Easy Vanilla Muffins (4 Ingredients, No Eggs)

These Easy Vanilla Muffins are a sweet 4-ingredient dessert ready in just 30 minutes, with a classic soft and airy crumb and completely egg-free and dairy-free.

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I love making delicious muffin recipes for my kids, like my Chocolate Muffins, Black Bean Muffins, or Vegan Spinach Muffins, but today, they asked me for classic vegan muffins. I wanted to find a way to make a very simple version.

I managed to make vanilla muffins with a classic flavor, traditional fluffy texture and only 4 plant-based ingredients!

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need 4 base ingredients to make these muffins.

• Self-Rising Flour – If you don’t have self-rising flour, make your own by combining all-purpose flour with baking powder. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free all-purpose flour with almond flour and gluten-free baking powder (see recipe notes for details).
• Light Olive Oil – Use oils with a neutral flavor, such as canola, sunflower, avocado, or grapeseed oil. Avoid melted coconut oil since it may solidify when mixed with cold liquids.
• Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk – This adds a subtle vanilla flavor. If you don’t have vanilla-flavored milk, use other plant-based milk like soy, oat, or rice milk and add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract if using unflavored milk.
• Sugar – Any granulated sugar works. Choose coconut sugar or raw cane sugar for a darker muffin and a hint of caramel flavor.

How to Make Easy Vanilla Muffins

The recipe card is further down, but here are photos of key steps.

Combine the dry ingredients with a whisk in a large mixing bowl.

Incorporate the oil and almond milk into the dry ingredients.

Combine the batter until it’s just mixed before pouring it into a muffin tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake the vanilla muffins for 22-25 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).

Expert Tips

Here are a few more tips to make sure you make the best muffins every single time.

1. Check Batter Consistency – If the batter feels too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra almond milk to loosen it. If it’s too runny, sprinkle in a bit more flour.
2. Customize with Add-ins – Fold in ½ cup of blueberries, raspberries, vegan chocolate chips, or nuts for variation. You can also add lemon zest for a fresh touch.
3. Even Portioning – Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups to ensure consistent sizes.
4. Topping Ideas – Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar, slivered almonds, or a few chocolate chips before baking for added texture and flavor.
5. Avoid Overmixing – Gently whisk the wet and dry ingredients just until combined to keep the muffins light and airy. Overmixing may result in dense muffins.
6. Room Temperature Ingredients – Use milk that is at room temperature to prevent the oil from clumping.
7. Rotate the Tray – Halfway through baking, rotate the tray (front to back) for even browning, especially if your oven has uneven heat distribution.

More Easy Muffin Recipes

If you like easy muffins, here are a few more easy options for you:

Black Bean Muffins

3-Ingredient Banana Muffins

Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Easy Vanilla Muffins

These Easy Vanilla Muffins are a sweet 4-ingredient dessert ready in just 30 minutes, with a classic soft and airy crumb and completely egg-free and dairy-free.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 185.9 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 2 cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ ½ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 2)
• ▢ 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk - (note 3)
• ▢ 1 cup Sugar - (note 4)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with muffin paper cases. Lightly oil the paper cases with oil spray. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, add self-rising flour and sugar and whisk to combine.
• Whisk in the oil and almond milk. If your milk is unflavored, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
• Whisk to form a smooth muffin batter with no lumps. At this stage, feel free to stir in 1/2 cup of fruits like blueberries, or raspberries, frozen or fresh, if you want a fruity muffin.
• Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin holes.
• Bake the muffins on the center rack of your oven for 22-25 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the muffins cool down completely on a cooling rack.

Notes

Note 1: To make your self-rising flour, whisk 3 teaspoons of baking powder in 2 cup of all-purpose flour. Gluten-free: To make gluten-free self-rising flour, combine 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill’s work best), with in 1/2 cup of almond flour, and whisk  in 3 teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder. 

Note 2: You can use any oil with a light flavor. Avoid melted coconut oil, as it forms lumps when it comes into contact with cold almond milk.

Note 3: I am using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which adds a vanilla flavor to the batter. If your almond milk is unflavored, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to flavor the cupcakes. You can also use oat milk, soy milk, or other plant-based milk.

Note 4: Any granulated sweetener, including unrefined cane sugar, works for this recipe. Darker sugar options, like coconut sugar, make the cupcakes darker in color.

Storage: Store the muffin in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. Freeze in airtight Ziploc bags for up to 1 month and thaw at room temperature the day before.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 185.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.9g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 6.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5g | Sodium: 27.7mg | Potassium: 18.6mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 16.7g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.2mg | Magnesium: 4.6mg | Phosphorus: 17.7mg | Zinc: 0.2mg