These yogurt buns are possibly the easiest muffin-y recipe I’ve ever created.
I’ve been making them so often and switching up the add-ins (see recipe note), customizing with what fruits I have on hand, or just what I’m in the mood to bake with. Ahem, chocolate. 😍
Along with my (now popular) Jam Jam Muffins, these are the two recipes I seem to go to week after week.
It goes something like this…
Have overripe bananas?
Yes: Make Jam Jam Muffins
No: Make Yogurt Buns
I’m sure I’ll slide out of this baking routine eventually, but right now it’s working nicely. Ain’t broken, don’t fix it!
The very nice thing about these vegan yogurt buns is that they are incredibly easy to make. Even easier than the Jam Jams, only because you don’t need to mash the bananas!
It’s pretty much dump & mix.
Yep, that’s how I like to roll with my baking these days. 😬 Fancy, huh?
But isn’t that what most of us want with home baking and cooking? Easy recipes we can turn to time and again that are reliable, nutritious, and yet still delicious?
I think so.
You will have to tell me if I’m spot on with that. hint: comment 🙃
The only catch with these Yogurt Buns is the obvious: you need vegan yogurt. There are many brands available now, but boy do they vary!
Some vegan yogurts are quite thick, others a little runny. Some, just downright nasty. I’m not naming names, but a little tip: avoid “Oatgurts”. That’s all. Most are terrible, I don’t know how they make it to market. Only one I’ve tried (Oatly) is acceptable (not fabulous, but okay).
Easy Yogurt Buns: Which vegan yogurt brand?
So what vegan yogurt brands do I use for these buns? And other recipes?
Well, in Canada, I’d say our yogurt options are more limited. And, in general I think we’re still waiting for an outstanding vegan yogurt to hit the market. But, I generally use Silk almond yogurts, or if I can get them in the US, Silk soy yogurts.
Get the yogurt, and this recipe is a cinch! It’s just a mix of oats, oat flour, almond meal (adds a great deal of moisture and tenderness) along with the yogurt and a few extras. (Some of you may notice this recipe is similar to my Berry Scuffins, but I’m loving this fresh combo with the almond meal and all yogurt).
Plus, the simplicity of its base means it’s a gem to customize. I give ideas in the recipe.
One idea, which I wished I had photographed, is to add a swirl of dragonfruit powder. This would be so fun for Valentine’s! You can see more about how it looks in this video:
Dragonfruit powder or not, these Yogurt Buns have become a fast-favorite here and I hope they will be in your home as well!
Let me know how you enjoy them. x Dreena
Yogurt Buns
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal see note
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional, see ideas
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup vanilla or plain non-dairy yogurt see note
- 3-4 tbsp unrefined sugar see note
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract see note
- 1/2 cup dried fruit or 3/4 – 1 cup fresh/frozen fruit add-ins see ideas
- 1-2 tbsp unrefined sugar for sprinkling on tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, add oats, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon (if using), and sea salt. Mix through. Add vanilla, yogurt, sugar or maple syrup, extract (if using), and mix through. Finally, fold in add-ins (see note) until just combined. Use an ice cream scoop to measure and place scoops of the batter on prepared baking sheet, yielding 10-12 buns. Sprinkle the unrefined sugar over the tops of the buns. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden and set to the touch. Remove, and let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool more. Enjoy warm or cooled.
Notes
Using almond extract:
– Fresh or frozen berries (see note)
– Dried cherries with chunky bits of dark chocolate
– Add a swirl of DragonFruit powder! So gorgeous. Using vanilla extract:
– Add 1 ripe chopped banana (slice lengthwise, then again lengthwise, to cut in small quarter pieces)… option to add mini chocolate chips!
– As shown in photograph, add chopped apple and bump up the cinnamon if you like.
– Add 1 – 1 1/2 tsp of organic orange or lemon zest along with dried cranberries.
Daphne says
Hi Dreena,
Thanks for this recipe, I’m making them as we speak!
Quick question: when using frozen berries/fruit do you thaw them or add them frozen? I imagine it will have a great effect on the baking process, temperature wise.
Dreena Burton says
Awesome! Thanks Daphne 🙂 I add the berries frozen, and that may mean another minute or two of baking, depending on the size/type of berry. The only time I’d thaw is if using whole frozen strawberries, because they are just so big, I’d thaw first to slice. Hope that helps!
Susan Signor says
Made Yogurt Buns today using homemade soy yogurt and a cup of fresh blueberries and raspberries. Very tasty! Love the soft texture. I used coconut sugar, added 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds as the batter looked to be a bit loose. The soy yogurt was super easy to make following guidelines in Jill Nussinow’s book “Vegan Under Pressure”. the hardest part was finding soy milk with zero additives. I like the flavor and texture in this first batch of yogurt. I’ll be making more versions of these tasty Yogurt Buns. So many variations to enjoy! Thank you for creating this yummy treat!
Lisa says
I made these tonight and they are soooo good and so easy to throw together. I used Silk soy unsweetened plain yogurt. I also used fresh frozen raspberries I picked last month. I’ll be having these for breakfast with my tofu scramble. Thanks for the healthy, easy, and delicious recipe!
Dreena Burton says
Delighted to read your feedback, thanks Lisa!
Wendy says
Tasty and not too sweet. I’m taking them to a picnic tomorrow with friends, one of whom needs GF food. I’ll make more to take to eat with a friend who has diabetes. I put the full cup of fresh fruit (strawberries) into the recipe, which makes them look enticing and taste good.
Cerys says
Oooo these look yummy!
Can you sub the almond flour/meal for a nut free version eg regular flour/oat flour? Or even something with some texture like polenta? Hoping to make them allergy friendly 🙂
Thank you so much!xxx
Dreena Burton says
Hi Cerys, I’ve been using sesame meal as a sub for almond meal with great results! Here’s a brand on amazon: https://amzn.to/3OgmLPx
Wendy says
Recipe looks lovely! I’ll have to make my own soy yogurt, though. It’s getting almost impossible to find — I think the dairy industry has done a lot of anti-soy marketing and lobbying. I wonder if there’s a way we consumers could gain a voice with the supermarkets
Dreena Burton says
Thanks for the glowing review, Wendy! I agree, and there aren’t many great vegan yogurts on the market. Quite a gap in that area, really, and too many options with fillers and that just taste terrible. I’m sure your homemade yogurt tastes better than all of them!
Evelyn Comely says
Siggi’s made an awesome vegan yogurt but I can no longer find it in Canada. Silk is next best.
Anne says
Made these yesterday – very tasty!
In the instructions you mention maple syrup but that is not listed in the ingredient list. Since the batter was very dry and stiff I added some.
Julie says
Hi! After reading the comments, I’m wondering what is your opinion about pea protein powder?
Dreena Burton says
Hi Julie, I have to avoid it, I’m very sensitive to it. I explained more in this post: https://bit.ly/proteinbarsvegan
Emilye says
I’m all for simple no-fuss reliable recipes, looking forward to trying this. Would be great if you would consider adding metric measurements to your recipes 🙂
Lesley says
Hi Dreena. I got your book, Dreena’s Kind Kitchen out of the library last week and yesterday made a trip to Indigo and bought it! I really need to have it in my own plant based cookbook library because your recipes are oil free. Thanks for all the great recipes and your continued promotion of a healthy lifestyle! Trying to figure out which Trader Joe’s you go to. Bellingham Washington??? Also where are you getting vanilla bean powder?
Dreena Burton says
Hi Lesley, so glad you picked up DKK!
I do go to Bellingham, as we are close to the border here. And, the vanilla bean powder I buy from Wilderness Poets but you can also get some on amazon.ca, here’s a brand for you to have a look at: https://amzn.to/3CwVHFH
shan says
Hi Dreena. Thank you for the great recipe. Quick question re dragonfruit powder …. How do you keep it from becoming a brick? I stored mine in a mason jar but it’s all hard now. I can’t even chip away at it. I had no issues with goji and açai berry powders stored the same way in the same cupboard.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Shan, I’m going to ask this question to my friends at Wilderness Poets. I recall this happening towards the end of my last packet of dragonfruit powder – but it was fine for several months before. Perhaps it has something to do with humidity. I will ask them!
Dreena Burton says
Hi Shan, I heard back from Wilderness Poets about the powder, this is what they said…
“The dragonfruit powder does have a high moisture content and can clump over time. We include a clay desiccant in our packages of Dragonfruit powder, which helps prevent clumping… So the only advice I would have is to keep that in there, and use it within 6 months or so to prevent clumping. (It may last longer without clumping, but the point is, if you keep the desiccant in the bag and use it within a reasonable amount of time, it should be fine.).”
Hope that helps! -Dreena
shan says
This looks so awesome and easy. Thought at first they were your scuffins rejigged.
My fav yogurt is Riviera coconut but unfortunately all their vegan yogurts have pea protein which a lot of people are avoiding these days. Luckily I have no issues because all other brands I’ve tried taste nasty to me … yes sadly limited options in Canada.
Dreena Burton says
Hi again Shan! They are a bit of a rejig of the scuffins. I didn’t plan it that way, just mixed and there I was with something kind of new. I like that rejig term. 🙂
Yes, their yogurts are pretty good and I would use them more often as well if not for that pea protein. We need something special to hit our Cdn marketplace.
K Morey says
Thank you for this delicious looking recipe Dreena. I’m planning to try it today. I wonder if tiger nut flour could be substituted for the almond meal. One of our family has an almond allergy. Also, I did note that the almond meal is omitted from the recipe Directions. I think you mean for it to be added with the oats, oat flour, etc. Thank you again, Dreena.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Kathy, great question and yes I think that would be a fine sub! You might just taste the batter and see if you want to add extra cinnamon or sweetener, just the almond meal can be a little sweeter naturally. And, yes, I did mean to add that to the directions as I edited the recipe (initially didn’t have almond meal, but tried it with and much better)! Let us know how the tiger nut flour works. p.s. do you order it online or buy in-store? It’s not a very common one.
Courtney O. says
Thank you so much, Dreena! We love your Jam Jam muffins and I’m sure will love these. I’m definitely in agreement with wanting a dump and mix recipe in this busy season of life.
Dreena Burton says
So happy to hear that, thanks Courtney! I just want simplicity in cooking and baking now, glad I’m in good company.