Vegan Banana Walnut Bran Muffins (No Added Sugar)

Easy vegan banana walnut bran muffins made with no added sugar. These fruit-sweetened muffins are packed with fiber and make for a perfect healthy snack. They’re also versatile and can be made with different add-ins, including chocolate chips or raisins.

I first shared my regular banana bran muffins in 2019 and they’ve been a blog favorite ever since. When I switched to sharing vegan recipes exclusively in 2020, I knew that I wanted to create a vegan version of this favorite recipe. These muffins are very similar to the original recipe, but this time, they’re egg-free. I adjusted the ingredients slightly to make them fluffier, without the egg. I also topped them with walnuts for a little extra crunch. The results: Soft, moist and lightly sweetened vegan muffins that are high in fiber.

Before you try this recipe, I want to be clear that this is not an overly sweet muffin recipe. They are only sweetened with bananas and applesauce after all. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying sweetened muffins (I often do), I find that these muffins are delicious without. I love to top them with jam or peanut butter, but they’re also good on their own. That being said, we all have a different preference for sweetness, so if you prefer sweeter muffins, you can find my suggestions in the FAQ section below. I encourage you to adjust the recipe to your taste, whether that means adding sugar or sweet add-ins.

Banana Walnut Bran Muffin Ingredient Substitutions:

Add Spices: For different flavors, you can try adding nutmeg and/or cardamom to the muffins. Pumpkin pie spice could also work well.
Add Fruits: Feel free to add blueberries or dried raisins to add a light sweetness to the muffins. Raspberries, dried cranberries and other fruits could work too. Have fun with it!
Add More Nuts: The recipe already has walnuts for topping, but feel free to add some in the batter too. You can also swap the walnuts for other nuts. Pecans would work well.
Add Chocolate: Add chocolate chips for extra sweetness. Of course they won’t be fruit-sweetened in this case, but it would be a delicious addition to these nutritious muffins.

How to Make Vegan Bran Muffins:

Here are the simple steps to make vegan bran muffins.

Prepare the Muffin Pan
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom of a muffin pan or use muffin liners.
Combine the Ingredients
Add the mashed bananas, applesauce, oil, plant-based milk and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. In a different medium-large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
Bake
Transfer the mixture to the prepared muffin pan, making 12 muffins. Top each muffins with the chopped walnuts. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and let them cool a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Vegan Banana Walnut Bran Muffins FAQ:

Can I Add Sugar to the Muffins?

If you want a nutritious fiber-rich muffin recipe with a little more sweetness, you can add a bit of sugar. I haven’t tested this recipe with sweeteners myself, but many readers have made them with a touch of maple syrup or even stevia. If you use maple, I would recommend starting with 1-2 tablespoons as adding more might affect the texture of the muffins. If you want them sweeter, try adding granulated sugar to taste.

If you don’t want to add sugar to the batter, but would prefer a sweeter snack, I highly recommend serving them with a fruit jam.

How Can I Make Gluten-Free Bran Muffins?

For a gluten-free option, you can try replacing the wheat bran with oat bran (use certified gluten-free if needed) and the flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.

More Vegan Bread and Muffin Recipes:

Vegan Banana Walnut Bran Muffins (No Added Sugar)

Easy vegan banana walnut bran muffins made with no added sugar. These fruit-sweetened muffins are packed with fiber and make for a perfect healthy snack. They're also versatile and can be made with different add-ins, including chocolate chips or raisins.

Course Snack

Cuisine vegan

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings 12

Ingredients

2 large overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened (at room temperature)
1/4 cup avocado oil, or other light-tasting oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plant-based milk, plain and unsweetened
1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour, spoon and leveled
1 cup wheat bran, spoon and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped (for topping)

Optional Add-Ins

Vegan chocolate chips
Raisins
More chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom of a muffin pan or use muffin liners.
Add the mashed bananas, applesauce, oil, plant-based milk and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
In a different medium-large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared muffin pan, making 12 muffins. Top each muffins with the chopped walnuts. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let them cool a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Notes

Note that these muffins aren’t overly sweet as they’re only sweetened with fruits. They’re great served as a healthy snack with peanut butter, jam or vegan butter. You could also add chocolate chips or fruits to the batter, such as blueberries, raspberries, dried raisins or cranberries.

For different flavors, you can add more spices to the muffins, such as nutmeg and/or cardamom.

If you don’t have walnuts, you can use other nuts. Pecans would be a great alternative. You can also skip the nuts and make regular banana bran muffins.

For a gluten-free option, you can try replacing the wheat bran with oat bran (use certified gluten-free if needed) and the flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.

If you make these vegan banana walnut bran muffins, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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View Comments

jacquie says:

2023-01-24 at 6:27 am

Hi - i have been looking for a good vegan bran muffin low sugar recipe for years now so i was super psyched to see yours. however, i don't use bananas. Is there something i could substitute? all applesauce? or pumpkin? I

thanks.
jacquie
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2023-01-30 at 10:52 am
  
  Hi Jacquie, I do think that pureed pumpkin or all applesauce (or a combination of both) would be the best substitutes, though I can't guarantee the same results. If you use pumpkin puree especially, just keep in mind that they won't be as sweet as they are with the bananas. You could adjust the sweetness to your taste if needed by adding a bit of sugar or by serving them with a sweet topping. I hope you'll enjoy the recipe!
jacquie says:

2023-01-31 at 4:54 pm

thanks
Mara Sides says:

2024-09-20 at 9:03 am

These muffins rose beautifully. Great texture and taste. I used almond oil and added 1/4 date syrup to sweeten it up a bit. My husband and I enjoyed them very much. Thanks for a great recipe. It's a keeper!
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2024-11-03 at 8:12 am
  
  Thank you so much Mara, I'm so happy you both enjoyed them!
Haeli Draper says:

2024-11-10 at 12:37 pm

Our favourite healthy muffin recipe - kids LOVE. Delicious with added chocolate chips (obviously,ha), but also use blueberries often which is just as delicious.
- Nourished by Caroline says:
  
  2024-11-15 at 10:49 am
  
  Thank you so much Haeli, I'm so happy that you all love the recipe! Chocolate chips are definitely a great addition. :)