Vegan Raspberry Muffins (Oil-Free)

Recipe features

• They’re dairy-free, egg-free, and oil-free
• Made with whole wheat flour
• Sweetened with maple syrup and optional vegan chocolate chips
• Flavored with ground cinnamon and vanilla extract
• Moist and flavorful
• Quick, kid-friendly, and freezable

Ingredient notes

The recipe calls for simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Whole wheat flour - Two cups of whole wheat flour are used to create these easy vegan raspberry muffins.  It can also be substituted with white whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.  I have not tested with gluten-free flour, so I can’t say for sure that it will work.

Cinnamon, salt, and vanilla - To add flavor to these dairy-free raspberry muffins.

Baking powder and baking soda - Used to make the muffins rise. 

Dairy-free milk - Any unsweetened plant-based milk will work.  Try it with oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk.

Maple syrup - Used to sweeten these delightful little muffins.  I have not tested with any other sweetener.

Applesauce - This is used instead of oil or butter to keep the muffins moist.  I used unsweetened applesauce.

Apple cider vinegar - This is necessary to react with the leavening agents, but can be substituted with lemon juice.  You won’t be able to taste the apple cider vinegar in the muffins.

Raspberries - Can’t have vegan raspberry muffins without sweet raspberries.  Frozen or fresh raspberries can be used, but don’t thaw if using frozen. For more raspberry-inspired recipes try them in raspberry overnight oats or chocolate raspberry overnight oats.

Chocolate chips - The chocolate chips add sweetness and pair well with raspberries.  If you prefer not to have the sweet chocolate and tart raspberry combo, skip the chocolate chips and replace them with ¼ cup of raspberries.  For more treats using vegan chocolate chips, try vegan banana bars with chocolate chips.

Important tips for using whole wheat flour

• Spoon the flour into a cup, then level off with the back of a knife.  Flour can compact while being stored and just scooping out a cup of flour can result in too much flour for the recipe, creating dense raspberry vegan muffins.  When baking, weighing ingredients will deliver better results.  If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spooning the flour into a cup and then leveling off is the second-best option.  Be sure you don’t pack down the flour when leveling it off, just scrape off any excess flour above the cup fill line.
• To not over mix, the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are measured out separately.  Then, when adding the wet to the dry, only mix until it’s almost combined.  I like to use a fork for this.  Then add the raspberries and chocolate chips, using a silicone spatula fold them into the batter while finishing to combine the dry and wet ingredients.  
• If you’re new to whole wheat flour or just trying to bake with less all-purpose, you can use a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.  

Do you need to thaw frozen raspberries?

If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the batter.  Sometimes a few of them can be frozen together, break them apart when adding to the mix.

Tips

• Once the muffins are done, let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.  This helps prevent soggy muffins.
• Don’t over-mix whole wheat flour! It’s combined when you can’t see any more dry ingredients, it does not need to be completely smooth.
• If your baking powder or baking soda clumps, sift to break up chunks.
• If the frozen raspberries are stuck together, break them apart before adding them to the vegan raspberry muffin batter.
• The vinegar and leavening agents will start reacting once mixed.  So as soon as it’s mixed, promptly disperse the batter into the muffin tray, and then promptly put it in the oven.
• Preheat the oven, give your oven about 10 minutes to adjust to the temperature once preheated.  I use an inexpensive oven instant-read thermometer to make sure my oven temperature is accurate.  A proper oven temperature is essential for baking.
• When checking with a toothpick and it’s covered in chocolate, you probably hit a chocolate chip, try another spot with a new toothpick.
• Mix the dairy-free milk and ground flax seed first to let it soak while measuring the other ingredients.

Silicone muffin liners

Oil-free muffins tend to stick to paper muffin liners, so I opt for reusable silicone muffin liners. During testing, once the muffins were cooled and stored in the fridge my paper liners came off easier but they also seemed to soak up moisture from the muffins.  If you don’t have silicone liners, spray the muffin tray cups with non-stick spray then use a paper towel to wipe it around each cup (not oil-free but it is minimal).

Instructions

To make these delicious vegan raspberry muffins, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone muffin cups or spray with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and ground flaxseed, and set aside.

Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level off the top with the back of a knife.  Add it to a large mixing bowl along with the ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk them together, making sure the leavening agents and salt are well combined with the flour.  

To the milk/flaxseed mixture, whisk in the maple syrup, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract until combined. Use a silicone spatula to scrape all of the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, then use a fork to stir until the flour is about halfway mixed in. 

Then add the chocolate chips and raspberries, using a silicone spatula to gently fold everything until just combined (it doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth).  Fold by scooping the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl up the side to the top moving around to get all sides.  Make sure to get all pockets of flour. Stirring too much will produce denser muffins.

Then evenly distribute the batter into a lined or greased muffin pan.  The dough will be thick and need to be spooned into the cups.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tray, then transfer them to a cooling rack to continue cooling.

Storage

Muffins can be kept covered at room temperature for a couple of days.  For longer storage, store in an airtight container for about a week in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months. 

To freeze muffins separately, place them on a small baking tray that will fit in the freezer.  Place the tray with the muffins into the freezer: once they are frozen, place the muffins into a freezer bag or container.  Now they’re frozen separately.  Alternatively, use parchment paper to keep the muffins separate so as to not freeze together.

Related recipes

• Blueberry oatmeal cups
• Chocolate raspberry overnight oats
• Raspberry overnight oats with almond butter

I hope you enjoy the recipe!  If you like the recipe, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.