Banana Tahini Muffins - Vegan & Easy!

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These vegan banana tahini muffins are tender, moist, fluffy, and packed with nutty tahini flavour and juicy banana sweetness! These muffins are made with simple pantry staples, completely dairy-free, egg-free, and can be gluten-free. Perfect for cosy mornings, afternoon snacks, or bringing to parties.

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I had this popular recipe of mine on Pinterest when I first started The Chestnut Bakery, and I gave the recipe a brand new glow-up – banana tahini muffins! It’s easy to make, moist, fluffy, nutty, and naturally sweetened with bananas. They have a wholesome sesame flavour that actually goes really nicely with the sweet banana flavour, who knew these guys were best friends? And as usual, I made them entirely with plant-based ingredients. And you only need 9 key ingredients to make these delicious muffins!

Must Read: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Muffins – A complete guide to baking your perfect vegan muffins with easy and delicious muffin recipes!

Recipe overview – why you’ll love this vegan tahini banana muffin recipe

Level: Easy
Taste: Nutty and sweet
Texture: Soft, moist, and fluffy

Diet: Plant-based, dairy-free, eggless, can be gluten-free
Time: 35 mins
Occasion: Breakfast, dessert, picnic, Thanksgiving, home parties, and more

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: Plain flour is one of the easiest flours to work with in baking, but if you want, you can use self-raising flour and omit the leavening agents. Or use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if you want to make them gf. King Arthur would be a great brand to get it from.

Caster sugar: I like to use simple ingredients in my baking recipes, and I love caster sugar because it works perfectly in a lot of my recipes like this muffin recipe. If you want to make this recipe more wholesome, coconut sugar or date sugar can be used for a deeper flavour and moister texture.

Bananas: Of course, I bought lots of ripe bananas! I used 3 bananas in total in this recipe. I ate the rest of them. Bananas provide moisture, natural sweetness, and even help bind the batter in vegan baking. The riper the bananas, the better.

Tahini: Creamy tahini is one of my must-haves in my kitchen. It’s so versatile and can be used in so many things like this muffin recipe, in savoury sauces, etc. Tahini adds a lovely, nutty, creamy flavour and healthy fats to the muffins. If you cannot find tahini, almond butter or peanut butter can be used as a substitute to make nut butter banana muffins.

Soy milk: Any plant milk, such as oat or almond milk, will work. I love using soy milk because it makes the best vegan buttermilk.

Vegetable oil: Veggie oil keeps the muffins moist and fluffy even when the muffins are cooled down. Any plant oil like sunflower oil or melted coconut oil can be used instead. Coconut oil may give a slightly firmer texture when the muffins are cooled.

Other ingredients: Cornflour, apple cider vinegar, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Mixing bowls: One large bowl for the dry ingredients and another for the wet ensures easy mixing and a smooth batter. You can use mixing bowls or a jug to mix the wet ingredients if you only have 1 bowl.

Whisk: A small to medium-sized whisk is handy in this recipe to mix the wet ingredients and tahini. I have a big one for mixing dry ingredients. In fact, I have 4 whisks at home and I don’t know where they came from!

Muffin tray: I purchased a 12 cup muffin tray when I moved into my current flat and it works perfectly for my muffin recipes, as my muffin recipes usually make 10 to 12 muffins.

Muffin cups: I find it much easier to clean the muffin tray when I use muffin cups, and also I think muffins look cute in muffin cups! So I use them every time I bake muffins.

Ice cream scoop: An Ice cream scoop comes in very handy when portioning out the batter into each cup.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan banana tahini muffins

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Step 1: Make the vegan buttermilk

Let’s start making our yummy muffins, shall we? Start by mixing the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl to make vegan buttermilk. Let it sit for a few minutes until it’s curdled. Vegan buttermilk helps the muffins rise tall and stay fluffy!

Step 2: Make the batter

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cornflour until everything is evenly combined. This ensures everything is distributed evenly, so your muffins bake up nice and even.

In another bowl or jug, mash the bananas until smooth, then add the tahini, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and the prepared vegan buttermilk and mix with a whisk until smooth. The mixture should look creamy and silky with no tahini lumps.

Pro tip: If your tahini is separated in the jar, put the jar upside down, leave overnight, and stir with a fork to combine.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold everything together using a silicone spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! A few small lumps in the batter are completely fine. Overmixing develops gluten in the batter and too much of it can impact the texture of the muffins.

Step 3: Bake

If you have time, allow the batter to rest for about 30 minutes. This helps relax gluten in the batter, and activate the leavening agent. If you don’t have time though, don’t worry! You can skip the resting and bake straight away.

Scoop the batter into muffin liners using an ice cream scoop, top with banana slices or a drizzle of tahini if you like, and bake for 23 to 25 mins until the top is golden, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean with moist crumb. Your kitchen starts to smell absolutely divine at this point!

Take out of the oven and let it cool slightly in the muffin tray, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy while warm with a nice cuppa!

Expert tips and tricks

Resting the batter does make a difference

Allowing the batter to rest before baking gives the flour time to fully hydrate, the gluten to relax, and the leavening agent to activate. Resulting in lighter, more tender muffins with a tall bakery-style dome!

Do not overmix the batter

Overmixing can lead to dense, tough muffins. Gently fold until the ingredients are just combined. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps, don’t worry. It will all incorporate nicely in the oven.

Use ripe bananas

The spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavourful your muffins will be. Ripe bananas also add extra moisture for the perfect texture.

Stir tahini until smooth before using

Tahini often separates in the jar, with the oil rising to the top and the solids settling at the bottom. So give it a really good stir before measuring to ensure a smooth, even texture and consistent flavour in your muffins.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

Fancy a little decadence? Add some vegan dark chocolate or milk chocolate chunks for a delicious twist!
You can sprinkle sesame seeds or crushed nuts on top before baking for some extra crunch.
If you want to make it more wholesome, you can fold in some chopped dates or raisins for a natural fruity touch.

How to store

Room temperature: The muffins keep well for up to 1 day in an airtight container. They’ll stay soft and moist. If you live in a particularly hot climate, do not leave them at room temperature as it can spoil the muffins.

Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container. When serving, gently warm them in the microwave for a few seconds or pop them in the preheated oven for a few mins before eating to restore their soft texture.

Freezer: These muffins freeze well too. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1-2 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature or warm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes! Simply use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend designed for cakes and muffins.

Why are my muffins dry?

Dry muffins can happen when there isn’t enough moisture or fat in the batter – and with tahini, that balance is especially important. If your tahini is too thick or not well stirred, it can make the batter dense and dry. Always give your tahini a good stir until smooth before adding it, and make sure your bananas are ripe and soft to help keep the muffins perfectly moist.

Why are muffins soggy?

If your muffins turn out soggy, it’s often because of excess moisture in the batter. With tahini-based bakes, using too much tahini or very runny/oily tahini can lead to overly moist, dense muffins. Measure it accurately and use a smooth, well-stirred tahini rather than the oily layer from the top of the jar. Once baked, transfer your muffins to a wire rack promptly so they cool evenly and don’t trap steam at the bottom – that’s the secret to keeping them fluffy instead of soggy!

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE these vegan banana tahini muffins because they are:

easy to make
deliciously nutty
sweetened with ripe bananas
perfect for home parties

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious muffins and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

Visit the muffins page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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