A nutrient dense, incredibly tasty, make ahead breakfast that’s perfect for meal planning. These vegan frittata muffins AKA vegan savoury muffins might resemble your classic egg cups, but they’re completely egg free!
This recipe was originally published in August 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
If you find yourself with little to no time for breakfast on your busy weekdays, these vegan savoury muffins are the perfect solution!
I’m a big fan of prepping breakfasts ahead of time, like with my overnight chia pudding or banana overnight oats. Otherwise, I find myself skipping breakfast entirely.
Because let’s face it, there is just never enough time in the mornings.
Why you’ll love these savoury muffins
- We’ve been over the fact that you can make them ahead of time to have breakfast ready to go, but it’s worth stating again! 😉
- Versatile! I like mine with onion, pepper, mushrooms and broccoli, but the combinations are virtually endless. Use what you have on hand.
- Taste great warm or cold, making these a great option to grab and go.
- Wholesome and nutrient dense. Using chickpea flour and veggies is likely to make these one of the healthiest muffins you ever eat!
- Perfect texture. Moist and “eggy” on the inside, with a slight firm, crisp on the outside.
How to make them
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Gather your ingredients.
To prepare, finely chop up your veggies and add them to a pan. (photos 1-2)
Sauté the veggies until softened and reduced, about 5 minutes. (photo 3)
Meanwhile, add chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder and all the seasoning to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. (photos 4-5)
Now pour in the water and mix well. Keep mixing until completely combined. (photos 6-7)
NOTE: Unlike most sweet style muffins, you don’t need to worry about over mixing this batter.
Evenly distribute the veggies between your 12 muffin cups, about 1 heaping tablespoon per muffin. (photo 8)
Then quickly re-mix your batter (in case of separation) and begin pouring on top, filling the muffin tins almost to the top. (photos 9-10)
Give each muffin a quick stir, to evenly distribute the veggies and get some of the chickpea batter to the bottom of the pan. (photo 11)
Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and remove from the oven. (photo 12)
Let the muffins cool for AT LEAST 10 minutes before removing from them from the muffin tray. Then gently remove them and transfer to a cooling rack.
How long do they keep?
Store your cooled vegan savoury muffins in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If using for make ahead breakfasts throughout the week, warm up 1-2 of them in a microwave or toaster oven. Or enjoy cold. They taste great either way!
Or you may freeze them in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Make sure to fully cool them to room temperature first.
What substitutions can I make?
Use your favourite veggies here, don’t limit yourself to the one’s I’m using. Some other great options include:
- Baby spinach
- Shredded carrots
- Corn kernals
- Sliced black olives
- Green onion
- Halved cherry tomatoes
Just be sure to use about 2.5 cups worth of chopped veggies, no matter your selection.
What if I don’t have chickpea flour?
The chickpea flour is essential to these vegan savoury muffins. But if you don’t have any on hand, you can make some, if you’ve got a strong blender, like a Vitamix, and some dry chickpeas.
Add the dry chickpeas to your blender and process on high until you reach a flour like consistency. It will be VERY loud at first, so be ready to cover your ears! 🙂 It will take about 30-40 seconds to break down into flour.
Can I use black salt for these?
Absolutely, if you want an even “eggier” flavour, sub half of the salt called for with black salt, also known as kala namak.
Tips for Success
- Don’t forget to stir your vegan savoury muffins BEFORE baking. This will ensure even distribution of the veggies. Also, make sure that some batter gets to the bottom of the tins so the muffins will be evenly shaped and to prevent sticking.
- Make sure to let these savoury muffins rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan. This cool down period will help them set so that they don’t break when removing them.
- If you’re avoiding oil and don’t want to grease your muffin pan, let your muffins cool a little longer before attempting to remove them. Then use a butter knife to gently glide around each muffin if they are a little stuck, and scoop them out.
Serving Suggestions
These vegan frittata muffins taste great on their own. Or for a hearty breakfast or brunch, serve them along side some home fries, hash browns, baked beans, or fluffy pancakes!
More fun ways to use chickpea flour
- Oil Free Socca Bread (Chickpea Flatbread)
- Chickpea Asparagus Frittata
- Healthy Blueberry Pancakes
- Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins
If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.
Buon appetito,
Rosa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper about 1 small pepper
- 1 cup diced cremini or baby bella mushrooms about 4-5 mushrooms
- 3/4 cup broccoli finely chopped, about 3-5 florets
- 300 g chickpea or garbanzo flour approx. 2 cups
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sea salt or sub half for black salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper optional but recommended
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2.5 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grab a non stick muffin pan. Grease if needed.
- Add all the chopped veggies to a pan and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, if desired. Dry sauté, stirring often, until reduced and softened, approx. 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, seasonings and baking powder and whisk to combine. Then pour in the water and mix well.
- Evenly divide the sautéed veggies between your 12 muffin cups, about 1 heaping tablespoon per muffin. Then give your chickpea batter another quick mix and evenly distribute it between your 12 muffins. Use a spoon to gently stir each muffin, to evenly distribute the veggies and the batter. (DON'T SKIP MIXING.)
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then carefully remove from the muffin pan.
These were great Rosa! So glad I made a double batch! Can’t wait to get out of pandemic and use these to grab-and-go. 😊. Thanks Rosa.
Thanks so much for the feedback Sue! Thrilled you enjoyed. And completely agree. Stay safe. 🙂
I made these without nutritional yeast.I used TJs vegan chicken less seasoning salt and red onion. They are amazing 🙏🏻😍 I can’t stop eating them 😂
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying them Rachel. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
For anyone like me who isn’t in love with chickpea flour, you can soak dry chickpeas overnight, rinse, then blend with equal parts water the next day! Life changing!
Jenny, is that equal parts by volume or weight? I’m also not a chickpea fan!
Do you have any substitute recommendations for chickpea flour that is also vegan, gluten-, grain- and nut-free? I know that is a tall order! Thanks!
Hi Michele, I haven’t tried that these without the chickpea flour, so I’m not sure.