Fluffy Green Spinach Muffins (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Name: Fluffy Green Spinach Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 2.5 cup gluten-free rolled old fashioned oats (or sub 1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour); 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder; 1 tablespoons ground flaxseed; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ½ cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk; ½ cup pure maple syrup; 6 tablespoons avocado oil or melted coconut oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar; 3-4 large handfuls fresh baby spinach or baby kale (up to 5 ounces)

5 from 10 reviews

By Elaine Gordon · Published Feb 16, 2021 (Updated Sep 22, 2023)

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Gluten-Free Nut-Free Refined Sugar-Free Vegan

These vegan and gluten-free spinach muffins are made in a blender and combine fresh spinach, oats, avocado oil, flaxseeds, plant-based milk and more! They’re free from dye and instead get their vibrant green color from wholesome spinach. Sweet, fluffy and moist, these muffins are quick to make too — ready within 30 minutes!

3 vegan and gluten-free spinach muffins stacked on top of each other.

These green muffins are loaded with fresh baby spinach and make for a delicious and healthy breakfast. They are naturally sweetened and allergy-friendly in that they are gluten-free, nut-free and 100% vegan (no dairy and no eggs).

I love the classics like vegan and gluten-free blueberry muffins and vegan pumpkin muffins, but this one is right up there as well! They have the perfect texture and are pretty much fail-proof to make, which is not always easy to say for plant-based muffin recipes.

My kids would tell you that they taste amazing. We have made two batches in the past two days and they've already disappeared! I knew with all three kids gobbling them up that I had to add them to the blog so everyone can get in on these vegan spinach muffins.

Vegan spinach muffins in different color silicone baking cups on a cooling rack.

Why You'll Love these Gluten-Free Spinach Muffins

Nutritious and filled with spinach you won't taste
No grittiness
Light and fluffy texture
Quick and easy to make
Kids love them
Unique dye-free green color

Gluten free spinach muffins with chocolate chips in various color baking cups on a cooling rack.

Ingredients

Gluten-free rolled old fashioned oats
Spinach (or baby kale)
Non-dairy milk
Maple syrup
Arrowroot powder
Ground flaxseed
Avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
Vanilla extract
Apple cider vinegar (or white distilled vinegar)
Sea salt
Baking soda

The inside of a vegan and gluten free spinach muffin.

I've never been skeptical of putting greens into smoothies, but I was slightly skeptical about putting spinach in my morning muffins. Would it take on a vibrant green color? Would I taste the spinach? Would the texture be gritty? The good news is after testing them out I discovered they are SUPER green, do NOT taste like spinach at all and have zero grittiness. They literally are perfect if I dare say!

Instructions

I love how quick and utterly simple this recipe is to make. Simply blend the wet ingredients with the spinach and add that to the dry ingredients. Then bake for a total of 20 minutes. The entire process takes less than 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a muffin tin with silicone baking cups or grease it.
Blend the oats. Grind into a fine flour and set aside in a mixing bowl with a pour spout.
Blend the rest of the dry ingredients. Blend the arrowroot powder, flaxseed, baking soda and salt until well combined. Add this mixture to the mixing bowl.
Blend the wet ingredients and spinach. Blend the plant-based milk, maple syrup, avocado oil (or melted coconut oil), vanilla, vinegar and baby spinach until smooth and no spinach bits remain.
Add the wet mixture from the blender to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk the batter until well combined and no oat chunks remain. Do not over-mix.
Pour the batter into baking cups. Using the mixing bowl's pour spout, carefully pour the batter into the baking cups filling them ⅞ full. Top with mini vegan chocolate chips and/or hemp seeds if you like.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425˚F.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚F and bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the oven door! This method will help make your muffins rise high and cook perfectly on the inside without burning the outside.
Let them cool. Remove muffin tin from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack. Once they are cool enough to handle, gently remove them from the silicone baking cups. Allow to cool further on the cooling rack for a couple minutes then enjoy warm.

Overhead shot of vegan spinach muffins in a muffin tin.

If you have picky eaters and are trying to get more nutrients into them, these blender muffins are the way to go! They are kid-friendly for all ages. My kids especially love the addition of the chocolate chips sprinkled on top of some of the muffins (their idea of course). I like to add hemp seeds to some for me for an added protein and healthy fat boost.

Helpful Tips

Feel free to add as much spinach as you want! I find you really don't taste it even if you use an entire 5 ounce clamshell container. The more spinach you use, the greener the muffins will come out.
Get the perfect dome-like muffin rise. Reducing the temperature from 425˚F to 375˚F midway through baking without opening the door works like a charm every time!
Store leftovers for up to three days. Use an airtight container and store at room temperature. You can freeze them for up to three months as well!

Green spinach muffins in a white muffin tin.

Perfect for St. Patrick's Day

These green muffins are a healthy and festive way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Instead of food dyes, to make them green I simply blend the spinach with the wet ingredients before adding to the dry ingredients. You could also use this method if making pancakes on St. Patrick's Day morning.

My kids have been all about everything green this week and I have been capitalizing on it with my St. Patrick's Day snack board, healthy shamrock shake, key lime pie pudding parfaits and green tahini sauce.

Green spinach muffins on a cooling rack.

Using Silicone Baking Cups

A contributor to the success of this recipe is my new BPA-free silicone baking cups (not sponsored). To say I am obsessed is an understatement. With them, you do not need to grease the muffin pan and cleanup is a total breeze. They are dishwasher friendly and come out of the dishwasher completely clean without even a pre-wash.

Most importantly, they make the perfect muffins. No sticking, burning or sogginess. Just absolute muffin-perfection. The muffins pop right out of the baking cups with ease leaving almost no crumb behind. Plus, they are great for the environment and you will never run out. I'm muffin-ready always with these secret weapons. My kids also think they are super cute. They would be adorable for cupcakes too!

(They always go for the chocolate ones as evidenced below!)

Vegan spinach muffins on a cooling rack.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, egg-free and dairy-free. I hope you love these green muffins as much as we do. If you give this recipe a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it, and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your creations!

Fluffy Green Spinach Muffins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

Author: Elaine Gordon
Total Time: 25 mins
Yield: 12 1x
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a muffin tin with silicone baking cups or grease it.
Blend the oats. Grind into a fine flour and set aside in a mixing bowl with a pour spout.
Blend the rest of the dry ingredients. Blend the arrowroot powder, flaxseed, baking soda and salt until well combined. Add this mixture to the mixing bowl.
Blend the wet ingredients and spinach. Blend the plant-based milk, maple syrup, avocado oil (or melted coconut oil), vanilla, vinegar and baby spinach until smooth and no spinach bits remain.
Add the wet mixture from the blender to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk the batter until well combined and no oat chunks remain. Do not over-mix.
Pour the batter into baking cups. Using the mixing bowl's pour spout, carefully pour the batter into the baking cups filling them ⅞ full. Top with mini vegan chocolate chips and/or hemp seeds if you like.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425˚F.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚F and bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the oven door! This method will help make your muffins rise high and cook perfectly on the inside without burning the outside.
Let them cool. Remove muffin tin from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack. Once they are cool enough to handle, gently remove them from the silicone baking cups. Allow to cool further on the cooling rack for a couple minutes then enjoy warm.