Orange Ginger Blueberry Tahini Chickpea Flour Muffins (Vegan)

(Note: this post was originally published on September 13, 2021. It has since been updated with a few tweaks.)

How to Make the HEALTHIEST Vegan Muffins

Are you a muffin lover who wants to prioritize healthier ingredients? Me too. That's why I created these healthy chickpea flour muffins, which are moist, flavorful, entirely plant-based, and naturally gluten-free. These vegan tahini muffins are packed with exciting flavors and are a great breakfast, on-the-go snack, or weekend treat.

Let's be honest, most muffins are essentially cake in disguise. They tend to be made from refined flour, refined sugar, and oil. Thankfully, these unique vegan tahini muffins ditch all those nutritionally-void ingredients. Unlike most "healthy muffin" recipes you'll find online, these don't just feature a single ingredient swap; instead, I completely re-envisioned muffins to use only whole food ingredients. These plant-based muffins are entirely vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally-sweetened, plus they're rich in protein and fiber.

My secrets? You'll see two very unique baking ingredients in this healthy vegan gluten-free muffin recipe: tahini and chickpea flour. Keep reading to learn about why these are superstars in healthy baking and how they replace refined flour, refined sugar, and oil.

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Baking with Tahini

You may be surprised to learn that tahini (sesame seed paste) is a fabulous ingredient in baking. Because it adds fat, it can be used in place of oil or butter (although not as a 1:1 substitute; make sure you're using a recipe designed for tahini). It's actually the only fat in these vegan tahini muffins, so it helps with moisture, texture, and richness. Tahini also has a delicate nutty taste, hence tahini baked goods usually have a much more interesting and complex flavor profile than those made with oil.

Want to learn more about this fabulous, versatile ingredient? Check out my how to use tahini guide, which is packed with information about sourcing, storing, cooking with, and baking with tahini.

I have many tahini baked goodies here on the blog including tahini blondies, vegan tahini banana bread, a blueberry lemon tahini bundt cake, and tahini blender muffins. I promise that once you start baking with tahini, and once you make these oil-free vegan muffins in particular, you'll wonder why you ever baked with oil.

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A Tahini Discount

Importantly, not all tahini is created equal. The quality of tahini matters for all recipes, but especially for baking. Some tahini can be grainy, clumpy, or bitter, none of which you want in these high-protein vegan tahini muffins. I recommend Seeds of Collaboration tahini for baking. It has a delicate, nutty flavor and is wonderfully creamy. I'm happy to be able to set you up with a discount on this liquid gold; use the code ROGUE to get 20% off.

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Baking with Chickpea Flour

Another surprising ingredient for muffins, chickpea flour (a.k.a. garbanzo bean flour) is sure to become your new favorite healthy baking trick and pantry staple. Chickpea flour is (1) high in protein, (2) inexpensive, and (3) a single, whole food. How many other flours can claim all those attributes?

Many other alternative flours are pricey (for example, almond flour), and some require blending a few different types of flours together to get the right texture. Additionally, certain alternative flours require eggs to reach a desirable texture (for example, coconut flour), and hence don't work well in gluten-free vegan baking. Chickpea flour, on the other hand, yields a light and fluffy texture, adds satisfying protein to baked goods, and costs about $2.50 per bag.

Can you taste the beans in these chickpea flour muffins? The short answer is no- with some caveats. Most importantly, resist the temptation to taste the batter while it's raw; the chickpea flour has a bitter taste until it is cooked. Additionally, I've loaded these chickpea flour muffins up with a lot of vibrant flavors (fragrant orange, spicy ginger, sweet blueberries), so you won't be able to detect any taste of the beans.

Curious to try more alternative flour recipes? Once you get that (protein-packed and inexpensive!) bag of chickpea flour and make these vegan tahini muffins, you can also try this chickpea flour banana bread and this chickpea flour pizza crust. Or, if you'd rather use whole beans instead of flour, you'll love these chickpea blondies and these no-bake chickpea birthday cake bars.

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Customize these Chickpea Flour Muffins

There are plenty of ways you can customize these vegan tahini muffins to make them work for you. If you want to add some crunch, feel free to stir in some chopped walnuts. Other fruit will probably work instead of the blueberries, as long as you're careful not to add too much moisture.

You may also consider altering the icing. I've shown these muffins with a simple orange icing in order to make them feel (and look!) decadent. If you want to avoid refined sugar entirely, feel free to omit the icing; they're still wonderful without it. Or, serve them with a dollop of almond butter or a drizzle of tahini on top.

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Can I Substitute the Tahini and/or Chickpea Flour?

I designed these tahini + chickpea flour muffins with these two special ingredients, so I have not tried it with alternatives. I highly suggest making the recipe as written, since both are quite unique. A natural, drippy almond butter may work in place of the tahini, but almond butter is thicker and the batter will end up thicker; you may need to increase the amount of plant milk slightly to compensate. Oat flour could work in place of the chickpea flour (and the recipe already calls for a small amount of oat flour for texture), but the muffins will end up much denser.

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Storage Tips

These vegan tahini muffins make for easy, nutritious breakfasts and/or snacks all week long. Let them cool completely after baking. Then transfer them to a tightly sealed container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for several weeks. When you're ready to enjoy one, just warm it up in the microwave.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for these vegan chickpea flour muffins, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Banana. Make sure it's very ripe with lots of brown spots.
• Tahini. This recipe will work best with a creamy, delicate tahini. I suggest Seeds of Collaboration, which is the best tahini for baking. Use the code ROGUE to save 20% on your entire order.
• Plant milk. These vegan tahini muffins will work with any plant milk you prefer. I like to use soy milk because of its richness and protein.
• Maple syrup
• Flax seed meal
• Vanilla
• Orange. You'll use the zest in the muffin batter and the juice in the icing. You can also garnish the tops of the muffins with additional orange zest if desired.
• Chickpea flour. You can find this protein-rich, inexpensive flour at most health food stores and online. I like Bob's Red Mill brand. I designed this recipe specifically to work with chickpea flour, so I don't recommend trying to substitute it.
• Oat flour. You can easily make your own oat flour at home by processing whole, rolled oats for a few seconds in a food processor or blender.
• Cinnamon
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Crystallized ginger. Most health food stores sell flavor-packed crystallized ginger in cubes or medallions. If you're minimizing sugar, you can substitute this with a tablespoon of fresh-grated ginger.
• Blueberries. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries in these vegan tahini muffins. If you use fresh, they'll hold their shape better during baking. If you use frozen, they may color the surrounding batter.
• Confectioner's sugar. For the optional icing. Omit the icing if you're avoiding refined sugar and try serving them with a drizzle of tahini on top instead.

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Closing Thoughts

These orange ginger blueberry muffins are exploding with interesting flavors. The mashed banana and blueberries are sweet, while the orange and ginger are vibrant and fresh. The tahini adds richness and nuttiness, while cinnamon adds warmth.

All those different flavors mean that these vegan tahini muffins can easily transcend seasons. The blueberries make them feel summer-appropriate, but the warming ginger and cinnamon allow them to work during the fall and winter too. You can easily make these plant-based gluten-free muffins all year long and never get bored of the flavors.

Are you convinced? Will you try these healthy tahini chickpea flour muffins? I think this recipe is great proof that muffins don't have to be cake in disguise. These whole food vegan muffins are loaded with protein, healthy fats, and fiber, making them a wonderful treat for everyday. Whether you enjoy these vegan protein muffins for breakfast, a snack, a post-workout treat, or even dessert, I can't wait for you to try them.

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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Suggested Pairings

Coconut Campari Tequila Sunrise

Healthy Banana Bread Granola‍

Tropical Fruity Brunch Salad

Berry Banana Breakfast Popsicles

Healthy Vegan Banana Bread

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Disclosure: Seeds of Collaboration is a long-term partner. I receive free product from Seeds of Collaboration and take a small commission on sales using the discount code. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.