I love trail mix. I love it so much that it’s not something I should buy or make.
But making muffins that are trail-mix inspired is totally fine.
They’re some of easiest and least fussy muffins to make. No mixer, one bowl, and literally a two minute batter.
The batch makes 9 modest-sized muffins, perfect for your cravings, but you’re not swimming in muffins for days.
The muffins happen to be vegan, but they definitely don’t taste like health food. They’re satisfying, filling, and comforting.
Frequently vegan muffin and quickbread recipes get around the egg issue by either using nut butter or bananas. I’ve also snuck in pumpkin and avocado. Anything dense, fatty, or creamy generally works to bind batter and mimic eggs.
However, in this recipe, I relied solely on the thickening power of oats to bind the batter. It worked like a charm and the resulting muffins have tons of texture and lots of chewiness from the oats.
You must use old-fashioned whole-rolled oats, not quick cook or instant. That latter is finer and behaves more like flour, which would render the muffins way too dry and dense.
The recipe is very adaptable based on what you like in your trail mix or have in your pantry. As written, the recipe is vegan, nut-free (no peanut butter), soy-free, and banana-free. I never knew how many people disliked bananas (and raisins) until I started blogging.
I used my favorite raisin medley blend from Trader Joe’s. If you prefer other dried fruit like craisins, dried cherries, dried mango, or apricots, use 1/3 cup of whatever you like.
Don’t like dried fruit and prefer nuts? Add 1/3 cup of your favorite chopped or sliced nuts like almonds, cashews, or walnuts.
I used mini chocolate chips because their small size helps them stay suspended in the batter and not sink to the bottom. I’m sure regular-sized baking chips will work. Use any chips you enjoy from butterscotch to white chocolate or peanut butter chips, noting that not all chips are vegan if that’s a consideration.
I used coconut oil and love baking with it for muffins, cakes, bread, cookies and more. I used Nutiva Coconut Oil from iHerb.com. Code AVE630 at checkout saves you $10 off your order. I love iHerb for everything like probiotics, bulk cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, liquid vanilla stevia drops, bulk white stevia powder, medicinal fancy-grade honey, chia seeds, face cleanser, nutritional yeast, and mini chocolate chips.
I cannot taste the coconut oil, but if you’re concerned, sub with vegetable or canola oil.
The muffins are hearty, sweet enough without being too sweet, and have ample texture from the raisins and oats. They’re chewy and not overly dense, a nice surprise given there’s no eggs.
If you happen to run out of eggs and butter, and have a muffin or trail mix craving, enjoy.
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Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Trail Mix Vegan Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅔ cup old-fashioned whole-rolled oats, do not use quick-cook or instant
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ⅓ cup raisins, I used a raisin medley; substitute with your favorite dried fruit OR with 1/3 cup of chopped nuts
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling tops, substitute with regular-sized chocolate chips or white chocolate, peanut butter chips, etc.
- ½ cup milk, rice, soy, almond, cashew, cow, etc.
- ⅓ cup liquid-state coconut oil, substitute with canola or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan in 9 of the cavities (I don’t prefer the cosmetic look of paper liners); set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the first 6 ingredients (through optional salt), and whisk to combine.
- Add the raisins, 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, and whisk to combine.
- Add the milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and with a rubber spatula, fold until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Using a large cookie scoop or 1/4-cup measure, evenly distribute the batter into 9 of the cavities of the pan (don’t use all 12, muffins will be too skimpy).
- Top each muffin top with a generous pinch of chocolate chips.
- Bake for about 20 to 24 minutes, or until muffins are set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling, but no batter. Don’t overbake because muffins will be prone to drying out. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes before removing and placing on a rack to cool completely. Muffins will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These look hearty and delicious, and I can’t wait to try this recipe. That Trader Joe’s raisin medley is also my favorite for adding into baked goods and granolas. I’m so glad I came across your blog. Ironically I found you through a link for your egg veggie muffin cups from one of my favorite beauty YouTuber’s. I was delighted to find that you have a healthy collection of vegan recipes. My kids are both allergic to nuts and one is allergic to eggs. The egg allergy is my most challenging to work around, especially for baked goods. Vegan recipes I’ve tried can sometimes come out bland, but this one and many of your others look so sinfully delicious. Thanks for sharing this!
Seriously Averie! Outdone yourself with this little healthy treat. I made them with TJ dried cherries and chocolate chips, halved the brown sugar, and half King Arthur (always) All Purpose and Whole Wheat. These are the bomb! Great afternoon snack.
So glad they worked like a charm for you, even with half the sugar and using wheat flour – wonderful!
You go girl! Trail mix in a muffin, now there is something I’ll go hiking for! They look chock full of stick with ya ingredients. Love the oats and those little MnMs!
Oatmeal does some really neat things in baked goods. I absolutely love that raisin blend! My fave!
Oooh I love trail mix too, and putting it in muffins is genius!!! Such a perfect snack and even better that it’s vegan!
These look great, Averie, and I might just make them right now!
I feel bad for people who don’t like bananas and raisins. I need to make this because the last time I made a healthy oat muffin, they tasted like deprevation. These like moist and hearty! Yum!
And I promise these don’t taste like deprivation at all :)
These look lovely.
L x
https://workingmumy.blogspot.com
Just a “heads up”…in the recipe, the baking soda & salt are listed on the same line as the cinnamon…maybe it’s understandable to most?
Fixed & thanks for LMK!
I’m so excited about these muffins! I’ve never made/eaten muffins with oats before, and they’ve got the awesome secret ingredient of coconut oil, which I adore. Pinned! :)
I love old fashioned oats baked into muffins–I really like the texture they give. These would be great for breakfast on the run or a snack any time! I may be driving through Indianapolis in a couple of weeks and I am already thinking about a stop at Trader Joe’s (and maybe Penzey’s). I think I’ll put their raisin medley on my list–I remember seeing it in some of your other recipes too.
TJs and Penzeys sound like great pit stops :)
Wait… People hate bananas & raisins?? That’s preposterous!! I eat a banana every day (perfect post-run or workout snack!), and oatmeal raisin cookies (with lots of extra cinnamon) are one of the best desserts known to mankind. As well as extra fudgy brownies. And anything with chocolate or peanut butter. But I digress… Trail mix muffins (especially the GORP-kind) are so creative and absolutely amazing. My dad would definitely love these for his long backpacking trips!
They’d be perfect for long backpacking trips!
Oh gosh, girl! I loooooove these muffins! Definitely getting baked in our house asap!!!
Living alone, I need a recipe that only makes nine muffins! Love the raisins, chocolate chips, and oats, pinned!
thanks for pinning!
I am super in love with this recipe!
Never had muffins with oatmeal before. These look amazing! Would love to have some for breakfast! Pinned!