Name: Vegan Savory Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 350g (About 2 and a half spooned and leveled cups) all purpose flour (see note 1 for GF sub); ½ cup nutritional yeast (see note 2); 1 tablespoon double acting baking powder; 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili, optional; ½ cup vegan sour cream, homemade or store-bought (see note 3); ¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (see note 4); ⅔ cup grated carrot (about 1 medium large carrot) (see note 5); ⅔ cup zucchini (about 1 small zucchini; ⅓ cup grated onion (½ medium or 1 small onion), water squeezed out; 3-4 cloves garlic, minced; 3-4 tablespoons fresh chives, cut in half-inch strips (see note 6)

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Incredibly delicious and delightfully easy, these Vegan Savory Muffins are the perfect breakfast for anyone who isn’t into sweet breakfasts or just needs to switch it up a bit. Make up a quick batch of these veggie-packed muffins at the beginning of the week and enjoy easy, portable breakfasts or snacks for several days after.

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Hey Internet, I’ve already expressed my love for muffins, and in general really any baked good, but did you know that there is a thing out there called savory muffins and it’s kind of amazing?

If you’re cringing at the thought, think of it this way. It’s kind of like a softer English muffin, but packed with veggies, a little cheesy flavor, and a tiny kick of spice (optional). It’s delicious, and honestly I’m kind of obsessed with these.

I mean, you might be too if you made like 10 batches over the last 2 weeks. I had to get that texture perfect, and I was also busy making a gluten-free version too!

Well, the fact that I’m sharing them with you now should give you the utmost confidence that these are SO TASTY and easy to make.

The best part is that you could make a double batch and freeze half, or just make a double batch if you have a big family. Me, my family is just my husband and my dog (and she’s not allowed to have these guys lol), but my husband sure polished these off quickly.

They're definitely kid-friendly, which is a big win for parents looking for a easy but delicious breakfast to serve the family. Check out my list of vegan kid-friendly recipes or my list of 50+ vegan snacks for kids!

What You’ll Need

Flour: For the regular version of these muffins, all purpose flour is perfect. You can definitely try with a whole wheat or spelt flour, but you may need more liquid. If you’re looking for an unrefined option, go for the gluten-free version which is made with garbanzo bean flour (AKA chickpea flour or gram flour). A cup for cup flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour will also work fine.
Nutritional yeast: Some nutritional yeast adds a lovely cheesy flavor and a light nuttiness to this recipe, but if you really hate the flavor, you can substitute it with a half cup more flour.
Baking powder
Salt: Use whichever kind you like. I typically do sea salt or Himalayan salt (because it’s what we like). If using table salt, I’d go a little lighter since it tends to taste saltier.
Cayenne pepper: Totally optional, but I just loved the very slight kick. It didn’t make them spicy, just very flavorful. Similar spices like chipotle, chili powder (or flakes), or black pepper would also be great here. Feel free to omit if you prefer.
Vegan sour cream: More so than just non-dairy milk, sour cream is really useful in baking. Even in non-vegan baking, bakers often use sour cream in muffins, cakes, etc. Yes, in sweet recipes! So any store-bought vegan sour cream will work, but I like to keep it simple by making my own three ingredient vegan sour cream from tofu, salt, and lemon juice. You can also use plain vegan yogurt.
Unsweetened non-dairy milk: To make the batter, we will need some non-dairy milk. Just use your favorite unsweetened unflavored plant milk. I like soy milk a lot, but feel free to use oat milk, almond milk, or whatever you like.
Veggies: I used grated carrot, zucchini, onion, and some minced garlic in this recipe. You can use whatever veggies you like, but I recommend ones you can grate because chunks of veggies won’t cook fast enough. You could also use thawed frozen vegetables like peas and corn. Or, throw some spinach into the batter. You could even do spinach and artichoke hearts, or sun dried tomatoes. Be careful with fresh tomatoes because they are quite liquidy.
Fresh chives: Some fresh herbs are lovely on top. I loved fresh chives on this, but parsley, oregano, thyme, or cilantro would be great too. Basil may turn brown from the heat, but it would be delicious here too. Green onion is also a good option.

How to Properly Measure Flour

We want to measure our flour by weight, not by volume. When you scoop flour out of a bag or tin with a measuring cup, you're packing it in there and not necessarily getting the same amount each time.

What's better is to use a food scale with a tare function (allowing you to zero out the scale after you've put the bowl on it so your bowl isn't playing a factor in your equation).

Working in grams, put your bowl on the scale and zero it out. Scoop the flour into the bowl until you reach the desired measurement.

How to Make Vegan Savory Muffins

Helpful equipment for this recipe: A box grater is perfect here, but any hand grater should work. You’ll need a large mixing bowl, a whisk, and a spatula too. A large cookie scoop is useful for perfectly dividing the batter into the muffin tin. You’ll also need one of those; I love this silicone muffin tin because it’s so easy to get the muffins out.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and grease a muffin tin lightly. It’s actually not necessary with the silicone muffin tin I recommended above.
Mix the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and use your spatula to create a well in the center of the mixture.
Grate the veggies and mince the garlic. Don’t forget to press the excess water out of the onion. I like to put the shreds in a colander and press with my fingers, but you can use a kitchen towel or paper towel if preferred. Set them aside for this next part.
Pour the non-dairy milk into the center of the well and add in the vegan sour cream. Give it a quick, thorough stir and then add the grated veggies and garlic. Stir once more. You should have quite a thick dough-like batter. This creates a nice chewy-textured muffin.
Using a large cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the batter among the muffin cups, pressing down lightly so it’s evenly distributed.
Sprinkle fresh chives (or any herb you like) on top of each muffin and very lightly press them into the muffin with your fingers.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. An inserted toothpick should come out clean when they are fully cooked.
Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from the tin. Eat one warm, they’re SO GOOD.
Store in a container on the counter for 4-5 days (gluten-free muffins may be a little drier after 2-3 days). Reheat in the microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer depending on desired texture. Serve with vegan butter if you wish, but honestly they’re pretty amazing on their own.

Unbaked muffins in a silicon tray topped with chives

More Easy Vegan Breakfast Ideas

While I’m more of a savory breakfast person than sweet, I’m mostly just a quick breakfast person. Here’s a few of my favorite recipes:

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do, and Mr. Zardyplants does too. He eats 3-4 of them at a time lol. Good thing they’re quick to make!

These vegan savory muffins are:

Light
Fun
Cheesy
SO FLAVORFUL
Veggie-packed
Chewy yet fluffy somehow
Wholesome
Satisfying
Packed full of nutrients
Customizable
And a super easy and quick breakfast for anyone.

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

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