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These soft, moist persimmon muffins are packed with sweet bits of Fuyu persimmon, warm cinnamon, and melty vegan chocolate chips. They’re egg-free and dairy-free, take 10 minutes to prep, and are perfect for fall breakfasts, snacks, and lunchboxes.
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Persimmon season is short, but these muffins are here to spice things up while it lasts! If you love vegan pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and vegan apple muffins, this persimmon muffin recipe is the one to bake when persimmons fill the markets.
Quick Glance
- Recipe Name: Persimmon Muffins
- Why You’ll Love It: Moist, tender muffins with chunks of sweet persimmon and chocolate chips, made with no eggs or dairy.
- Time and Difficulty: 10 minutes of prep and 20 to 25 minutes of baking, easy.
- Main Ingredients: Fuyu persimmons, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, plant-based milk, apple cider vinegar, oil, applesauce, and vegan chocolate chips.
- Method: Toss the persimmons with sugar, make a quick vegan buttermilk, stir everything together, and bake.
- Texture and Flavor: Soft and fluffy, with honey-like persimmon, warm cinnamon, and pockets of melted chocolate.
- Quick Tip: Lightly mash the persimmons as you mix so you get both juicy chunks and persimmon flavor in every bite.
Table of Contents
What Makes These Persimmon Muffins So Good
Unlike many persimmon muffin recipes, I don’t puree the fruit. I lightly mash diced Fuyu persimmons, so every muffin has chunks of the sweet fruit. Persimmons are also rich in fiber and vitamin C, which makes these a fun way to enjoy seasonal fruit.
- Egg-free and dairy-free: Applesauce and a quick vegan buttermilk keep them tender, and no one can tell.
- Pantry ingredients: Besides the persimmons, you probably have everything on hand.
- Ready in about 35 minutes: Just 10 minutes of hands-on time.
- Kid-friendly: The chocolate chips make them a lunchbox favorite.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze a batch and enjoy them long after persimmon season.
Love persimmons? Try my vegan persimmon bread, persimmon cookies, homemade persimmon jam, or a fresh persimmon salad.
Persimmon Muffin Ingredients
You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
- Fuyu persimmons: Use ripe Fuyu persimmons that are deep orange and slightly soft but still firm enough to dice. Two large Fuyu persimmons make about 2 cups diced.
- Brown sugar: Tossing it with the persimmons draws out their juices. Save a little to sprinkle on top for a sweet, crackly crust.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level it so the muffins stay fluffy.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Give the muffins their tall, domed tops.
- Cinnamon and salt: Warm spice and a little salt bring out the persimmon flavor.
- Plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar: Together they make a quick vegan buttermilk for a tender crumb.
- Neutral oil: Like canola or vegetable oil, for moist muffins.
- Unsweetened applesauce: It replaces the eggs. For more ideas, see my guide to the best vegan egg replacers for baking.
- Vegan chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are my favorite, but they’re optional.
Which Persimmons to Use
Use Fuyu persimmons, the squat, tomato-shaped kind that’s sweet even while firm. I don’t recommend Hachiya persimmons here. They’re acorn-shaped, only sweet once they’re completely soft and jelly-like, and too soft to dice.
PRO TIP: Have soft Hachiya persimmons? Use them in my vegan persimmon bread instead, where the pulp stirs right into the batter.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways to switch up these persimmon muffins. I haven’t tested these yet, but they all sound delicious:
- Gluten-free: I haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work. If you try it, let me know in the comments!
- Nuts or seeds: Add about ½ cup of toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pepitas.
- Apples: Add about ½ cup of finely diced apple for more texture.
- Banana: I haven’t tested it, but mashed ripe banana in place of the applesauce should add a sweet banana flavor.
- Dried fruit: Add about ½ cup of raisins or dried cranberries.
- More spice: Add a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or ground ginger.
- Crystallized ginger: Finely chop it for sweet and spicy bites.
- Citrus zest: Add 1 teaspoon of orange or lemon zest.
- Streusel topping: Sprinkle on a sweet, buttery streusel like the one on my vegan plum crisp.
- Citrus glaze: Drizzle the cooled muffins with orange juice mixed with powdered sugar.
How to Make Persimmon Muffins
Before you start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
Step 1: Sweeten the persimmons. Remove the leaves and finely dice the persimmons. There’s no need to peel them, since the skin softens as it bakes. Toss them with the brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, stir the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar until it thickens, then stir in the oil, applesauce, and persimmon mixture with its juices, lightly mashing the persimmons.
Step 3: Make the batter. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in the vegan chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
Step 4: Fill and bake. Fill the muffin liners to the top and sprinkle each with a little brown sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool completely on a cooling rack.
PRO TIP: Save a few pieces of diced persimmon and press them on top of each muffin before baking, so you can see the fruit.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Use Fuyu persimmons: They stay sweet and hold their shape. Hachiya persimmons taste very astringent unless they are completely soft.
- Spoon and level the flour: Too much flour makes dense, dry muffins.
- Don’t overmix: Stir until just combined so the muffins stay tender.
- Check them early: Ovens vary, so start checking at 20 minutes.
- Let them cool completely: They set as they cool, so they hold together better.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a muffin on its own, warm with vegan butter or vegan cream cheese, or with a dollop of vegan whipped cream. For dessert, serve one with a scoop of banana ice cream and a warm cup of tea or coffee.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Room temperature: Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container lined with paper towels for 3 to 4 days.
- Fridge: Keep them in a paper towel-lined airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in a freezer bag or Stasher bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Reheat: Warm them in the microwave for 40 to 60 seconds, or in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for a few minutes.
- Make ahead: Mix the batter up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge (see the FAQs).
Persimmon Muffins FAQs
I don’t recommend Hachiya persimmons here, because this recipe uses diced fruit. Hachiya persimmons are jelly-like when ripe and only sweet when very soft. They work well in my vegan persimmon bread instead.
I haven’t tested almond flour or a gluten-free flour blend in these muffins yet. Almond flour doesn’t swap 1:1 for all-purpose flour, so a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend is where I’d start. If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments!
Yes, you can skip the brown sugar topping. I don’t recommend cutting the sugar in the batter by much, since it keeps the muffins moist and draws the juice out of the persimmons.
Sure! Store the batter in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Sure! Just reduce the baking time and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
More Vegan Muffin Recipes
Vegan Breakfasts
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Vegan Breakfasts
Easy Vegan Zucchini Muffins
Vegan Breakfasts
Grape Muffins (Egg-Free)
Vegan Breakfasts
Sweet Potato Muffins
If you tried this persimmon muffins recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Easy Persimmon Muffins
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Ingredients
- 2 large Fuyu persimmons no need to peel, about 2 cups (300 g) diced
- ⅓ cup (70 g) brown sugar plus more for topping
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) plant-based milk
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup (170 g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- In a small bowl, toss the finely diced persimmons with the brown sugar and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl, stir the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar until it thickens slightly. Stir in the oil and applesauce.
- Add the persimmon mixture and its juices, scraping the bowl with a spatula. Mix well, lightly mashing the persimmons as you stir.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Fill the muffin liners to the top and sprinkle each with a little brown sugar.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are golden.
- Place the tin on a cooling rack and let the muffins cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Use Fuyu persimmons, which are sweet while still firm. Hachiya persimmons are too soft to dice and taste bitter unless very ripe.
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with a knife, since too much flour makes the muffins dense.
- Mix the batter just until combined so the muffins stay tender.
- Let the muffins cool completely so they set and don’t crumble.
- I haven’t tested a gluten-free version, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work. If you try it, let me know in the comments!
- The batter keeps covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Store the muffins in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days at room temperature, up to 1 week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
