5 Vrat Muffin Recipes for Navratri & Ekadashi

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5 Vrat Muffin Recipes for Navratri & Ekadashi

Posted By The Baking Tools on October 2026

NAVRATRI & EKADASHI SPECIAL

5 Vrat Muffin Recipes for Navratri and Ekadashi: Easy Farali Muffins to Try at Home

Who says fasting food has to be limited to the usual halwa, fruit and sabudana dishes? Pick your flour, choose a muffin and tick off each ingredient and step as you bake.

🥚 Eggless🌾 Rajgira · Kuttu · Singhara🧁 5 recipes

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Why bake muffins during a fast?

If you enjoy baking, muffins can be another interesting option to explore during Navratri, Ekadashi or other fasting days. With ingredients such as rajgira atta, kuttu flour, singhara flour, bananas, almonds and cardamom, you can experiment with small-batch treats that feel different from everyday bakery muffins.

The best part? You do not need to use maida or eggs in every muffin recipe. Alternative flours, mashed bananas and other ingredients can help you make a variety of eggless bakes at home. A good silicone muffin mould or muffin tray is all the equipment you really need.

In this guide, we are exploring five different vrat muffin recipes, including almond muffins, banana-and-ginger muffins, buckwheat muffins, quick falahari muffins and kesar rajgira muffins.

Important note before baking

Vrat rules differ between families, regions and traditions. Check every ingredient, including baking soda, baking powder, dairy products, tapioca flour, flavouring extracts and sweeteners, against the fasting rules you follow.

Pick a flour 1. Almond 2. Ginger 3. Buckwheat 4. Falahari 5. Kesar Tips Shop FAQs

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Best for almond lovers1. Ekadashi Special Almond MuffinsOpen recipe ▾Close ▴

Soft, moist banana muffins with a nutty almond flavour and a hint of cardamom. Made with rajgira or singhara atta and sweetened with jaggery, this is a small batch of six, ideal for a first vrat baking session.

🛒 Ingredients

¼ cup almonds, finely ground, or ½ cup almond flour
1 ripe banana
½ cup plain curd
¼ cup sunflower oil
¼ cup finely chopped jaggery or jaggery powder
½ cup rajgira atta or singhara atta
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cardamom powder

👩🍳 Step-by-step method

Step 1: Get ready. Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease six small moulds or line them with muffin liners.
Step 2: Make the wet mix. Mash the banana until smooth. Whisk in the curd, sunflower oil and jaggery until well combined.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the ground almonds or almond flour with the rajgira or singhara atta, baking soda and cardamom. Grind whole almonds finely so the batter stays even.
Step 4: Bring it together. Fold the dry mix into the wet mix with a spatula, just until no dry flour is visible. Don't overmix.
Step 5: Fill and bake. Fill each mould about two-thirds full. Bake for about 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean.
Step 6: Cool. Let the muffins rest in the moulds for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack.

⚠️ Before you bake

Baking time here is an estimate. Ovens and moulds vary, so start checking at 18 minutes and bake a small test batch first.

💡 Kitchen tip

Use a fully ripe banana for better flavour and moisture. If the banana is firm and starchy, the muffins may have less sweetness and a denser texture.

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Best for warm spices2. Ekadashi Banana, Almond and Ginger MuffinsOpen recipe ▾Close ▴

A big-batch, spiced muffin with warm cinnamon, chewy crystallised ginger, dried fruit and flax seeds. Kuttu and tapioca flour keep it fasting-friendly, and the almonds add richness.

⚠️ Before you bake

This is a large batch (about 18 muffins) with generous amounts of baking soda and cinnamon. Make a half batch first and adjust to your taste.

🛒 Ingredients

Approximately 2 cups finely ground almonds
2 cups buckwheat flour (kuttu atta)
2 cups tapioca flour
1½ level tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
1⅓ cups maple syrup
¾ cup safflower oil
2 bananas, pureed
Approximately 3–4 cups water
1 cup cranberries, raisins, chopped dried fruit or orange peel
1 cup chopped crystallised ginger
¾ cup flax seeds
Sunflower seeds for sprinkling in the muffin tray

👩🍳 Step-by-step method

Step 1: Preheat. Heat the oven to about 195°C (385°F). Lightly grease the muffin tray and drop a few sunflower seeds into each base if you like.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, kuttu atta, tapioca flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using).
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients. Blend the bananas until smooth, then stir in the maple syrup, safflower oil and water.
Step 4: Make the batter. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir. Add the dried fruit, crystallised ginger and flax seeds. The batter will be fairly loose and a little sticky, so avoid adding extra flour.
Step 5: Fill the tray. Spoon the batter into the moulds, leaving a little room at the top to rise.
Step 6: Bake. Bake for about 30 minutes and check the centres with a toothpick. Rest the muffins briefly before taking them out of the moulds.

💡 Kitchen tip

Ginger gives these muffins their distinctive flavour. If you prefer something milder, reduce the crystallised ginger in your test batch and adjust the dried fruit to suit your taste.

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Best for a simple start3. Simple Buckwheat Muffins for EkadashiOpen recipe ▾Close ▴

The easiest muffin in this guide: a short ingredient list, a simple stir-together batter and your choice of applesauce or ripe banana. A good place to begin with kuttu atta.

🛒 Ingredients

2 cups buckwheat flour (kuttu atta)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup melted butter
1 cup sucanat or brown sugar
2 cups applesauce or mashed ripe bananas
½ cup plain yoghurt
A pinch of cinnamon

Optional: a handful of dried fruit or chopped nuts, folded in at the end.

👩🍳 Step-by-step method

Step 1: Preheat. Heat the oven to 177°C (350°F). Line a muffin tray with paper liners or grease the moulds.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the kuttu atta and baking soda together, then stir in the pinch of cinnamon.
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, applesauce or mashed banana, and yoghurt until smooth.
Step 4: Combine gently. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and fold until just combined. A slightly lumpy batter is fine.
Step 5: Add extras. Fold in dried fruit or chopped nuts if you like.
Step 6: Bake. Divide the batter among about 18 regular moulds and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick in the centre comes out mostly clean.
Step 7: Cool and serve. Let the muffins cool before taking them out of the tray. They are easier to handle once they have rested.

💡 Kitchen tip

Applesauce generally provides a different flavour from banana. Choose according to your preference, and remember that naturally sweet applesauce and ripe bananas may affect how sweet the final muffins taste.

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Best for a small-batch experiment4. Quick Falahari Muffins with Singhara FlourOpen recipe ▾Close ▴

A tiny, quick batch with banana, curd, ghee and cardamom, made with singhara (water chestnut) flour and finished with grapes and pomegranate seeds. Perfect when you only want a few muffins.

🛒 Ingredients

3 tablespoons singhara atta (water chestnut flour)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 tablespoons ghee
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
2 tablespoons plain curd
3 tablespoons milk
Grapes and pomegranate seeds, for garnish

👩🍳 Step-by-step method

Step 1: Mash the banana. Mash the ripe banana in a bowl until there are no large lumps.
Step 2: Make the wet mix. Add the powdered sugar, milk, curd, cardamom and ghee. Mix until smooth.
Step 3: Add the flour. Sift in the singhara atta a little at a time, stirring until the batter is smooth.
Step 4: Fill the moulds. Lightly grease small moulds with ghee and divide the batter between them.
Step 5: Bake. Bake at 175°C. Start checking after about 12 minutes and continue until the centres are set and a toothpick comes out without wet batter.
Step 6: Cool and garnish. Let the muffins cool, then top with small pieces of grape or pomegranate seeds.

⚠️ Before you bake

Small batches bake quickly. Start checking early and adjust the time to your oven.

💡 Kitchen tip

This recipe contains no listed baking powder or baking soda, so do not expect the light, domed texture of a conventional bakery muffin. The result may be softer and denser.

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Best for saffron lovers5. Kesar Rajgira Falhari MuffinsOpen recipe ▾Close ▴

Banana muffins scented with saffron and studded with colourful tutti-frutti. Rajgira atta keeps it fasting-friendly, and the banana brings sweetness and moisture.

⚠️ Before you bake

This batter is very loose because it uses three bananas with only 50 g of rajgira. Bake a small test batch first, and add rajgira a little at a time if needed.

🛒 Ingredients

3 yellow bananas
50 g rajgira atta (amaranth flour)
A few saffron strands, or a little yellow colouring
Tutti-frutti, as desired
1 teaspoon honey or powdered sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon ghee

👩🍳 Step-by-step method

Step 1: Preheat. Heat the oven to about 180°C. Grease small muffin moulds or line them with liners.
Step 2: Mash the bananas. Blend or mash the bananas into a smooth paste.
Step 3: Make the wet mix. Stir in the ghee and honey or powdered sugar, then add the saffron, vanilla essence and tutti-frutti.
Step 4: Add the flour. Mix in the rajgira atta, baking powder and baking soda. If the batter is very loose, add more rajgira a little at a time until it is as thick as a regular muffin batter.
Step 5: Fill the moulds. Spoon the batter into the moulds, leaving room to rise.
Step 6: Bake. Bake for about 15 minutes, then check with a toothpick. If wet batter remains, bake in short bursts until cooked through.
Step 7: Cool. Let the muffins cool fully before taking them out. Banana-heavy muffins are fragile while hot.

💡 Kitchen tip

Saffron gives the muffins a pleasant aroma and warm colour. Use only a few strands and avoid adding too much liquid when soaking them.

Shop: Tutti frutti & dried fruits Vanilla & flavours Silicone muffin moulds

Baking tips for better vrat muffins

Vrat baking can require a little more attention than baking with all-purpose flour. Alternative flours do not always behave like maida, and the texture can vary considerably from one recipe to another.

1. Choose the right flour

🌸 Rajgira attaAmaranth flour, commonly used in farali preparations.

🌾 Kuttu attaBuckwheat flour, which can give muffins a slightly earthy flavour.

🌰 Singhara attaWater chestnut flour, often used for fasting sweets and snacks.

🥜 Almond flourAdds a nutty flavour and can change the moisture and crumb of a muffin.

Check the recipe carefully before swapping one flour for another. These flours do not absorb moisture in identical ways.

2. Do not overmix the batter

Once the dry and wet ingredients are combined, mix only until incorporated. Overmixing is usually unnecessary and may make some alternative-flour bakes denser.

3. Check the batter before filling the moulds

Muffin batter should not be so thin that it behaves like milk, nor so dry that it forms a stiff dough, unless the recipe specifically calls for that texture. Banana-heavy and flour-light recipes may need a small test batch before the quantities are finalised.

4. Use a toothpick test, not just the clock

Ovens, mould sizes and batter quantities all affect baking time. Insert a toothpick into the centre of a muffin. If wet batter sticks to it, continue baking and check again. Accurate measuring tools help too.

5. Verify fasting ingredients

Baking soda, baking powder, vanilla essence, tapioca flour, dairy products, sugar, jaggery and other ingredients may be treated differently across fasting traditions. Follow the rules that apply to your particular fast.

Shop everything for vrat muffins

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Frequently asked questions

1. Which flour is best for vrat muffins?

Rajgira atta, kuttu atta and singhara atta are all used in fasting recipes. The best choice depends on the recipe and the texture you prefer. Rajgira can work well in banana-based muffins, while kuttu is commonly used in buckwheat muffin recipes. Do not substitute flours in equal quantities without checking the batter consistency.

2. Can I make vrat muffins without eggs?

Yes. All five recipes discussed here are presented as eggless muffin ideas. Banana, curd, applesauce and other ingredients can contribute moisture and help bind the batter. However, eggless muffins can still turn out dense if the flour-to-liquid balance or raising agents are not suitable.

3. Why are my vrat muffins dense or crumbly?

Alternative flours such as rajgira, kuttu and singhara do not behave exactly like wheat flour. Muffins may become dense if the batter is too dry, the flour ratio is unsuitable, the raising agent is ineffective or the muffins are underbaked. Measure ingredients accurately and test a small batch before scaling up.

Final thoughts

Making muffins during a fast is a lovely way to experiment with traditional ingredients in a familiar baked format. From banana-and-almond muffins to cinnamon-rich buckwheat muffins and kesar rajgira variations, there are different flavour combinations to explore.

Start with the recipe that best matches the flour you already have at home. Follow the recipe closely, check that every ingredient fits your fasting rules, and bake a small test batch first if you are unsure about quantities or timing.

Have you tried making muffins with rajgira, kuttu or singhara atta? Share your experience in the comments, including which flour you used and how the muffins turned out. Your tips may help another home baker discover a new favourite vrat recipe.