Vegan Cinnamon and Banana Pecan Muffins

With a combination of banana, pecans, cinnamon, and no added sugar, these spiced vegan banana pecan muffins are tender, moist, lightly spiced, and perfect for a fall or winter healthy breakfast or snack!

Moist and Warming Vegan Spiced Banana Pecan Muffins

I love seasonal baking. During fall, I love enjoying vegan apple muffins and warming pumpkin muffins. Earlier this summer, I shared blueberry zucchini and chocolate chip banana muffins. But for a transitional summer-fall treat, it's the perfect time for vegan spiced banana pecan muffins!

Combining the flavors of banana nut bread, pecan pie, and a cinnamon roll in a much healthier, naturally sweetened breakfast muffin, these vegan banana nut muffins are sure to be a family favorite.

With the sweetness of the overripe bananas and the crunch of pecans, all laced with warming cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice), these cinnamon pecan muffins are the perfect way to use overripe bananas this fall/winter.

Better yet, this vegan pecan pie muffins recipe requires just one bowl, 10 ingredients (and nothing hard to find), and just a few minutes of prep. Just mix the ingredients, pour it into a muffin pan, and bake.

While the results aren’t as fluffy and domed as dessert muffins, these cinnamon-spiced banana pecan muffins are slightly denser and heartier, making for an easy (and delicious) healthy breakfast muffin or lunchbox snack. They’re also perfect for the holidays, like a Christmas brunch.

Best of all, this recipe is fairly versatile. Swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin spice, use other nuts, make them gluten-free, enjoy them with extra add-ins —the sky is the limit. You can even make these vegan fall muffins ahead to store in your fridge or freezer, as needed!

The Ingredients

Just 10 simple, primarily pantry ingredients are all you require for this easy pecan pie muffins recipe.

ingredients for Vegan Cinnamon and Banana Pecan Muffins measured out against a white surface

Banana: Mashed banana not only naturally sweetens these vegan cinnamon muffins, but adds moisture and binds in place of egg. Alternatively, pumpkin puree or applesauce could work, but the flavors and color will vary (and you’ll likely need additional sugar).

Use overripe bananas with plenty of dark spots, for the best flavor and sweetness. If the banana isn’t ripe enough, it won’t be sweet enough, either.

Pecans: Use raw (or lightly toasted), unsalted, chopped pecans. Walnuts or hazelnuts would also work.
Vegan buttermilk: By combining any dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar (I like soy milk, but cashew milk, oat milk, etc., also work), you can create an easy buttermilk substitute.
Dairy-free butter: Use your favorite vegan butter. I love Miyoko’s or Earth Balance.
Flour: All-purpose flour works fine, but you could also use that alongside whole wheat flour or spelt flour (I usually use a 50/50 blend).
Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla to avoid an artificial aftertaste.
Leavening agents: You’ll need a combination of baking powder and baking soda to provide lift and texture to the vegan banana nut muffins.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is my go-to simple option for these vegan banana nut muffins. However, for more flavor, ramp up the spices with pumpkin pie spice or chai spice.

Optional Add-ins or Variations

Adapt this pecan muffin recipe to the season, your dietary needs, and what you have available with little effort.

Sugar: By relying on just the mashed banana, the sweetness in these vegan banana nut muffins is very subtle. To boost it further, I recommend adding a small amount of demerara or brown sugar (about ¼-⅓ cup), though a sugar alternative like erythritol would also work.

The addition of sugar will not only add flavor but can help to provide additional moisture and lift in these vegan banana nut muffins. However, I haven’t tested adding different amounts of sugar, so I can’t guarantee how it may affect the muffins overall.

Salt: If you add sugar, a tiny pinch of salt will help to balance it while enhancing the overall flavor of the vegan banana nut muffins.
Cinnamon sugar crust: Add sweetness and crunch to the pecan pie muffins by sprinkling them with a coarse cinnamon sugar mixture before baking.
Nutmeg: Use a 3:1 ratio of cinnamon to nutmeg for added warmth.
Other spices: I.e., ground cloves, ginger, and/or cardamom to enhance the spice.
Vegan chocolate: I use dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks. Add ¼-½ cup.
Shredded coconut: To sprinkle over the top before baking.
Apple: Finely chopped apple (or pear) works very well with cinnamon and pecans to make delicious apple pecan muffins. Add about ½ cup of the finely chopped fruit.
Cranberries: Add a handful of dried cranberries to the batter for Fall/Thanksgiving cranberry pecan muffins.
Orange: Double up on the cranberries with the zest of one orange for moreish cranberry orange pecan muffins.
Maple pecan muffins: While you could add a small amount of maple to the batter, I prefer to make a maple glaze, combining maple syrup (2-3 tbsp), confectioners’ sugar, a tiny amount of plant-based milk, and a pinch of salt, until you reach a drizzle consistency.
Streusel topping: Make a simple cinnamon streusel topping (like the one I use for this Easy Peach Crisp) to sprinkle over the cinnamon pecan muffins before baking.
Coffee: To make a spiced latte muffin recipe, add 1-2 teaspoons of espresso (or Instant Coffee) to the batter.

How to Make Cinnamon Spice Banana Pecan Muffins?

Did you know that to prepare these banana pecan muffins all you need is to follow a handful of super simple steps?!

1) First, preheat the oven to 350F/175C and line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. Then, in a small bowl, combine the vegan milk and vinegar, and set it aside for 5 minutes.

process of adding milk and vinegar to glass bowl

2) Meanwhile, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon) in a medium mixing bowl.

process of adding leavening agents to bowl of flour

3) Add all the wet ingredients to the bowl (vegan butter, mashed banana, vanilla, and the vegan buttermilk mixture). Stir until well combined.

process of adding mashed bananas to bowl

Be careful not to overwork the batter, though. So don’t be too vigorous or overstir - a few tiny lumps are fine.

4) Gently stir in the chopped pecans and then divide the mixture between the muffin tray, filling each cup ¾ full.

process of adding pecans to flour mixture

process of mixing pecans in flour mixture

5) Bake the banana and pecan muffins for 25 minutes or until they are golden brown and fluffy, and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Remove the vegan pecan muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm, or leave to cool entirely!

FAQs

Can I make vegan gluten-free pecan muffins?

Use an all-purpose gluten-free blend, like King Arthur’s or Bob’s Red Mill. I don’t recommend single flours, like almond flour or coconut flour, without further changes.

Can I change the size of the muffins?

You could use a jumbo-sized or mini muffin tin and adjust the baking time accordingly (use a toothpick to check for done-ness). Remember, the amount you can make will differ based on the pan size.

Why don’t my cinnamon pecan muffins have a dome?

That’s normal for this recipe. It should rise a little but won’t have the typical domed shape like breakfast muffins.

Could I turn this into a pecan bread loaf?

Though I haven’t tried, that should work fine, yes. Increase the baking time as needed.

How do I ripen bananas quickly?

It depends on how much time you have. To speed up ripening, you can pop them in a paper bag with ethylene-producing fruits like an apple. This will take 2-3 days.

Alternatively, if you need them NOW, bake the whole bananas in the oven at 400F/205C until the entire peel blackens (this should only take 5-7 minutes in the oven). Leave them until cool enough to handle, then slice down the side of the banana and scoop out the flesh.

Could I substitute the vegan butter?

You could use coconut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. If you want to use less oil, I recommend swapping just a portion of it with applesauce.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

Measure flour accurately: Fluff up the flour in its bag, then use a spoon to transfer it to your measuring cup. Finally, use the back of a knife to level off the top. This way, you won’t accidentally add too much.
A few lumps in the batter are fine: It’s important not to over-mix the gluten in the muffin batter. Otherwise, you can end up with overly dense and even rubbery muffins.
Spice to taste: Increase or decrease the amount of cinnamon (or pumpkin spice) as desired. If you end up not adding enough, sprinkle some over the muffins when serving for lovely spice muffins.
Adjust the texture: Chop the nuts into itty-bitty pieces or leave them chunkier based on the texture you want in these vegan banana nut muffins.
For more flavor: Toast the nuts in a pan until aromatic and lightly browned.
Spray the muffin liners: This will help them peel away easily, without sticking.

Serving Recommendations

These cinnamon pecan muffins make for a great grab-and-go snack. However, if you’re at home, why not try one with:

Vegan butter
Pecan or walnut butter
Vegan chocolate spread
Pumpkin butter or apple butter
A dollop of vegan yogurt
Drizzle over some caramel sauce
A scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream (best with a warm muffin)
Cup of tea or coffee, for breakfast

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Make ahead: Store the prepared muffin batter (minus the baking powder and baking soda) covered in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes in advance and add the leavening agents just before baking.

Store: Either cover the vegan spice muffins loosely at room temperature for 2-3 days or store them in an airtight container lined with paper towel in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Either spread them on a tray (not touching) or wrap them individually in plastic wrap to freeze. If doing the former, once solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, on the counter for a few hours, or defrost and warm them in a toaster oven or microwave.

More Vegan Bakes

If you try this easy cinnamon and banana pecan muffins recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla