Vegan Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

These vegan blueberry lemon muffins are light, airy, and perfumed with vanilla. Super easy to make – no special equipment needed!

One of the best things about brunch is the freedom to mix sweet and savory foods in the same meal. Because it’s breakfast and lunch, you can have chicken and waffles, pancakes and a side of bacon, and so forth. There are no rules! It’s anarchy!

I love nibbling on something sweet alongside [or as a prerequisite to] my savory brunch, and these vegan blueberry lemon muffins fit the bill perfectly. They’re light and airy, and not overly sweet. They have a rich, moist texture – thanks to coconut oil and almond flour – and a heavenly lemon-vanilla aroma. Best of all, they’re incredibly simple to make and require zero special equipment. Let’s jump in!

What’s In These Vegan Blueberry Lemon Muffins

These healthy dairy-free muffins are made with two types of flour – all-purpose and almond. The AP flour creates structure, while almond flour adds lightness (as well as protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients). The wet ingredients include plant-based milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. There’s also fresh blueberries, lemon zest, baking powder, and a minimal amount of raw sugar. (In fact, one of these muffins has 7.4 grams of sugar, which is less than a serving of this popular blueberry yogurt.)

What Makes These Muffins So Magically Moist and Fluffy

Almond flour! Most traditional muffins are made with wheat flour, which creates dense, chewy results (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Almond flour, on the other hand, is rich (thanks to the healthy fats in almonds) and fluffy. Using some wheat and some almond – like this recipe – creates light and airy, moist-textured muffins. Some wheat flour is necessary though, to give the muffins structure (i.e. gluten).

Ingredient Notes + Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour: If you want to healthify these a bit, swap the AP flour for whole wheat pastry flour.
• Almond Flour: Can be subbed with another nut flour like hazelnut, macadamia, or cashew.
• Raw Sugar: Can be subbed with maple sugar or coconut sugar. Regular white sugar will also work.
• Baking Powder: Essential for making muffins rise in the oven.
• Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen.
• Lemon Zest: This OXO zester is the best for zesting citrus. If you don’t have a lemon around, use a lime, orange, or even clementine. You can also use a drop of lemon extract or skip the lemon altogether.
• Oat Milk: Oat milk is the best vegan milk for baking because it’s rich and most closely resembles dairy milk; cashew is another favorite. If all you have is almond or soy, that’ll work too.
• Coconut Oil: Use virgin coconut oil if you like the taste of coconut; use refined coconut oil if you don’t. You can also sub it with avocado oil or organic canola.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Then add lemon zest and blueberries, and toss with a rubber spatula to coat the blueberries in flour; this will help them stay suspended in the batter versus sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Mix the Wet Ingredients: Measure out a cup of milk, then add the oil and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula just until everything’s combined and there are no dry patches of flour left. Do not over-mix.

Portion and Bake: Divide the batter among muffin cups, filling them almost all the way to the top. Bake until the tops are lightly golden, roughly 25 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

More vegan baking ideas…

• Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Scones
• Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
• Vegan Miso-Tahini Brownies

Let me know if you make these muffins! Give them a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

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