Pineapple Guava Chia Muffins (Vegan Feijoa Recipe)
Bright, fruity, light, and flavorful, these sweet little muffins are the perfect vegan feijoa recipe. They have a delicate crumb, and an intensely fruity flavor in every bite. Perfect for an afternoon snack or a sunshiny breakfast, these muffins are the perfect bit of fruity, pineapple guava goodness. Plus, we use the skins so no need to spend a lot of time peeling it away from the delicate flesh. I hope you enjoy these beautiful muffins, and my overly bright, California sun-saturated food photography!
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What is a Feijoa?
That’s exactly what I asked myself as I stared down at a box filled to the top with these green, leathery looking little fruits, each about the size of a kiwi. I’m a native New Englander, and had never seen the fruit before, but during a December trip to California I found myself surrounded by them. Feijoa (said sort of like “fee-jo-ah”) are also sometimes called pineapple guava or guavasteen is native to parts of Brazil, Argentina, and other parts of South America where it grows wild in the mountainous landscape. It has been planted in different places across the world, where the humidity is low from California to Italy, but received the warmest welcome in New Zealand, where it has been embraced and enjoyed by many. Despite that, to many of us the pineapple guava is an unknown treat.
Feijoa are about the size of an egg, and covered in a thin, dark green, leathery looking skin. The skin has a sour, somewhat grainy texture, but is still totally edible (we use the skin in our recipe!). The flesh inside is a light green to white and is very sweet, with a flavor that reminds me of a pineapple mixed with a pear. The most common way to eat them is to just cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, but they also make great jams and baked goods. If you don’t live in a part of the world where feijoas grow, you can always try buying them online!
Looking for Muffins? Try one of these Vegan Muffin Recipes!
- Magically Green Vegan Sunflower Butter Muffins
- Chocolate Beet Muffins (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free)
- Vegan Rye Flour Muffins with Raisins
- Vegan Blueberry and Pawpaw Muffins (Fun fact, this Feijoa Muffin recipe is a modified version of the pawpaw muffin recipe we wrote earlier!)
- Savory Herbed Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Making This Vegan Feijoa Recipe
I love this recipe because it’s no fuss, simple, in the oven and out, eat and enjoy, resulting in instant happiness. It starts by blending up your pineapple guavas, skins and all, to make a thick, fruity puree. The skins are fairly sour, but when baked into the muffins it gives you that brightness that would be lost if you just used the fruit. The feijoa puree is mixed with the other wet ingredients, and the dry ingredients get mixed in a separate bowl before they’re brought together. Admittedly, when I’m feeling lazy I just add it all in one bowl- you risk some more lumps, but there are times when lumpier muffins are preferable to washing two bowls. After your batter is good to go, divide it up between 12 muffin wells, and stick it in the oven. After about 30 minutes bring them out, and let them cool down a little. They may seem a little too moist at first, but as they cool they’ll dry out some and get to that perfect muffin texture.
Pineapple Guava Chia Muffins (Vegan Feijoa Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 cup blended feijoas (see first step for more details)
- 1 cup soymilk (or other plant-based milk)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a regular sized muffin tin and grease 12 muffin rows. Wash your feijoas well and cut off the dried, papery flower end. Blend them skins and all until you have a puree (I used a measuring cup and an immersion blender for this, and it worked quite well).
- Combine the blended feijoa with the soymilk, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl, and mix well. In a larger bowl mix the remaining dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until it’s all incorporated.
- Divide the batter equally into the muffin tins, filling them to about ¾ of the way to the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool, remove from the tray, and enjoy!
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