Eggless Vanilla Muffins

Here is a timeless, pleases anyone, comes together in a snap recipe. The vanilla muffin. It’s light yet moist and just sweet enough.

Plus, it pairs perfectly with a swipe of butter and a strong cup of coffee. The twist here, as you can conclude from the title, is that it does not require eggs. 

Eggs are an obviously important part of baked goods. They provide structure, leavening, color and flavor. They are a key component in marrying all the ingredients into one smooth batter.

But what if you don’t have eggs? Or you may be working with an egg allergy or hoping to treat a vegan guest (if this is the case, keep in mind you will need to have butter and milk substitutes as well).

There are multiple reasons you may want to bake without eggs and alternative ingredients are coming more and more common.

Fortunately, you can make deliciously moist and sweet vanilla muffins with no eggs at all!

These eggless vanilla muffins are a favorite, whether first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, as a teatime treat, or even as a dessert.

Substituting eggs is really simple, too. All you really need to substitute is some flaxseed. With the right ratios of your other key ingredients, it is actually a breeze to make these eggless treats.

Now, let’s make some muffins! 

Substituting Egg

It is easier than you may think to substitute eggs when cooking or baking.

Some egg substitutes you may already have on hand include applesauce, mashed banana, a chia seed and water mixture, greek yogurt or a commercial egg replacement.

All are effective and all provide their own variation to the recipe. My favorite egg replacement option, which I utilize in this recipe, is to make a “flax egg” out of ground flaxseed (also called flaxseed meal) and water. 

Making a flax egg is as simple as combining 2 parts flaxseed meal with 3 parts water and allowing it to sit.

This causes the ingredients to sort of gel together, becoming almost egg-like in texture – making it the perfect replacement for eggs in baking!

I keep a bag of flaxseed meal in the kitchen at all times and have found it comes in handy more than I expect. No more panic moments when I start baking and realize all the eggs were used at breakfast!

An important note on flaxseed meal is that it can easily go rancid. It needs to be refrigerated after opening to maintain a longer shelf-life. You likely won’t notice when looking at it that it has gone bad but you will not achieve the same results with flaxseeds past their prime. 

Making Eggless Vanilla Muffins – What to Know

One of the best things about muffins is the work vs reward ratio. Very little work yields a beautiful, delicious reward. Recipes can easily be doubled (even tripled if you dare) to feed a crowd and the only increase in effort is rotating pans into the oven. 

Still, if you’re not careful, or if you’re new to baking, there are some easy ways to accidentally harm your precious treats!

Just to be perfectly clear, let’s go over the general process, pointing out some things you’ll want to take special care with. We don’t want your efforts to go to waste.

The first matter of business is to make our flax “egg”. Again, this is really quite simple. In a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water. Set it aside to combine, about five minutes. 

This makes one “egg” so for a recipe that calls for two eggs, you will need to double this. 

Don’t forget to preheat your oven to 400 degrees and gather the remaining ingredients while letting your egg sit to save some time.

In a medium to large sized bowl mix together the dry ingredients. A whisk is my tool of choice for this part and I continue to use it for the wet ingredients. Flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine and set aside. 

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the now gel like flax egg, the melted butter, milk, and tablespoon of vanilla. 

Your butter can, of course, be melted on the stove or in the microwave. Be sure to let it cool for a bit before combining so it doesn’t shock the other ingredients with heat.

If you have time, allowing your milk to come to room temperature is always a plus for baking. 

It is worth noting, when it comes to vanilla, it’s important to buy a quality vanilla – specifically a pure vanilla extract.

I stand behind this in all baking, but it’s absolutely vital when creating a vanilla flavored product. Vanilla is the star of the show, make sure it’s a product worth making the star! 

And yes, just 12 muffins requires a full tablespoon of vanilla. Don’t skimp!

Now, combine the wet ingredients into the dry. This should be done with care, stirring until just combined and not over mixing. Mixing too much makes for a tough muffin. This is not an adjective you want used for your muffins. 

Now that your batter is prepared, line your muffin tins with cupcake liners, or grease them with your preferred greasing method. I use butter because I love butter and a little extra only adds to the joy of eating these. 

Filling each muffin tin about ¾ full, this should yield you 12 muffins. If you like, you can sprinkle a little raw sugar (or granulated sugar if that’s what you have) to give them a really nice, sweet crunch on top when they are done. 

Bake for 16-20 minutes. Check them with a toothpick or give the top a gentle touch to see if it springs back softly. Let them cool about 5 minutes in the pan before taking them out to serve. 

As is the beauty with vanilla, it goes with anything, so feel free to stir in fruit or cinnamon or chocolate chips at the end if you want to jazz these up. Or keep them as is, give them a generous swipe of salted butter and enjoy with a nice, strong cup of coffee and someone you love.  

Now that you understand the process more thoroughly, with a greater explanation and some tips to help you make the best muffins possible, let’s try this again with pictures, step by step!

How To Make Eggless Vanilla Muffins 

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400. 

In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water. Set time for 5 minutes for the ingredients to combine to a gel type, your flax egg. 

Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a whisk. 

Step 2

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and the flax egg. 

Step 3

Gently combine the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix. 

Step 4

Grease or line your muffin tins with cupcake wrappers and fill them about ¾ full with the muffin batter.

If you’d like, sprinkle each muffin with raw sugar for an extra bit of sweet crunch. 

Step 5

Bake for 16-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan slightly, about five minutes. 

Enjoy! 

Up Next: The Best Starbucks Coffee For French Press