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Vegan & Grain-Free Hummingbird Muffins

Vegan and grain-free hummingbird muffins, inspired by the Southern cake with the same name! Made with chickpea flour, & plump with pineapple & banana, they are excellent as delicious, nutritious breakfasts or snacks.

Hummingbird Muffins {Grain-free | Vegan} In pink paper liners on top of a silver cooling rack

No hummingbirds were harmed in the making of these muffins.

I needed to make that clear, just in case hummingbird cake is new to you :).

I was unfamiliar with hummingbird cake, myself, until moving to Texas.

Boy, had I missed out. Hummingbird cake is a traditional Southern cake, rich and moist with pineapple, bananas, cinnamon and pecans (yum x 4) and typically slathered with cream cheese frosting. Umm, yes.

Equally enchanting, it is one of the easiest cakes to make: no fuss, no mixer, no creaming of butter (like carrot cake, it is an oil-based cake). If you love carrot cake, you will most likely fall (hard) for hummingbird cake, too.

Plant Based Hummingbird Muffins 

The only downside to hummingbird cake is that it is cake, which puts some limits on how much and often I can eat it.

Updating hummingbird cake into muffins changes everything. I can keep all of my favorite elements (banana, pineapple, cinnamon and pecans) while modernizing these hummingbirds into nutritious, anytime eats.

Hummingbird Muffin close-up on a silver cooling rack

Recipe Benefits

  • Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free)
  • Grain-free
  • Gluten-free
  • No refined sugars
  • Good source of fiber

Made with Chickpea Flour & Flaxseed Meal

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

I employed chickpea flour & flaxseed meal for my dry ingredients, both of which allow for an egg-free muffin that tastes as traditional as can be, yet without any worries of tough muffins (no one needs that); you can mix and mix since there is no gluten that can overdevelop.

Note, too, that ample doses of cinnamon and vanilla, which are essential for hummingbird cake, are added to the muffins ensuring no traces of bean flour.

In traditional hummingbird cake, firm-ripe bananas are diced and added along with crushed pineapple. To cut back on sugar, I mashed the bananas instead. Together with the pineapple (and pineapple juices), only relatively small amount of sweetener (3 tablespoons) needs to be added.

partially unwrapped vegan hummingbird muffin

For a perfect rise, fill the muffin cups about 1/2-way full; do not overfill, or the muffins will take on a wonky shape. 10 cups, filled to the halfway mark, is just right. Finish with a sprinkle of pecans, which toast as the muffins bake.

The finished muffins are moist, sweet and flavorful, with 100% homey appeal. Go ahead, have two. Happy baking, everyone!

close up of a vegan hummingbird muffin, cut in half, on a piece of parchment paper

FAQ

How Should I Store the Muffins?

Store the completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

What Can I Substitute for Coconut Sugar?

An equal amount of your favorite granular or liquid sweetener can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

Can I Use a Another Flour (in place of the Chickpea Flour)?

I do not recommend it. This recipe was formulated for use with chickpea flour.

More Scrumptious Chickpea Flour Muffins to Try:

  1. Chickpea Flour Pumpkin Muffins {Vegan, Grain-Free, Oil-Free}
  2. Chickpea Flour Zucchini Muffins {grain-free, oil-free, vegan}
  3. Basic Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins {grain-free, oil-free}
  4. Chocolate Chickpea Flour Muffins {vegan, grain-free}
  5. Gingerbread Chickpea Flour Muffins {grain-free & vegan}
  6. Coconut-Lime Chickpea Flour Muffins {Vegan, Grain-Free}
  7. Cranberry Orange Chickpea Flour Muffins {Grain-Free, Vegan}
Vegan & Grain-Free Hummingbird Muffins

Vegan & Grain-Free Hummingbird Muffins

Yield: 10 muffins
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

Vegan & grain-free hummingbird muffins, inspired by the Southern cake with the same name. Plump with pineapple & banana, they are very low in added sugar & made grain-free with chickpea flour.

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/4 cups (150 g)  chickpea flour
  • 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup mashed, very ripe bananas
  • 1 8-ounce can unsweetened crushed pineapple (do not drain)
  • 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used avocado oil)
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line 10 cups of a standard size muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, breaking up any and all lumps in the chickpea flour.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the banana, crushed pineapple (with its juices), coconut sugar, oil, and vanilla until blended. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until well-blended.
  4. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups (they should only be about 1/2 full). Sprinkle tops with pecans.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 19 to 23 minutes until golden brown, tops are firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out with only moist crumbs attached

Notes

Storage: Store the completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Sweetener Options: An equal amount of your favorite granular or liquid sweetener can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1 muffin
Amount Per Serving Calories 138Total Fat 5.7gSaturated Fat 0.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 160mgCarbohydrates 17.7gFiber 2.7gSugar 9.6gProtein 3.6g

Did you make this recipe?

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Mek

Friday 3rd of April 2020

Hi, if I don’t have flaxseed meal, can I add an agg instead?

Camilla

Monday 6th of April 2020

Hi Mek, Sure, that should work just fine. Cut back on the liquid by about 2 tablespoons, too.

Rosemary

Thursday 20th of February 2020

Hi Kelly and Camilla. I made these muffins for a work birthday and used Almond flour instead of the chickpea flour. They were wonderfully moist and delicious :)

Camilla

Friday 21st of February 2020

That's so great to hear, Rosemary! Thanks so much for sharing ! :)

Keily

Tuesday 18th of February 2020

Would coconut flour work in place or chickpea?

Camilla

Tuesday 18th of February 2020

Hi Kelly! I wish it could, but no, it definitely will not work with coconut flour. Almond flour might work, but I have not tried it.

Keily

Tuesday 18th of February 2020

*of, instead of

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