Savory mushroom spinach muffins are a flavorful gluten free vegan breakfast or snack option. These fluffy protein packed muffins are a great vegan substitute for eggs and will keep you full all morning long.
My oldest daughter craves only sweet things in the morning. So, I am constantly baking pumpkin cookies, banana bread and pancakes so she has something healthy in the morning without resorting to breakfast cereals. I, on the other hand, cannot fathom putting something sweet in my mouth first thing. I crave savory, salty breakfasts like a good tofu scramble with roasted veggies. So, these savory vegan muffins are the perfect breakfast option for me. These savory gluten free vegan muffins are also oil free and packed full of protein for a hearty breakfast without a ton of calories.
Ingredients
If you’re looking for a good vegan substitute for eggs, these muffins may do the trick. They are reminiscent of the muffin tin egg bites that are so popular, but are a whole food plant based option. I use kala namak, or black salt, to give them an eggy flavor so that they taste similar to a frittata.
- Onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach – The veggies in these muffins are a mere suggestion. You could use any combination of veggies you’d like such as peppers, cabbage, kale, carrots or green onion. Just make sure to sauté them first so they’re soft when you add them to the batter.
- Chickpea flour – I haven’t tested this with any other flours, so substitute at your own risk.
- Nutritional yeast – This gives the muffins a slightly cheesy flavor, but isn’t necessary. Feel free to omit if you don’t care for nutritional yeast or are sensitive to it.
- Kala namak (black salt) – As mentioned above, this adds a distinctly eggy flavor to the muffins. Kala namak has a sulfurous taste to it that can be used to mimic an egg flavor in egg free recipes. If you don’t care for the eggy flavor, you can use regular sea salt.
How to Make Savory Mushroom Spinach Muffins
These muffins are easy to make and come together quickly. Start by preheating your oven and preparing a standard 12 cup muffin tin. Next, sauté the onion and garlic and then add the mushrooms and cook until softened and most of the liquid is evaporated. Finally, add the spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Set aside.
Next whisk the dry ingredients for the muffin batter, followed by the water. Whisk until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the muffins bounce back when pressed lightly in the center. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Ahead
These savory vegan muffins can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, in the fridge for four days or in the freezer for one month.
Savory Mushroom & Spinach Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 cups spinach, finely chopped
- 2 cups (240 grams) chickpea flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoons sea salt, or kala namak (black salt) for eggy flavor
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and lightly grease, or line with paper liners, a standard sized 12 muffin tin. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of water over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add more water as necessary to prevent sticking. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their liquid and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4-6 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another minute until wilted. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpea flour, baking powder, salt, and nutritional yeast. Whisk to combine. Add the water and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the mushroom mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. The batter will be very thin and watery. This is ok!
- Using a 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the oven for 28-32 minutes, or until the center bounces back when pressed lightly. You can also stick a toothpick in the center, and if it comes out clean they are done. Don't overbake or they will be dry. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack. If you have a hard time getting them out, run a knife around the edge of each muffin and they should pop out. These are delicious warm or cold. Enjoy!
- Allow to cool completely and then store in an airtight container on the counter for two days, in the fridge for four days or in the freezer for up to one month.
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This was the third recipe for savory chickpea “muffins” or “mini-frittatas” I have tried. Oh, Maggie, you hit it out of the park! These were FANTASTIC! They rose beautifully in the oven (often a problem at 5280 feet that requires tinkering—not this time!). More important, they were absolutely DELICIOUS! My omnivore hubby adored them, always a plus!
Thank you! I’m going to check out ALL your recipes now!
Thank you for such wonderful feedback Melissa! I am so glad you found success with these muffins and that your carnivore husband loved them too. So happy to have you following along!
See above.