Fluffy Vegan Blueberry Muffins – Sweet Potato Soul

Who needs the bakery when you can easily make these perfectly light and fluffy Vegan Blueberry Muffins? Made with nutrient and protein-rich spelt flour and juicy berries and topped with a cinnamon-nut streusel, these handheld morning treats are the perfect way to start any morning.

Introducing my delightfully light and fluffy vegan blueberry muffin recipe! These portable, healthy treats are perfectly comforting, sweet, and studded with juicy berries. They’re so good that unsuspecting snackers will never guess they’re dairy-free and egg-free!

Baby J and I love enjoying these warm with a pat of vegan butter or a brush of coconut oil. They’re delicious paired with a vegan hot chocolate (for her) and an oat milk matcha latte (for me).

Whenever I have it on hand, I prefer to make the muffins with spelt flour because it contains complete protein, fiber, and micronutrients (source), and gives the muffins a nice crumb and lovely, subtle nutty flavor. But, don’t worry if you don’t have it or can’t find it in time to make the recipe; the muffins are still totally tasty with whole wheat or all-purpose flour.

Looking for more handheld breakfast treats? Check out my other vegan muffin recipes: Sweet Potato Oat Bran Muffins and Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins.

Ingredients

Spelt Flour: As noted above, this is one of my favorite flours for vegan muffins because of its impressive nutritional profile. It also gives the crumb an incredible texture! You can find it in well-stocked grocery stores, health food stores, and online. If needed, substitute whole wheat or all-purpose flour.

Blueberries: The rightful star of this vegan blueberry muffin recipe! Frozen berries make this recipe doable year round. However, I adore fresh blueberries when they are in peak summer freshness. If using frozen, don’t defrost them before adding.

Avocado Oil: Adds richness to the muffins while keeping them dairy-free and adding healthy fats!

Non-Dairy Milk: I recommend soy milk for protein and healthy fat, which tenderize the crumb, but you can use any dairy-free milk: almond, oat, or a refrigerated coconut milk blend. Just make sure whichever vegan milk you use is plain and unsweetened.

Cane Sugar and Brown Sugar: For sweetness. I recommend light brown sugar, but you can swap dark for deeper caramel notes.

Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract whenever possible for the best vegan blueberry muffins.

Flaxseed Meal and Water: When mixed together, these form a flax “egg,” which binds the egg-free muffins.

Apple Cider Vinegar: This tenderizes the crumb and reacts with the baking soda to mimic egg whites, binding the batter and making the crumb light.

Seasonings: Ground cinnamon adds a sweet warmth, cardamom light floral notes, and lemon zest a light citrus finish. A touch of salt enhances the other flavors, bringing them to life.

Leavening Agents: Baking soda and baking powder help the eggless blueberry muffins rise, giving them a bakery-style lightness.

How to Make Vegan Blueberry Muffins

• Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a muffin pan by lining the baking cups with muffin liners.
• Make Streusel. In a small bowl, combine and mix the ingredients for the streusel topping.
• Mix Flax “Egg”. In another small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside to thicken while you prepare the other ingredients. 

• Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cane sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk well.

• Add Wet Ingredients. Add the soy milk, avocado oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and flaxseed mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

• Add Blueberries. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the blueberries into the muffin batter until combined.

• Scoop Muffins. Using a cookie scoop, fill the baking cups with equal amounts of the batter. Then top the muffins with equal amounts of the streusel topping. There is no need to press the streusel into the batter.

• Bake and Enjoy. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until the muffins have risen, are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before eating. 

Jenné’s Recipe Pro-Tips

• Measure the flour carefully. For the best, light and fluffy dairy-free blueberry muffins, fluff the flour with a fork before gently scooping it into measuring cups and leveling off the tops.
• Don’t overmix. Stir the batter and berries until just combined. Overworking the batter develops the flour’s gluten, resulting in heavy and dense muffins — no fun!
• Do not thaw frozen berries. Defrosted berries do not work because they express a lot of liquid, adding excess moisture to the batter and a dark purple hue. Gently stir in the berries straight from the freezer, and stir them until just combined to minimize the purple streaks.

Recipe Variations

Add your own touch to these healthy vegan blueberry muffins by making any of the following adjustments:

• Mixed Berries: Swap all or part of the blueberries with raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries for a berryful twist.
• Chocolate Chips or Nuts: Add a touch of indulgence by stirring 1/2 cup of dairy-free mini chocolate chips or chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter before baking.
• Gluten-Free: Swap 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for the spelt and let the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking to make this vegan blueberry muffins recipe gluten-free. Cool the muffins completely before enjoying for the best texture and flavor.
• Mini Muffins: Prepare two mini muffin pans and divide the batter between the cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Refined Sugar-Free: Substitute additional cane sugar for the brown sugar, or swap coconut sugar for both sugars to make the recipe processed sugar-free.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy egg-free blueberry muffins as a tasty on-the-go breakfast, afternoon pick-me-up, or with any of the following vegan breakfast and drink recipes for a healthy full-spread meal:

Storage Directions

• Storage: The vegan muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, you can freeze the muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost them at room temperature for 30-60 minutes until defrosted.

More Vegan Breakfast Recipes