These healthy vegan pumpkin banana spelt muffins are easy to make and so tasty at breakfast or snack time, especially with a smear of nut butter!

I don’t know about you, but I have some specifications when it comes to a muffin. First of all, it has to have some heft and density to it. It’s a muffin, not a cupcake, gosh darn it! Second of all, it has to be perfectly moist. There’s nothing more frustrating to me than biting into a dry, crumbly muffin, or one that is too moist in the middle. Third, it has to be sweet enough without being too sugary; in other words, breakfast-appropriate. Well, folks, I’m happy to report that these vegan pumpkin banana spelt muffins tick off all the aforementioned boxes, and then some.

While I’m definitely more comfortable with creating savoury recipes, I’ve been trying to get better at developing recipes for baked goods and desserts during the pandemic. I can happily say that the efforts are finally paying off, and the proof is in a couple of my most recent dessert recipes, such as the sweet potato brownies that I shared the other week, and these muffins!

As I mentioned in my chocolate hemp smoothie post, I like to shake up my breakfast routine from time to time. Most recently, I’ve been enjoying a healthy muffin such as this along with a smoothie for breakfast, and it’s such an energizing combination that is guaranteed to put a spring in your step. I was so happy when I tasted these muffins for the first time at breakfast the other week. They’re a great way to use up over-ripe bananas, and the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices provide that warm and cozy touch, plus some extra moisture. They’re sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar (plus the bananas), and are completely amenable to any other mix-ins you enjoy, such as walnuts/pecans, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or a little bit of everything! I also love to sprinkle a little bit of coconut sugar over top of each muffin before baking so that they come out with a crispy sugar topping.

vegan pumpkin banana muffins ingredients

Ground flax, water, bananas, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut oil, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, rolled oats, spelt flour, walnut or pecan halves, chocolate chips, and/or dried fruit (raisins or cranberries).

instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together the ground flax and water in a large bowl and wait a couple of minutes for it to thicken. Add the mashed banana, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, and non-dairy milk. Whisk to combine. Next, mix in the spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, followed by the rolled oats. Finally, whisk or stir in the flour. If using chocolate chips, stir them in now, reserving 2 tablespoons for sprinkling over top. If using dried fruit, mix in all of it now.
Using a heaping ⅓ cup in each muffin cup, divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
Sprinkle the walnuts or pecans over top, followed by the reserved chocolate chips, if using. Sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon of coconut sugar, if desired.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before using a butter knife and your fingers to gently lift each one out of the pan.
Transfer onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely before placing in an airtight container. You can store them at room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the fridge for at least a week or the freezer for a couple of months.

more of my vegan pumpkin recipes

I hope that you love these vegan pumpkin banana spelt muffins! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made.

Enjoy!