Vegan Raspberry Muffins Recipe
Moist, tender muffins bursting with tart raspberry pockets and sweet almond undertones, crowned with a crunchy sugar-dusted top that makes every bite irresistible.
Ingredients
<ul class="ingredients-main-list"><li class="ingredients-single-item">300g all-purpose flour</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">150g granulated sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tsp baking powder</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/2 tsp baking soda</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/4 tsp salt</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">240ml plant milk (almond or soy works best)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">80ml vegetable oil</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">60ml unsweetened applesauce (acts as egg replacer)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tbsp lemon juice</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tsp vanilla extract</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/2 tsp almond extract (optional but recommended)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">200g fresh or frozen raspberries (if frozen, do not thaw)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tbsp turbinado sugar (for topping)</li></ul>
Equipment
<ul class="equipment-main-list"><li class="equipment-single-item">12-cup muffin tin</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Paper muffin liners</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop</li></ul>
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Directions
<ol class="no-list-style"><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 1</h4>Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Position your oven rack in the middle position to ensure even baking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 2</h4>In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Creating air pockets between dry ingredients now helps prevent overmixing later, which can make tough muffins.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 3</h4>In a separate medium bowl, combine the plant milk, vegetable oil, applesauce, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. The lemon juice will react with the plant milk to create a buttermilk-like consistency, which adds tenderness to the muffins.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 4</h4>Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula just until no dry flour remains visible. You should still see some small lumps – this is perfect! Overmixing activates gluten, resulting in tough muffins, so a few lumps are actually desirable.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 5</h4>Gently fold in the raspberries using just 3-4 strokes. If using frozen raspberries, keeping them frozen prevents them from bleeding too much color into the batter. Don't worry if some berries break – this creates beautiful swirls in the finished muffins.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 6</h4>Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Fill each cup nearly to the top – this will help create those beautiful domed muffin tops that bakeries are known for.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 7</h4>Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the tops of each muffin. This will create a delightful crunchy, sparkly crust as the muffins bake.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 8</h4>Bake for 5 minutes at 190°C (375°F), then without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue baking for 17-19 minutes more. This initial high temperature helps create that impressive rise with peaked tops.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 9</h4>The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. The tops should be golden brown with a slight crackle from the sugar.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 10</h4>Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This brief rest in the tin helps the muffins set their structure without becoming soggy from condensation.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 11</h4>Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To refresh, warm room-temperature muffins in a 160°C (320°F) oven for 5 minutes, or microwave frozen muffins for 20-30 seconds.</li></ol>
Chef’s Notes
A few helpful details for making this recipe.
Can I use frozen raspberries in plant-based muffin recipes?
Yes, frozen raspberries work perfectly in vegan muffins! Keep them frozen when adding to the batter to prevent excessive bleeding of colour. This actually helps maintain distinct pockets of fruit in the finished muffins rather than turning the entire batter pink.
What's the best egg replacer for bakery-style berry muffins?
Unsweetened applesauce is ideal for berry muffins as it adds moisture without competing with fruit flavours. For 1 egg, use 60ml (¼ cup) applesauce. Other options include mashed banana, commercial egg replacer powder, or a flaxseed mixture (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water).
Why do my dairy-free muffin tops always turn out flat instead of domed?
For bakery-style domed tops, fill your muffin cups nearly to the top, start baking at a higher temperature (190-200°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce to normal temperature. Use fresh baking powder, don't overmix the batter, and ensure your oven is properly preheated.
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