These easy Healthy Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins with a touch of lemon are oil-free, moist, tender, fluffy, soft and absolutely delicious! Such a simple recipe with simple ingredients and they taste just like a traditional blueberry muffin!
HEALTHY VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
These amazing healthy vegan blueberry muffins are so gorgeous, fluffy and soft, nobody would ever believe they are refined sugar-free, oil-free, no oil and no butter, no eggs and much lower fat than most recipes.
They are SO delicious! If you are needing gluten-free, check out my vegan gluten-free blueberry muffins, which are also oil-free. Interested in learning more about oil-free baking? Follow my full guide here!
No fancy ingredients or methods, just easy and simple vegan healthy blueberry muffins. These contain fresh lemon juice and zest for the most flavorful lemon blueberry muffins. If you are a huge lemon fan, then try my most popular cake recipe; this vegan lemon cake!
If you are into blueberries, then you will love these vegan blueberry pancakes as well!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- All-purpose flour
- Blanched almond flour: Using a small amount of almond flour lends lots of moisture, fluffiness and tenderness to these vegan blueberry muffins. That is because almond flour contains fat. Since these are oil-free vegan muffins, adding fat is crucial to the texture. I tried these with all all-purpose flour and found them very chewy. I use the superfine almond flour by Bob’s Red Mill.
- Baking powder
- Pure maple syrup: Keeps these healthy blueberry muffins refined sugar-free.
- Non-dairy yogurt: Using yogurt here provides extra flavor and some fat to the muffins. It also provides moisture since these are oil-free.
- Lite coconut milk: This is really the main source of fat here and there isn’t a whole lot of it, so it’s pretty important for moisture and texture and fluff. I tried these with a low-fat oat milk and they were terribly chewy, so I don’t recommend it. If allergic to coconut, use another really creamy high fat milk like one of the higher fat oat milks. Lite, thin milks like almond, rice, low-fat oat will make for a flatter, dense, less fluffy muffin. Soy milk is very high in protein and will make these quite chewy, I do not recommend it.
- Lemon juice: This adds extra flavor and fluff to the muffins.
- Vanilla extract
- Blueberries
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Step 1: To a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients well.
Step 2: To a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the wet over the dry and very gently mix until incorporated and the batter is smooth, but being very careful not to overmix! Overmixing batters that contain all-purpose flour (gluten) can easily become dense, chewy and not rise well. The batter will be thick.
Gently fold in the blueberries.
Step 4: Divide the batter into 9 muffin liners. The batter will fill up high, this is correct and how your muffins will be tall and fluffy.
Step 5: If desired, for crunch and a beautiful presentation, sprinkle raw sugar on top of each muffin.
Step 6: Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or a toothpick is clean with no wet batter. They should be a beautiful warm golden brown color on top and puffy.
Step 7: Cool 15 minutes before serving.
RECIPE TIPS FOR THE BEST MUFFINS
Follow the recipe as written. It has been tested multiple times. As always, with baking, it is very scientific and changing even one ingredient can affect the outcome. This is especially true with vegan and oil-free baking.
Use a scale. I’ve said for years the importance of using a scale with baking. Too much flour and they will be dry, not enough, they will be gummy. Since it’s very easy to mismeasure flour with cups, using a scale gives much more precise results. This is my favorite scale I’ve used for years.
Use room temperature liquids. The yogurt, milk and syrup all need to be at room temperature. Or close to it. Coconut milk and yogurt get super cold and thicker in the fridge. To help with a smoother and easier to mix batter, room temperature ingredients will help for fluffier muffins and prevent overmixing the batter.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I make these gluten-free?
For this recipe, I do not suggest subbing with a gluten-free blend, they are all very different and quite finicky with my recipes. Since my recipes are oil-free, that further changes how those blends can perform. Instead, make my gluten-free vegan blueberry muffins. They are a reader favorite!
Can I use whole wheat flour?
No, whole wheat has a much larger amount of gluten. If you use whole wheat, they would be extremely dense and chewy. You can try spelt or whole wheat pastry flour though. They will be more tender and likely not rise as much, but that would work much better than whole wheat. Use the same gram weight amount.
Can I omit the almond flour?
No, it’s imperative to use it for the fat needed for these healthy blueberry muffins. Without the fat, since these are oil-free, they will be quite chewy and dense. The almond flour provides lightness. See the substitution suggestion above or on the recipe card below if you are allergic.
If you are allergic to almonds, you can try a seed meal like sunflower seeds or tigernut flour. I have not tested these personally, but suspect they should work well since 1/4 cup is not a large amount here.
Can I use a different sweetener?
You can sub the maple syrup with agave if you like. It is not as rich of a flavor, but will technically work.
MORE VEGAN MUFFIN RECIPES
- Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Gingerbread Muffins
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins
- Vanilla Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Bakery-Style Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Cinnamon Coffee Muffins
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
The Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) regular all-purpose flour (see NOTES below for GF)
- 1/4 cup (28g) superfine blanched almond flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (200g) pure maple syrup or agave, room temp
- 1/4 cup (60g) canned lite coconut milk, shaken well first (SEE NOTES below), room temp
- 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsweetened plain creamy non-dairy yogurt (I used cashew yogurt, the Forager brand), room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (90g) fresh blueberries
- raw sugar for topping, optional
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups to compare, just the scale and bowl, making sure to hit zero before each addition.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Make sure your liquids are at room temperature before beginning. Cold ingredients make for tough batters and muffins and harder to mix smoothly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with 9 liners. 10 if using a lot of blueberries. 9 will yield quite fluffy muffins.
- To a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well.
- To a separate medium bowl, whisk together the syrup, milk, lemon juice/zest, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until very smooth and frothy.
- Pour the wet over the dry and very gently mix with a spoon until incorporated and the batter is smooth, but being very careful not to overmix! It's ok if there are a few lumps as long as no more flour is visible. Overmixing batters that contain all-purpose flour (gluten) can easily become dense, chewy and not rise well. The batter will be thick.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter into 9-10 muffin liners. The batter will fill up high, this is correct and how your muffins will be tall and fluffy.
- Sprinkle raw sugar on the top of each muffin if desired. It gives a pretty sheen and crunch.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick is clean. 20 minutes was perfect each trial for me.
- Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Blanched almond flour: Using a small amount of almond flour lends lots of moisture, fluffiness and tenderness to these vegan blueberry muffins. That is because almond flour contains fat. Since these are oil-free vegan muffins, adding fat is crucial to the texture. I tried these with all all-purpose flour and found them very chewy. If you are allergic, I would suggest another nut/seed meal like finely ground sunflower seeds or perhaps tigernut flour.
- Lite coconut milk: This is source of fat here and there isn't a whole lot of it, so it's pretty important for moisture and texture and fluff. I tried these with a low-fat oat milk and they were terribly chewy, so I don't recommend it. If allergic to coconut, use another really creamy high fat milk like one of the higher fat oat milks. Lite, thin milks like almond, rice, low-fat oat will make for a flatter, dense, less fluffy muffin. Soy milk is very high in protein and will make these quite chewy, I do not recommend it.
- Coconut milk brands: I use the 365 whole foods lite canned coconut milk or the Sprouts lite. Both are very creamy and not watery. Do not use the Polar brand, it is all fillers and gums and will ruin the muffins.
- Gluten-free: If you need gluten-free, make these gluten-free blueberry muffins!
- See post above for further common sub questions answered!
Nutrition
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Did I miss how to store these?
Brandi messaged me this recipe on Instagram yesterday (I love that she offers to send recipes!), and I made them for my family that evening. They were quickly devoured, and everyone pronounced them the yummiest blueberry lemon muffins they’ve had. So I made another batch today. 🙂 This recipe takes only a few minutes to make and is so yummy! Also, I started using a scale for baking instead of measuring cups, after reading about them on Brandi’s blog, and it makes baking so much easier, especially for my daughters who are getting into baking now and appreciate having less to wash after they are done mixing the ingredients together! We have learned a lot from Brandi’s tips in her recipes.
You are just the sweetest Jennifer, thank you so much for this incredible review!!
Made these yesterday and they are delicious! This will definitely be my go-to blueberry muffin recipe from now on!
Yay! Thank you!
Yummy yummy in my tummy! Just made these delicious blueberry muffins and my husband and kids almost finished them all. I was lucky enough to eat two. These had the right flavor, mild sweetness, moisture and fluffiness!
SO happy to hear this Kimmie!
Made these a few times and they have been perfect every time even with using frozen blueberries. Thank you for posting such an amazing recipe 🙂
That is amazing to hear Emily, thank you!
Hands down my new favourite muffin!! I can’t believe how good they are!! I made a batch this weekend to bring to work for my coffee breaks, such a treat mid morning!! Things like these muffins make having to cut out dairy and meat so much easier, thank you!!
Whooops forgot to add the stars!!
I’m so so happy to hear this Tara!! Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and I freakin love these muffins! Moist and cakey and delicious. This is a double-batch worthy recipe!
I found 200 g of maple to be a little sweet for my taste so I cut it in half the 3rd time around and they still came out quite nice.
Also, maybe it’s the type of maple I’m using but I found a half cup plus 2tb to be about 175g…?
Great recipe overall, def keeping it taped in the cabinet with my other all stars. Thanks Brandi!
I’m so happy you love these so much!! 1 tablespoon of maple is 20 grams so that is how the gram weight is listed and what I go by. But definitely use less if desired and make up for the lack of syrup with some milk so the liquid ratio is correct.
Thoughts on using full-fat coconut milk? I cant find the lite version where I live.
It’s going to be way too thick so I would dilute the coconut milk first. I can of full fat is 3 parts to 1 part water compared to lite coconut milk, for certain brands. Just mix the can with 1 1/2 cans of water, blend well and then measure.
Made these (3) times in the past 2 weeks, they are that good!
Yay, love hearing that Chris!
can this recipe be made in a loaf pan
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure!
These were great! I modified them because we don’t use sugar or sugar subs and we don’t like coconut milk. They still were wonderful! I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup almond flour, I subbed almond milk for coconut milk. I subbed coconut milk for maple syrup. I doubled the blueberries. They still worked out great!
Hi!!! I just made these for Mother’s Day and they were incredible! My mom and everyone loved them!
Thank you again for a wonderful healthy treat!!
Can I make a loaf and use chocolate chips instead of blueberries?
That’s so wonderful to hear Christine!! I haven’t tried that before but it’s worth a shot! Especially with chocolate chips, that sounds yummy. Just tent the top with foil if it starts to brown too much on top and continue to bake it until a toothpick comes out clean. Let me know if you try it!
These are super delicious and the texture is absolutely amazing. Thank you Brandi! I was wondering if you think this recipe would work well to make a pound cake in a loaf pan?
Yay! Thrilled to hear this Mea! I haven’t tried that before but it’s worth a shot! Just tent the top with foil if it starts to brown too much on top and continue to bake it until a toothpick comes out clean. Let me know if you try it, I need to try it myself!
These muffins are delicious! Came out very moist. I love the mix of lemon with the blueberries. I topped mine with brown sugar, as I had no raw sugar and they tasted great!
Brandi, can I chop the blueberries or would that affect the dough? I’m excited to try these!
Ohhh my gosh!!! These muffins were amazing! If I could give 10 stars I would! They came out perfect, delicious, incredible unexpected flavor! Lemon and blueberries, what?!!!lol
I ended up cutting the blueberries in half, no problems with dough, haha! I also sprinkled a few pecans along with the blueberries and with the Raw sugar. I didn’t do the lemon zest because I had a 6mo old screaming in the background. Which by the way I love how simple your recipes are so us busy Moms can pull healthy foods together right away, especially using your recommended scale. I also filled all 12 cupcakes with less batter and baked an extra 5 minutes. Perfect!!
Thank you so much Brandi you are amazing at what you do! God Bless!
Yay, so happy you loved these so much and pecans sound really delicious addition!
These muffins are incredible!! The perfect texture & taste. Plus, that hint of lemon is simply perfection! Hard to resist not eating them all at once.
Woohoo! Thank you Lynn!
Brandi!! These were fantastic!!! I’m a huge fan of all things lemon (and blueberry), but for some reason have never made a lemon blueberry muffin until now! What a wonderful combination, and these were incredibly light and fluffy! AND gone in a couple of days 🙂 I didn’t have fresh blueberries on hand, but I had frozen wild blueberries and they worked perfectly – just tossed them in a little AP flour before adding them to the batter. It’s already been requested that I make these again – definitely a keeper recipe! It’s so fun to be able to make more of your creations!
I made these with Einkorn flour and they turned out wonderful! Very moist and the lemon was a bonus.
So wonderful to hear!
This recipe was super easy and delicious! I was out of AP flour so used what I had which was spelt. It only made 6 muffins and took a couple minutes longer to bake but maybe because the spelt flour is a little heavier? I had everything else and used maple syrup. So good, my family loved them – thank you!
So glad y’all loved them! Yay! You must have a larger than normal muffin pan tray? Because 9 in a standard pan fill right up to the top like pictured. If I were to try 6, that would spill everywhere, haha! And yes, spelt provides more moisture, so that would make them take a tiny bit longer to bake.
Made these this morning. I didn’t think it was possible to have a better muffin than your GF blueberry ones, but oh lordy – these are DELICIOUS!! Thank you for such wonderful recipes!
Legit my FAVE vegan muffins! The lightest ones and sweetest/freshest flavor!!! And fave blueberry muffin recipe ever!! A second fave vegan 8 version is the oat flour/almond flour blend version!!
Woohoo, so ecstatic to hear this Autumn, thank you!!
I made these muffins IMMEDIATELY after they were posted because I just happened to have entering I needed. My goddess, they are the perfect blend of lemon and blueberry goodness! I used a giant lemon, and seated the entire thing. Perfect.
Yay! Thrilled to hear this!
Knew right away that I would need to double this recipe. Good thing I did! Kids ate several and I might have eaten 4 of them 🤫. They were so good! Perfect texture, so fluffy. I love the addition of the lemon, might not ever make blueberry muffins again without it! Thank you! Perfect Spring and Summer muffin 😍
This makes me so happy to hear Nina! They looked so perfect on social media, thank you for making them!
It says 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, but it just says (g). How many grams is it supposed to be? These look really yummy!
Oops it’s 150 grams!
Delicious! Moist and yummy. I used Rivera brand vanilla oat based vegan non dairy yogurt and omitted the vanilla extract. I did not use sugar on top as it didn’t need it. Definitely will make again.
Thank you for posting recipe!
Yay, thank you so much for making them already! Yes, the sugar on top is just for extra fancy presentation and crunch, definitely doesn’t need it for flavor! So glad you loved these!