every single time with no need to make any adaptations. I just love this recipe and I love that you provide options for buts left over like an overripe banana I had in my fruit bowl and wasn’t sure what to do with it. Thank you
We are so glad you have been enjoying our recipes! Thank you for the review :D
Jennifer says
I made these and swapped the flour for a gluten free flour blend (President’s Choice brand if you live in Canada) and they turned out great! Absolutely hit the spot with a cup of coffee for breakfast. I also love that it only makes two, so it’s a nice treat for my husband and I without have to eat a dozen muffins before they spoil or I have to freeze them. Fresh is best!
Akela says
I was looking for something sweet to snack on and doubled this recipe to make 6 regular muffins. They came out very good. Easy and quick. ?
Sherrie B says
My muffins turned out amazing!! Super moist and delicious!! Definitely will make these again. I didn’t have pastry flour so I substituted organic unbleached all-purpose flour. Added to my faves!
Thanks for sharing your substitutions, Sherrie!
Darcia says
I had two bananas to use so happily doubled the recipe. I only had regular muffin tins and the double recipe made 10! This is so wonderful! They were so easy, I confess I dumped everything in my blender and gave it a little spin…easy peasy. They needed just 20 minutes because they were in muffin pans. They are beautiful and smell divine. Oh, and they taste AMAZING. ?
Cathie says
I love love love these muffins…and your website. I have made them at least once a week for the last few weeks. I double the recipe so I can have 2 – my husband and son get 1 each.
Glenn says
Dear Cathie: I am shocked at your public admission that you are not fully sharing these delicious muffins with your son and I… Next time TRIPLE the recipe!!!!
Izzy says
So yummy! I made this with almond meal because I didn’t have whole wheat flour and it turned out fantastic!