Cooking and Serving: 32 minutes | 6 muffins
Ingredients
Oil: Any neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, avocado) works | Vegan butter: Block-style vegan butter provides flavor and moisture. The kind | Apple cider vinegar: Reacts with baking soda alone and the baking soda in
Description
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 32 minutes | Servings: 6 muffins
Ingredients
Oil: Any neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, avocado) works
Vegan butter: Block-style vegan butter provides flavor and moisture. The kind
Apple cider vinegar: Reacts with baking soda alone and the baking soda in
Granulated vegan sugar: Adds sweetness and tenderness. If you’re a very
Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness, tenderness, and depth of flavor. Be sure
Gluten free flour blend: For the proper structure, you need a finely ground
Tapioca starch: To help the muffins rise up tall without eggs, we add
Salt: Brightens all the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
Vanilla extract & butter emulsion oil: Add depth of flavor in these otherwise
Chocolate chips: The easiest and most popular of all mix-ins, they add some
7 tablespoons (88 g) granulated sugar, (vegans, be sure it’s appropriate)
5 tablespoons (68 g) packed light brown sugar, (vegans, be sure it’s
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) nondairy milk, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon LorAnn butter emulsion oil, optional, for buttery flavor
3 tablespoons (42 g) vegan butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ tablespoons (21 g) neutral oil, (canola, grapeseed, vegetable, peanut
1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
½ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
6 tablespoons (46 g) tapioca starch/flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces mix-in pieces, dairy free chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped
Coarsely ground sugar, optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
WHY THIS RECIPE MAKES THE BEST VEGAN GF MUFFIN
These muffins combine vegan butter and oil for a super tender crumb without any.
oily flavor, and add some extra tapioca starch to a classic gf flour blend for.
the best texture and a supported rise. Plus, with plenty of vanilla extract and.
buttery-flavored vegan butter emulsion oil, they’re full of authentic bakery.
This vegan recipe has all the same texture as our classic gluten free chocolate.
with eggs and buttermilk. But it’s developed without the need for eggs in the.
first place, so it’s vegan first and without compromise.
Made easily in one bowl, this small batch recipe can be doubled easily to make.
an even 12 muffins—or even halved to make just 3!
chocolate chip muffin sliced in half on white plate.
chip muffin sliced in half on white plate.
WHY THIS RECIPE MAKES THE BEST VEGAN GF MUFFIN
These muffins combine vegan butter and oil for a super tender crumb without any.
oily flavor, and add some extra tapioca starch to a classic gf flour blend for.
the best texture and a supported rise. Plus, with plenty of vanilla extract and.
buttery-flavored vegan butter emulsion oil, they’re full of authentic bakery.
This vegan recipe has all the same texture as our classic gluten free chocolate.
with eggs and buttermilk. But it’s developed without the need for eggs in the.
first place, so it’s vegan first and without compromise.
Made easily in one bowl, this small batch recipe can be doubled easily to make.
an even 12 muffins—or even halved to make just 3!
chocolate chip muffin sliced in half on white plate.
chip muffin sliced in half on white plate.
Notes
* How to make gluten free vegan muffins, step-by-step
* Expert tips for bakery-style muffins
* Variations & mix-in ideas
* Ingredient substitutions
* Gluten Free Vegan Muffins Recipe
* Storage instructions
WHY THIS RECIPE MAKES THE BEST VEGAN GF MUFFIN
These muffins combine vegan butter and oil for a super tender crumb without any
oily flavor, and add some extra tapioca starch to a classic gf flour blend for
the best texture and a supported rise. Plus, with plenty of vanilla extract and
buttery-flavored vegan butter emulsion oil, they’re full of authentic bakery
This vegan recipe has all the same texture as our classic gluten free chocolate
with eggs and buttermilk. But it’s developed without the need for eggs in the
first place, so it’s vegan first and without compromise.
Made easily in one bowl, this small batch recipe can be doubled easily to make
an even 12 muffins—or even halved to make just 3!
chocolate chip muffin sliced in half on white plate
chip muffin sliced in half on white plate
Overhead view of ingredients measured out for gluten free vegan muffins,
including gluten free flour, dairy free milk and butter, oil, chocolate chips,
and flavoring extracts
view of ingredients measured out for gluten free vegan muffins, including gluten
free flour, dairy free milk and butter, oil, chocolate chips, and flavoring
The ingredients in this recipe may seem a bit unfamiliar, since there are no
“egg replacers.” Just basic ingredients that act together to create the best
textured muffin. Here’s a bit about what each does:
* Oil: Any neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, avocado) works
well. Just a little bit helps lock in moisture without adding flavor or
making the muffins taste oily.
* Vegan butter: Block-style vegan butter provides flavor and moisture. The kind
in the tub has too much oil, so use Miyoko’s Creamery, Melt, or Trader Joe’s
vegan butter, which are all good. If you use Earth’s Balance Buttery Sticks,
reduce the salt * Plant-based milk: Adds richness and brings the muffin batter together. Use
something with a similar thickness to cow’s milk, like unflavored and
unsweetened almond milk or soy milk. Avoid anything fat free, like rice milk,
anything with texture, like oat milk, or anything without enough moisture,
like canned coconut milk.
* Apple cider vinegar: Reacts with baking soda alone and the baking soda in
your baking powder to help the muffins rise high. It may have a strong smell
in the bottle, but it doesn’t add any distinct flavor to the muffins.
* Granulated vegan sugar: Adds sweetness and tenderness. If you’re a very
strict vegan, refined sugars can be vegan
if they’re processed without
the use of bone char, so look for words like “natural” and “raw.”
* Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness, tenderness, and depth of flavor. Be sure
it’s vegan if you’re strict.
* Gluten free flour blend: For the proper structure, you need a finely ground
rice flour based blend that’s properly balanced. Better Batter’s classic
blend and Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour (blue bag) are
both vegan-friendly. If you’re using Bob’s, add another 1/4 teaspoon xanthan
gum or your muffins will be crumbly. You can also use my mock Better Batter
blend, but Nicole’s Best has milk powder, so it won’t work here.
* Tapioca starch: To help the muffins rise up tall without eggs, we add
additional tapioca starch even though your blend most likely already contains
* Salt: Brightens all the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
* Vanilla extract & butter emulsion oil: Add depth of flavor in these otherwise
simple muffins, especially in the absence of eggs and regular butter. LorAnn
brand butter emulsion is sold on Amazon (where I bought it) and in some of
the larger craft stores.
* Chocolate chips: The easiest and most popular of all mix-ins, they add some
texture and a touch of chocolate flavor. Enjoy Life is my favorite brand of
vegan-friendly chocolate chips.
Close-up of a chocolate chip muffin on a cooling rack, wrapper peeled back to
show the tender crumb
of a chocolate chip muffin on a cooling rack, wrapper peeled back to show the
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE VEGAN MUFFINS, STEP-BY-STEP
1. MAKE THE MUFFIN BATTER
Begin able to break up any lumps in the brown sugar. Add the vegan milk, vanilla
extract, butter emulsion oil, melted vegan butter and oil, and whisk vigorously.
The mixture should lighten in color as you begin to emulsify the oil in the milk
which creates a more tender, smooth muffin after baking.
Add the gluten free flour blend including xanthan gum, additional tapioca
starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. You can whisk these dry ingredients
together separately to avoid clumping of the leaveners, or just scatter each of
them evenly over the top of the wet ingredients.
Whisk until very well combined. The mixture will fall off the whisk in
relatively thin ribbons.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar mixed together in a large metal mixing bowl,
ready to begin the batter.
sugar and brown sugar mixed together in a large metal mixing bowl, ready to
Whisking together sugar and wet ingredients until well combined and smooth.
together sugar and wet ingredients until well combined and smooth.
Gluten free flour, starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt added to the wet
mixture in the same bowl.
free flour, starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt added to the wet mixture
Whisking batter until smooth and fully incorporated.
batter until smooth and fully incorporated.
2. LET THE BATTER SIT
Let the batter sit, undisturbed, for about 30 minutes. As the flours absorb some
of the moisture, the mixture will thicken. That creates a more stable batter
that can hold the chocolate chips in suspension, and will rise higher in the
oven. Double-acting baking powder will activate once when it’s first mixed with
moisture, and again when it goes into the oven.
Thicker muffin batter after having rested being turned over with a silicone
spatula before folding in chocolate chips.
muffin batter after having rested being turned over with a silicone spatula
before folding in chocolate chips.
Finished muffin batter with chocolate chips folded in, ready for portioning.
muffin batter with chocolate chips folded in, ready for portioning.
3. PORTION THE BATTER AND BAKE
Fill the wells full with batter, concentrating it toward the center of each
well. In my experience, thick muffin batter piled high makes for muffins with a
beautiful, tall dome.
If you’re making 6 muffins (meaning you didn’t double the recipe to make 12),
and you don’t have a 6-muffin tin, leave every other well of the tin empty to
give the muffins space to expand without interfering with each other. Place the
pan in the oven and fill the empty wells about 70% full with hot water to
encourage even baking. Cold or lukewarm water will lower the oven temperature.
If you didn’t have time to let it sit, line the prepared muffin wells with some
plain batter first. Then, mix in the chips and fill the wells the rest of the
Bake first at 400°F for a burst of hot air that creates as much oven spring as
possible for a high dome, then finish baking at 350°F so the muffins don’t burn.
Cool briefly and transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling, and
Muffin batter portioned into a 6-cup muffin tin lined with muffin liners, topped
with extra chocolate chips and coarse sugar.
batter portioned into a 6-cup muffin tin lined with muffin liners, topped with
extra chocolate chips and coarse sugar.
Freshly baked gluten free vegan muffins in the tin, golden brown with chocolate
chips and sugar on top.
baked gluten free vegan muffins in the tin, golden brown with chocolate chips
EXPERT TIPS FOR BAKERY-STYLE MUFFINS
LET THE MUFFIN BATTER REST
When you let the smooth muffin batter, without chips or other mix-ins, rest for
about 30 minutes, the batter thickens enough to keep the mix-ins from sinking in
the batter during baking. Without eggs, this is a relatively thin muffin batter
when just mixed. This way, the chips stay suspended in the thicker batter, and
the muffin tops rise even higher into a big bakery-style dome.
USE A COMBINATION OF OIL AND VEGAN BUTTER
Even though the vegan butter is melted, combining it with a neutral oil like
peanut or vegetable oil keeps the muffins from smelling or tasting oily. If you
don’t mind that taste, the recipe will work with all oil (just replace the vegan
butter with 35 grams more oil, not 42, since oil is all fat and butter has some
Block-style vegan butter like Miyoko’s Creamery brand is better than ever
before, but it still doesn’t taste exactly like dairy butter. To get that butter
flavor and cover any oily aftertaste, try using LorAnn Oil’s vegan-friendly
butter emulsion oil. Although it doesn’t taste like much on its own (I tried
it!), it elevates the buttery flavor of baked goods.
FILL EVERY OTHER WELL OF A 12-CUP TIN
If you are making only 6 muffins, you don’t need a 6-cup muffin tin. It’s
actually better to use a 12-cup tin and fill every other well of the tin to
allow the tops plenty of room to expand without interference. To help the
muffins bake evenly, fill the empty wells 2/3 of the way full of warm water once
the pan is in the oven.
VARIATIONS & MIX-IN IDEAS
Any other sort of vegan chocolate chip works, but it’s best to avoid white
chocolate chips since a dairy free variety is very hard to find.
I like raw nuts best for baking, since they tend to be softer. Try adding some
broken pieces of walnuts or pecans. Toasted coconut chips would be great, too.
Whether you’re adding chocolate chips or nuts or not, try enhancing the flavor
If you’d like to make these into vegan blueberry muffins, start with only 3
ounces of fresh or frozen (undefrosted) blueberries but toss them in some more
tapioca starch/flour before carefully mixing them into the muffin batter. Be
sure to let the batter sit first to thicken before mixing them in.
You can also add up to 4 ounces dried fruit like raisins or dried cranberries.
Try 2 ounces dairy free chocolate chips and 2 ounces dried blueberries for a
4 chocolate chip muffins on round wire rack
chocolate chip muffins on round wire rack
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
Since these muffins are vegan, they’re already dairy free and egg free. There
are still some other ingredients you might like to replace, and some mix-ins you
might like to swap. Here are some ideas:
If you don’t have additional tapioca starch, try replacing it with superfine
glutinous rice flour in place of tapioca starch. You can also use more of the
all purpose blend, but the muffins will be shorter and the crumb tighter.
In my experience, apple cider vinegar is the most effective acid in activating
baking powder and soda. If you need to replace it, you can use fresh lemon juice
This is an optional ingredient. If you don’t want to purchase it, the muffins
are delicious as is. You can also use a full 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste,
or pure vanilla extract with some vanilla bean seeds.
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GLUTEN FREE VEGAN MUFFINS RECIPE
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 22 minutes mins
brown vegan gluten free muffins with mini chocolate chips on round wire rack
vegan gluten free muffins with mini chocolate chips on round wire rack
These gluten free vegan muffins are moist, tender, and have that beautiful
bakery dome on top, all without eggs or butter.
* 7 tablespoons (88 g) granulated sugar, (vegans, be sure it’s appropriate)
* 5 tablespoons (68 g) packed light brown sugar, (vegans, be sure it’s
* ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) nondairy milk, at room temperature
* ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
* ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* ½ teaspoon LorAnn butter emulsion oil, optional, for buttery flavor
* 3 tablespoons (42 g) vegan butter, melted and cooled
* 1 ½ tablespoons (21 g) neutral oil, (canola, grapeseed, vegetable, peanut
* 1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
* ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* 6 tablespoons (46 g) tapioca starch/flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 ounces mix-in pieces, dairy free chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped
* Coarsely ground sugar, optional, for sprinkling
* Grease and/or line 6 standard-sized muffin wells and set the pan aside. (See
* In a large bowl, place the granulated sugar and light brown sugar and mix
them together, breaking up the lumps in the brown sugar.
* Add the milk, vinegar, vanilla, optional butter emulsion, melted vegan
butter, and oil to the bowl, and whisk vigorously to combine very well. The
mixture will be thin.
* Scatter the dry ingredients, first the flour blend and xanthan gum, then the
tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, on top of the wet
ingredients. Whisk to combine until very smooth. The batter will be sticky
* Set the batter aside for at least 20 minutes, ideally 30 minutes. It will
thicken as it stands.
* While the muffin batter rests, preheat your oven to 400°F.
* Use a silicone spatula to turn the thickened muffin batter over a few times.
Add almost all of the mix-in pieces, and mix until evenly distributed
throughout. Reserve a few chips or other mix-ins.
* Fill the prepared wells of the muffin tin all the way with batter. Pile the
batter toward the center of each well if at all possible. Top evenly with any
remaining mix-in pieces and press in gently to help them stick to the batter.
Sprinkle the top of the batter in each well lightly with the optional coarse
* Place the baking tin in the top third of the preheated oven and bake for 10
minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until a
tester comes out mostly clean and the muffins are nicely domed (about another
* Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for 5
minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Flour blend information.
My favorite vegan-friendly gluten free flour blend is Better Batter’s original
blend gluten free flour. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is also
dairy free and works well. I recommend adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon xanthan
gum to your dry ingredients or the muffins will look good, but will be crumbly.
To make your own blend using my “mock” Better Batter recipe, please see the all
purpose gluten free flour blends
If you don’t have a 6-well muffin tin, use a standard 12-well muffin tin and
fill every other well. To ensure even baking, fill the 6 empty wells about 2/3
of the way with lukewarm water.
This recipe doubles really easily to make a full dozen (12) muffins. Just double
Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g |
Vitamin A: 383IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
Wrap baked and cooled muffins in plastic wrap or store in a sealed container at
room temperature. They will stay fresh that way for at least 3 days.
Freeze them in a single layer on a flat surface, then pile them into a sealed,
freezer-safe container. They’ll last at least 2 months that way, and can be
defrosted in the microwave and refreshed in the toaster oven.
One chocolate chip muffin on small white plate
chocolate chip muffin on small white plate
Can I use this same recipe to make a quickbread loaf?
No, this muffin batter doesn’t have enough structure to make a whole quickbread
loaf that rises and holds together properly.
Why didn’t my muffins rise?
Always check the freshness of your baking powder and baking soda, as they’re the
only source of rise in this egg-free, vegan recipe. Make sure you didn’t omit
the vinegar, which activates the baking soda, and measure all of your dry
ingredients means once when hydrated and a second time in the oven.
What can I use if I don’t have butter emulsion oil?
You can just leave it out and use the recipe as-is, or replace the vanilla
extract with 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste for enhanced flavor.
What happens if I don’t let the batter rest first?
The muffins will still turn out, but they’ll just be a bit shorter. If you watch
the recipe video, you’ll see that I didn’t always let the muffin batter rest.
Instead, to prevent the chocolate chips from sinking all the way to the bottom,
I lined the muffin wells with some plain batter first before mixing in the chips
and filling the wells all the way.
What’s the best type of plant-based milk for this recipe?
I really like unsweetened almond milk, since it has some fat and not a lot of
distracting flavor. Unsweetened unflavored soy milk and Ripple milk are also
great. I don’t like baking with oat milk since it usually has unwanted texture,
but if you have a favorite oat milk that mimics cow’s milk in texture, it’s
Can I make these muffins oil-free?
Yes, you can use all melted vegan butter instead a combination of butter and
oil. I prefer to add some oil to help soften the crumb and keep the muffins
Can I reduce the sugar or use maple syrup instead?
I don’t recommend reducing the sugar, since it’s also a tenderizer and keeps the
muffins moist. If you’d like to try using maple syrup in place of both sugars,
try using 6 tablespoons (126 grams) pure maple syrup, and reduce the milk 1/2 tablespoons. Reduce the initial oven temperature to 375°F since maple syrup
burns more easily, and let the muffin batter sit for 1 hour before adding the
chips since it has extra moisture that we aren’t able to entirely remove.
How should I store these muffins and how long do they last?
These moist and tender muffins will stay fresh in a sealed container at room
temperature for at least 3 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them
wrapped tightly, and removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
Defrost for 20 seconds in the microwave and sprinkle with water then refresh in
a 300°F toaster oven until warm.