Hey there! I spent the day pulling out old recipe cards from my family’s wicker basket recipe box. Although, I made a digital copy of all the recipes years ago, I still tend to use the hand scribbled ones. Of course, now the paper has yellowed with age and has been smeared with a few blotchy stains. Telltale signs of being passed down and cooked with.

As I scan though the various sheets of fragile paper, I immediately can tell who wrote what based on the familiar penmanship. If I saw large slanted letters, it was my grandmother and if it was a distinct sharp script, it was my mom. Included in this mixed pile, I encountered creased magazine pages of vintage recipes clearly torn from their previous binding. Once more to be passed down from generation to generation.

To bake and cook from these recipes, feels like continuing a piece of history and reminds me of how I fell in love with food in the first place. After all, it was my grandmother who taught me how to bake my first cake and how to make paella like they do in Spain (the traditional way, cooked on an open fire usually over pitch black coals).

The Vegan Espresso Banana Muffins are an ode to those memories and the feelings they imbue. Banana bread (or is it cake?) always reminds me of childhood and Sunday mornings. Where everyone would wake up to the distant sound of dishes being moved from the downstairs kitchen while the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted around the house. Once downstairs, we would see what all the fuss was about as we toasted a slice of banana bread for a quick breakfast. These were slow ordinary moments yet for some reason they are very much alive in my mind when I recall them.

These Vegan Espresso Banana Muffins are soft, fluffy and intoxicatingly banana-y with a hint of espresso. Just enough to add depth to a very classic banana muffin. While making the batter, feel free to add mix-ins to make this your own. Chocolate chunks is always a favorite so are walnuts and pecans or *gasp* hazelnuts! If you do decide to add nuts, take some time to roast them gently. Although it is optional, it gives them a toastier malt-like flavor while adding a welcome crunch.

Just A Few Tips

• Use very ripe bananas when making these muffins. Sometimes I even wait for the skin to go black before using them. You can also use roasted bananas for added flavor. If so, check this post out on how to easily roast bananas.
• You can certainly make this using different kinds of sugar. My favorite is coconut and muscovado sugar but you can also use brown sugar.
• Make this gluten free by substituting the all purpose flour for a gluten free flour blend. Likewise, you can use wheat pastry flour or spelt flour for a healthier take.
• This recipe is very customizable and easy to play with. A few favorite variations are adding:
  
  Chopped Chocolate
  Roasted Nuts
  Fresh Fruits (i.e. slices of apples, pears, berries)
  Dollops of your favorite nut butter into the center of each muffin

• If you are feeling extra lazy, go ahead and use only one bowl. Start with mixing all the wet ingredients then sift in the dry into the same bowl. On days when I feel more diligent, I would use the two bowl method which is a better practice to evenly incorporate everything.
• Lastly, keep leftovers (if any) in a airtight container placed in the fridge or freeze the muffins for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, pop them in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes until warm.

Print Recipe

Vegan Espresso Banana Muffins

These Vegan Espresso Banana Muffins are soft, fluffy and intoxicatingly banana-y with a hint of espresso. Just enough to add depth to a very classic banana muffin. The perfect Sunday morning treat.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Merienda, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cinnamon, Easy, Egg Free, Fall Recipes

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 181kcal

Ingredients

• 350 g (scant 2⅔ cup or 5 med. sized) banana ,mashed
• 150 g (¾ cup) coconut sugar*
• 70 g (⅓ cup) olive oil*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 290 g (2⅓ cup) all purpose flour* ,sifted
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 10 g (1½ tbsp) espresso powder
• ½ tsp salt
• sprinkling sugar ,optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or lightly coat each muffin cup with butter. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the bananas, sugar, oil and vanilla until incorporated.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso and salt. Pour the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until there are no more big lumps of flour. Do not overmix. If adding additional mix-ins, now is the time to toss them in.
• Using a scooper, spoon equal amounts of batter into each cup. Top with sprinkling sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then turn them out on a wire rack to cool. Eat warm with a pat of butter or a hot mug of coffee. Enjoy!

Notes

*You can use a lot of different kinds of sugars here. Coconut and muscovado sugar are my favorite for this muffin but you can also use brown sugar. 

*Can substitute the olive oil for another neutral tasting oil.

*Can substitute the all purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour, a gluten free flour blend or spelt flour. 

*If your batter looks a bit dry, add a splash of milk but do not exceed ¼ cup. So far, I have never needed to add any. 

Recipe adapted from the Simple Veganista

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