Vegan Savoury Muffins: Easy One-Bowl Recipe with Vegetables

Vegan Savoury Muffins

These vegan savoury muffins come together in one bowl, are packed with vegetables, and are easy to adapt to whatever is sitting in your fridge.

My biggest tip is simple: keep the batter thick and trust the vegetables to bring the moisture.

Why you’ll love these savoury muffins

You can easily customise these muffins, and most of the ingredients are pantry staples that vegan bakers already keep on hand. The batter holds four different vegetables, so each muffin turns out genuinely moist rather than dry and crumbly.

Nutritional yeast gives them a savoury, cheesy flavour without a shred of vegan cheese. The texture sits somewhere between a scone and a sweet muffin, fluffier than the first and denser than the second. That balance is what makes them so useful.

They work beautifully in kids lunchboxes, as a quick snack on a busy afternoon, with avocado for breakfast or lunch, or next to a bowl of soup at dinner.

Ingredients you’ll need

Everything comes together from three simple groups. The dry group is flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, baking soda, dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, and salt. The wet group is dairy free milk, oil, grated zucchini and carrot, plus optional capsicum and spinach. Raw pumpkin seeds are the optional decoration.

Exact amounts are listed in the recipe card further down, along with the notes that explain why each one matters.

Notes about the ingredients

Nutritional yeast is the ingredient that makes these muffins taste cheesy and savoury, and it is a fortified vegan staple, so it is worth keeping a bag in the cupboard.

Zucchini and carrot are the backbone vegetables here, and they are fully interchangeable. The capsicum and spinach are flexible too. You can swap them for similar vegetables or simply leave them out.

Any dairy free milk works. I personally like unsweetened soy milk for the extra protein it adds, though water is a perfectly fine option on a day when the fridge is empty.

Dried Italian herbs plus garlic powder or onion powder do the heavy lifting for flavour, and both can be adjusted to taste. Baking powder and baking soda are used together so the muffins rise well without turning out too wet.

Tips for making the muffin batter

Do not strain the grated zucchini or carrot. The liquid they hold is already accounted for, because the recipe uses less milk than a standard muffin batter. Squeezing them dry will leave you with a dry crumb.

Mixing happens in one bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ingredients and vegetables and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Overworking the batter gives you tough, dense muffins, and that is the mistake I see most often.

Expect a very thick batter. It will look too stiff to become a muffin, but the vegetables release juice during baking, and that is what keeps the crumb moist.

A thick batter is not a mistake here. It is exactly what this recipe wants.

Tips for baking the muffins

Grease your muffin liners, even if they are labelled non stick. The vegetables make these muffins prone to sticking, and a quick brush of oil saves a lot of frustration later.

For tall, domed tops, arrange the muffins diagonally on the tin so there is space between them and hot air can circulate. If you only own one 12 cup tin, bake six at a time in two batches rather than crowding all twelve together.

Check for doneness with a toothpick. It needs to come out completely clean, not with a few sticky crumbs clinging to it. Underbaked savoury muffins stay gummy in the middle, and no amount of cooling fixes that.

Customising the muffins

This is where the recipe becomes yours. The carrot and zucchini can be swapped for one another, so you can use whatever you have on hand.

Canned corn, frozen peas, sun dried tomatoes, sun dried capsicum, or olives all work as add ins in place of the capsicum and spinach, and the gram weights in the recipe card keep the moisture balanced.

If you want a cheesier result, fold through about 1/4 cup of shredded vegan cheese. A pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes adds gentle heat, and extra herbs never hurt. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top for crunch.

More vegan muffins and quick breads with vegetables

If you enjoy baking with vegetables, the blog has a few more recipes in the same spirit, all vegan and all built around produce you probably already have in the kitchen.

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

A sweeter take on zucchini baking, for the days when you want something chocolatey alongside your afternoon coffee.

The same vegetable forward thinking applies, just pointed in a dessert direction.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin brings a soft, tender crumb and a warm flavour that suits autumn mornings and lunchboxes alike.

A good one to bake in a big batch and freeze for later.

Vegan Zucchini Bread

If you would rather slice a loaf than portion out muffins, a vegan zucchini bread gives you the same moist, vegetable packed result in a shareable format.

Vegan Zucchini Muffins

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Ingredients

This recipe makes 12 large muffins. Keep the three groups separate as you mix.

Dry ingredients

• 3 cups (375g) all purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 cup (12g) nutritional yeast, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder, or onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (315g) dairy free milk
• 1/2 cup (125g) light olive oil, or oil of choice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or white vinegar, optional
• About 1 cup (150g) grated zucchini, from 1 small to medium zucchini
• About 1 cup (100g) grated carrot, from 1 medium carrot
• 1 cup (120g) red capsicum (bell pepper), finely chopped, optional
• 1/2 cup (15g) baby spinach leaves, finely chopped, optional

To decorate, optional

• 3 tablespoons (25g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin cases.
2. Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is well combined.
3. Add all the wet ingredients and vegetables to the bowl and mix until just combined. Make sure there are no lumps of dry ingredients. The batter should be very thick.
4. Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to divide the batter into your muffin pan. The batter should form a small mound in each cup, and each cup should be almost full.
5. If desired, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of each muffin.
6. Bake the muffins for 30 to 35 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into a muffin and it comes out completely clean.
7. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
8. The muffins are best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed. They are delicious on their own or with some vegan butter or avocado.
9. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

Spoon and level your flour rather than scooping it straight from the bag. Fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup, then level it with the back of a knife. Scooping packs in far too much flour and makes muffins dry and dense. Gram weights are a reliable alternative if you keep a scale on the counter.

Whole wheat or spelt flour can stand in for the all purpose flour. For a gluten free version, use 190g of chickpea flour plus 190g of gluten free all purpose flour. All gluten free flour on its own rises a little less, so the chickpea blend gives a better result.

If you would rather skip the nutritional yeast, replace it with 1 tablespoon (8g) of flour. The muffins will not be as golden, and you may want to increase the herbs to taste.

The dried Italian herbs can be replaced with oregano, basil, dill, thyme or chives. Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste if you like a little spice. Carrot and zucchini are interchangeable, and the capsicum and spinach may be omitted or replaced with similar vegetables, using gram measurements as your guide.

Adding more vegetables is possible, but it makes the muffins denser and moister, so keep that in mind if you are loading them up.

Recipe details

This recipe makes 12 large muffins, with 15 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of baking.

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Vegan Savoury Muffins

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Vegan Savoury Muffins These vegan savoury muffins come together in one bowl, are packed with vegetables, and are easy to adapt to whatever is sitting in your fridge. My biggest tip is simple: keep the batter thick and trust the vegetables to bring the moisture.

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 large muffins 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dry ingredients
3 cups (375g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup (12g) nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients
1 1/4 cups (315g) dairy-free milk
1/2 cup (125g) light olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
~1 cup (150g) grated zucchini
~1 cup (100g) grated carrot
1 cup (120g) red capsicum (bell pepper), finely chopped
1/2 cup (15g) baby spinach leaves, finely chopped

To decorate (optional)
3 tablespoons (25g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

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Instructions

Baking and storing the muffins
1-Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F): Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-cup muffin tray with muffin cases.

Make the muffin batter:
2-Add all of the dry ingredients to: Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is well combined.
3-Add all the wet ingredients and vegetables: Add all the wet ingredients and vegetables to the bowl and mix until just combined. Make sure there are no lumps of dry ingredients. The batter should be very thick.
4-Use an ice cream scoop or a: Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to divide the batter into your muffin pan. The batter should form a small mound in each cup and each cup should be almost full (see the step-by-step images above).
5-If desired, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top: If desired, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of each muffin.

Baking and storing the muffins:
6-Bake the muffins for 30-35 minutes or: Bake the muffins for 30-35 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in a muffin and it comes out completely clean.
7-Allow the muffins to cool in the: Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow the muffins to cool completely.
8-The muffins are best enjoyed at room: The muffins are best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed up. They’re delicious by themselves or with some vegan butter or avocado.
9-Store leftover muffins in an airtight container: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 35 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 224kcal
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 292mg
• Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 27g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 4g