Spanish Vegan Lemon Muffins | Vegan Magdalenas

Vegan magdalenas are the classic Spanish lemon muffins made without eggs or dairy. You whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest with olive oil, soy milk, vanilla and lemon juice, then bake at 180C for about 25 minutes. A bright turmeric-tinted lemon icing finishes each one. Light, fluffy and ready for coffee.

Magdalenas come from the Aragon region of Spain, and in Spanish the word simply means cupcakes or muffins. They are the kind of light, fluffy breakfast bake that locals eat with a big cup of coffee and milk, and you find them in nearly every bakery, each with its own version. Nothing can compare to a warm, flavor-rich homemade magdalena right out of the oven, and that is exactly why I wanted to show you how to make the vegan version at home.

What I love about this recipe is how little it asks of you. There is no creaming butter, no separating eggs, no special equipment. You mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ones, and pour. The olive oil and soy milk do all the work that butter and eggs would normally do, and the result is a tender crumb with a clean lemon scent that fills the kitchen while they bake.

This Recipe Works If You Need

• A simple egg-free, dairy-free breakfast bake you can have on the table in well under an hour.
• A make-ahead treat for coffee with friends, since magdalenas keep their texture well for a few days.
• A first baking project for someone new to vegan baking, because the method is just mix and pour.
• A bright, citrusy dessert when heavier chocolate bakes feel like too much.
• A pantry-friendly recipe built on staples you likely already have: flour, sugar, oil, plant milk and a lemon.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One bowl, no fuss. Everything goes into a single bowl in two stages, so cleanup is minimal and there is nothing to fold or whip.
• Naturally egg-free and dairy-free. Olive oil and soy milk replace butter and eggs without any specialty replacers, so the recipe stays accessible.
• Real lemon flavor. Both the zest and the juice go into the batter, giving you fragrant citrus oils in the crumb and a touch of brightness, not just a faint hint.
• A pretty, golden icing. A pinch of turmeric tints the lemon glaze a warm yellow with no artificial color, so each muffin looks as cheerful as it tastes.
• Light and fluffy texture. The oil-based batter bakes up soft and tender, the way a good magdalena should be.
• Beginner-proof. The toothpick test takes the guesswork out, so you always know exactly when they are done.

Ingredient Notes

Flour. Plain all-purpose flour gives these muffins their light crumb. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping straight from the bag, since packing the cup adds extra flour and turns the muffins dense and dry. With 200 g of flour to 200 ml of liquid, the batter should pour, not clump.

Olive oil. The 100 ml of olive oil is what keeps these magdalenas moist and tender, since oil stays liquid at room temperature where butter would set firm. Use a light or mild olive oil here rather than a peppery extra-virgin one, otherwise its grassy notes can fight with the lemon. Any neutral baking oil works too if that is what you have.

Soy milk. Soy milk is my pick because its slightly higher protein content helps the crumb set, but any unsweetened plant milk will do. Reach for an unflavored, unsweetened carton so the sugar level stays where you want it and no vanilla or other flavoring sneaks in.

Sugar. The 200 g of sugar sweetens the batter and also helps these stay soft, since sugar holds onto moisture as they cool. Plain white granulated sugar keeps the color pale and the flavor clean.

Baking powder. Just 1 teaspoon does the lifting here. Make sure yours is fresh, because baking powder loses its strength over time and tired powder gives you flat, heavy muffins. If you are unsure, drop a little into hot water and watch for an immediate, lively fizz.

Lemon. One lemon does double duty: the zest goes into the batter and half the juice flavors both the batter and the icing. Zest before you juice, and take only the bright yellow layer, since the white pith underneath turns bitter. Roll the lemon firmly on the counter before cutting it to release more juice.

Vanilla extract. A teaspoon of pure vanilla rounds out the citrus and adds warmth. Pure extract is worth it over imitation here, since there are so few flavors in the batter that each one stands out.

Powdered sugar and turmeric. The icing is just 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice, plus a quarter tablespoon of turmeric for color. The turmeric is there purely to give a natural golden tint, so keep it to a pinch, since too much brings an earthy taste you do not want on a lemon muffin.

Tips

• Mix until just smooth, then stop. Once the batter looks smooth with no dry streaks, set the whisk down. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and gives you tough, tunneled muffins instead of a tender crumb.
• Rub the zest into the sugar. Before adding the wet ingredients, pinch the lemon zest into the dry mix with your fingertips. This presses the citrus oils into the sugar and makes the lemon flavor noticeably more fragrant.
• Trust the toothpick, not just the timer. Insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin at the 25-minute mark. If it comes out clean, they are ready; if there is wet batter clinging to it, give them a couple more minutes. Ovens vary, so the toothpick is your real signal.
• Let them rest in the tin. Cool them in the tin for 10 minutes before moving them to a rack. They finish setting as they cool, and lifting them out too soon can tear the bottoms.
• Ice them only once cooled. Wait until the muffins are fully cool before topping with icing, or the warmth will melt the glaze and it will slide right off instead of setting on top.

Substitutions and Variations

• Swap the plant milk. No soy milk? Almond, oat or rice milk all work in its place. Choose an unsweetened, unflavored one so the sweetness and flavor stay balanced.
• Change the oil. If you would rather not taste any olive note at all, use a neutral oil such as sunflower or a light vegetable oil. The texture stays just as moist.
• Add a citrus twist. Replace some of the lemon with orange zest and juice for a softer, sweeter citrus profile, or use a mix of both for a bright marmalade-like flavor.
• Skip the icing. These are lovely plain for a less sweet, breakfast-style magdalena. A light dusting of powdered sugar is a quick alternative to the glaze.

Storage and Make Ahead

Store the cooled magdalenas in an airtight container at room temperature, where they keep well for about three days. If you have iced them, layer parchment between them so the glaze does not stick. They are at their best the day they are baked, but a few seconds in the microwave brings back that just-out-of-the-oven softness on day two or three.

To make ahead, you can bake the muffins, let them cool completely, and freeze them un-iced in a freezer bag for up to a couple of months. Thaw them at room temperature and add the lemon icing fresh before serving. They are made for a relaxed breakfast or coffee break, so serve them the Spanish way with a big cup of coffee. If you are baking for a crowd, pair them with a batch of chocolate chip coconut muffins for variety, or try my vegan whole grain cookies for something a little less sweet alongside.

Spanish Vegan Lemon Muffins | Vegan Magdalenas

Learn how to make vegan magdalenas – a delicious Spanish dessert! These soft, lemony vegan muffins are easy to make and topped with a bright lemon-turmeric icing.

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Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 10

Ingredients 

• 200 g flour
• 100 ml olive oil
• 200 ml soy milk
• 200 g sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon zested, ½ juiced
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 4 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ Tbsp turmeric powder

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Line a muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside.
• In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest. Add the olive oil, vanilla extract, lemon juice and soy milk, then stir until you have a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the tin, filling each muffin liner about two-thirds full.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin: if it comes out clean, they’re ready. If not, bake for a couple more minutes.
• Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the icing, combine the powdered sugar and turmeric powder in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice until smooth and sticky. Top each lemon muffin with a teaspoon of icing.

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