Vegan Spinach Blender Muffins
Vegan Spinach Blender Muffins- Naturally sweetened and made with whole grain oats, these delicious muffins are the perfect way to sneak in some green! (gluten-free + oil-free)
I’m a huge believer in the power of GREENS. In fact, I try to make it a point to include something green with at least two meals per day. If you’ve ever tried it then you know it’s not always easy to do!
Green smoothies are an obvious way to get greens in with breakfast but for those times when you’re not in the smoothie mood these muffins are a great alternative. They’re very similar to my Green Monster Muffins but they’re made without eggs so they’re a little lighter on the calories, cholesterol and fat. They also pack in 5-ounces of baby spinach so they are loaded with green. Way better than eating a salad, if you ask me.
What You Need to Make Them
- Bananas- these are key for proper moisture, binding and natural sweetness. You want to make sure they are fully ripened and medium to large in size. If you use bananas that are too small, your batter will be thick and difficult to handle, and the muffins will turn out dry. To be sure you have enough you can measure out 1 cup of mashed banana then add it to the blender.
- Baby Spinach- I like to use baby spinach because it’s super mild (meaning you can’t taste it in the final product!) and easy to find. Plus all you have to do is dump the container into the blender which keeps things nice and simple. That said you are welcome to mix it up with kale or another leafy green that isn’t overpowering in flavor.
- Non-Dairy Milk- pretty much any kind of dairy-free milk will work here. I’ve tested them with almond, oat and soy milk, and they’ve all worked well.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- we need a bit of acid to activate the leavening agents so please don’t leave this one out!
- Pure Maple Syrup- maple syrup adds moisture and natural sweetness. I find that the thinner texture blends better than honey but you can still use honey in a pinch. If you want to use granulated sugar instead of maple syrup, you’ll probably need to up the amount of liquid by 1/4 cup. I haven’t tested them this way so I’m just guessing. Experiment at your own risk!
- Peanut Butter- nut butter helps give the muffins moisture and fat which are key for good texture. I like to use peanut butter because I always have some on hand and it’s usually the cheapest option. However, any nut butter will work. If you want to make them nut free you can tahini or sunflower seed butter. Just make sure they are stirred well and drippy in texture so that you aren’t using hard clumps!
- Rolled Oats- If you have a high speed blender then you don’t have to worry about messing with flour. The Vitamix pulverizes the oats to the point that you’ll never know they were there. For tips on how to make the muffins without a high speed blender please see below.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda- yes, we need both for proper leavening!
- Cinnamon and Salt- cinnamon and salt both round out the flavor but aren’t entirely necessary if you want to leave them out. If you’re making these for small children (specifically under the age of 1) you definitely want to leave out the salt and use unsalted nut butter.
- Optional Mix-Ins- when I make these for myself I like to add dark chocolate chips because I can never have enough chocolate. YUM. Blueberries or chopped nuts would also be delicious!
How to Make Them
- Layer the wet ingredients in the blender (banana, spinach, nut butter, syrup, vanilla extract, milk and apple cider vinegar). Blend until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients on top (rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt). Blend on high until a smooth batter forms.
- Stir in any mix-ins such as blueberries, chopped nuts or my personal favorite: dark chocolate chips.
- Pour in a muffin tin and bake until golden brown!
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A HIGH SPEED BLENDER?
You’ll notice that the Vitamix does a stellar job breaking down the oats and making my muffins look like bakery perfection. If you can afford to invest in one, I highly recommend it.
That said, if you don’t have a high speed blender you can easily make these by using equal amounts oat flour and combining the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. Then you just add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet and stir to combine.
If you want to try more blender muffins like these be sure to check these out:
- Vegan Banana Oatmeal Blender Muffins
- Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Muffins
- Healthy Flourless Gingerbread Muffins
- Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Healthy Flourless Morning Glory Muffins
**Please note that some of the recipes above are not vegan but they are all dairy-free**
Vegan Spinach Blender Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 medium-size ripe bananas, at least 1 cup mashed
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, see notes for subs
- 2 cups rolled oats, *be sure to use certified GF oats if allergic
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the ovent to 350°F then grease or a line a muffin tin. You can make 9 medium size muffins or 12 small. Grease your tin accordingly.
- In a high speed blender, layer the wet ingredients first: banana, syrup, milk, vinegar, vanilla, spinach, and nut butter. Blend on high until smooth.
- Next layer the dry ingredients: rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Blend on high until all of the oats are completely pulverized and a smooth batter forms. If you want to add any mix-ins, stir them in now by hand.
- Fill the muffin tin almost to the top (if making 9 muffins) or about ¾ of the way full for 12 muffins. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until light golden brown on the edges. Set aside to cool before serving. Leftovers are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will last up to 1 week. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Looks like another yummy one! I’m sure we’ll be giving it a try soon.
Seems so tasty!! I will have to avoid the maple syrup though, as I need to eliminate all sugars.
Do you think the consistency will be too thick then? Should I add milk? Or maybe an egg (I’m not vegan)?
You might be able to substitute with 1/4 cup milk…they will likely be a little more dense. Also the flavor won’t be sweet at all if you do that so just be aware!
These look and sound yummy. No ripe bananas right now. Do you think I could use applesauce instead?
Robin M
Applesauce is more acidic than banana so it would likely require adjusting the leavening agents and I can’t say by how much without testing it myself. I’ll have to work on that one next! :)
Awesome recipe, thanks! Which other flour/grain do you think could work?
I prefer to use the blender to make these as the texture is always better but if you wanted to use flour then brown or white rice flour would be the closest to oat flour. I can’t guarantee results without testing it myself though.
These turned out wonderfully! Super tasty and they’re the perfect accompaniment to my morning smoothie! I will be making these again, for sure! I love the green colour and I feel like they would be fun for kids!
Thank you so much for another great recipe!
Delicious! Reduced maple syrup to 1 Tbl and substituted milk for remainder. They were plenty sweet.
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I didnt see the vanilla listed in the directions but then noticed it afterward in the ingredient list… so I made mine without vanilla by accident.
Sorry about, Laura! I’ll update the directions now.
Ok great. And for the record, they tasted amazing even without the vanilla. I am making them again today! Glad to have a healthy muffin option for my vegan son. Thank you.
Great recipe! My Toddler loved them!
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I made this recipe but used dairy milk and substituted sunflower kernel butter for the peanut butter. The texture of the muffins was disappointing; they were not fluffy and not sure they even baked all the way though. Seemed a little raw at the bottom, despite baking for almost 30 minutes. Also, the color of the muffins was not pleasing. I have made spinach muffins in the past (non-vegan) and the color and texture resembled that of the picture above. I’m not sure what caused the failure. Any ideas, Sarah?
Hi Susan! This recipe is meant to be vegan so using dairy milk will change the acidity and therefore the power of the leavening agents. Also, sunflower butter turns baked goods a greenish brown when cooked so that was the culprit with the color. I would recommend using non-dairy milk next time as I haven’t tested them with dairy since we don’t eat it.
We LOVE these muffins. My husband likes them made as mini muffins so each one is only about 2 bites. A quick and delicious snack ☺️
I am going to make these for an event with friends who must eat gluten free. I am planning to buy GF oat flour, but want to clarify – you are saying use 1 cup oat flour to equal 1 cup rolled oats?
Thanks!
yes that’s correct!
What do you think about adding cacao powder?
I think just adding it would cause the muffins to be dry and difficult to blend. You would have to adjust the liquid ratios which would require some experimenting. That said, I do have a chocolate vegan blender muffin recipe here which you could probably add some spinach to: https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/vegan-double-chocolate-banana-blender-muffins/ I hope that helps!