Gluten free pumpkin muffins are the perfect snack any time of year. Made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for intense pumpkin flavor, vanilla bean paste for deeper vanilla undertones, and a cinnamon sugar topping, these gluten free muffins are the perfect way to start a morning or simply enjoy the flavors of fall any time of year.
We're midway through August, so it's about time to start talking about pumpkin, am I right? No one is more excited to hear the phrase, "It's fall, y'all" than me. I love the changing weather, the colorful leaves, and of course, all the delicious pumpkin recipes.
I enjoy making all kinds of pumpkin dishes this time of year, and I like getting creative. Heck, I even have a tasty pumpkin waffle recipe I make quite often year-round. If you're also a pumpkin lover, then you're going to love these moist, tender muffins. They're gluten free and can easily be made dairy free, so everyone can enjoy them.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins Video
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Hint
- Storage
- What to Serve with Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Tips for the Best Pumpkin Muffins
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Tasty Muffin Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Perfect for Everyone: These muffins are gluten free and can easily be made dairy free, so everyone can enjoy them. Regular flour can be used in place of gluten free flour.
- Classic Fall Flavor: These muffins are full of pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice for classic fall flavor.
- Simple Ingredients: Basic baking ingredients are all you need to make this recipe.
- Easy: The batter is ready in just a few minutes, and it takes less than 30 minutes to bake them. All you need is one bowl.
- Great for Meal Prep: Make a double batch and freeze some for quick breakfasts or afternoon snacks later.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins Video
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree: Pumpkin puree adds moisture and rich pumpkin flavor to the muffins.
- 1:1 Gluten free Flour: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour blend because it eliminates the need to add extra ingredients like xanthan gum for the flour to work properly in the recipe.
- Banilla Bean Paste: I use Singing Dog vanilla bean paste for an incredibly deep, potent vanilla flavor that accentuates the pumpkin flavor of the muffins.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice makes it easy to add classic fall flavor to the muffins without a ton of measuring.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, almost molasses-like flavor to the muffins.
- Sugar and Cinnamon: Sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of melted butter create a sweet, indulgent finish for the top of the muffins.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Chocolate Chips: Try adding chocolate chips to make chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.
- Nuts: Add chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, or hazelnuts for more flavor and texture.
- Streusel: Of course, streusel makes any muffin better!
- Dairy Free: Use plant butter for dairy free muffins.
How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
1: Whisk the dry pumpkin muffin ingredients in a medium bowl.
2: In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and pumpkin puree. Add the sugars and mix again. Finally, add the vanilla bean paste and eggs and mix until combined.
3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until all clumps are gone.
4: Evenly distribute the batter into a 12-count muffin tin with liners.
5: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6: Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
7: While the muffins cool, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then brush the muffins with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
Hint
Be sure to drain any excess liquid off the pumpkin puree or you'll have soggy muffins.
Storage
Store these muffins at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Leave them on the counter for a couple of hours to defrost.
What to Serve with Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins
These delicious pumpkin muffins are sweet and full of classic pumpkin spice flavor, making them an excellent dessert, afternoon snack, or addition to breakfast or brunch.
Try these muffins with savory breakfast items like this chicken and egg breakfast casserole or egg muffins for a sweet and savory start to the day.
For an ultra-decadent treat, top them with cream cheese frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting. They're both classic pumpkin pairings.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Muffins
- Be careful to grab pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They're frequently sold next to one another.
- Drain off any excess liquid from your pumpkin puree, or you'll have soggy muffins.
- A cookie scoop is the easiest and least messy way to divide your batter between the muffin liners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned pumpkin, or pumpkin puree, is pure blended pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling has added spices and sugars.
Be sure to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then add them together to creat the batter. Cooking the muffins at the right temperature also ensures they bake through without drying out - about 375 is the rule of thumb. Additionally, adding more moisture or fat can help make muffins moister, as well.
Muffins are finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Mix your ingredients until just combined but not totally smooth. This is especially important for muffins made with traditional flour. Overmixing develops excess gluten, which results in tough muffins.
Yes, you can. They freeze very well, which makes them excellent for future breakfasts, snacks, or desserts.
More Tasty Muffin Recipes
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok for more delicious recipes.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Muffin Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Muffin Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin puree MINUS 1 tbsp
- ½ tablespoon Singing Dog vanilla bean paste
- 1 stick butter melted
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix the melted butter and pumpkin puree until blended.
- Add the brown sugar and white sugar and mix again.
- Finally, add the vanilla bean paste and eggs and mix again until combiend.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until there are no clumps.
- Evenly divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners in the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake the muffins for 23 to 27 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to continue cooling.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then, use a pastry brush to brush melted butter onto the tops of the muffins and sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
- Bring the muffins to room temperature before serving.
- Mix your muffin batter until just combined. Overmixing creates tough, dense muffins.
- For the highest crown, let your muffin batter rest for about 10 minutes before baking the muffins.
- To ensure your muffins aren't soggy, drain any liquid from the pumpkin puree.
Joshua says
Love the flavours so good. So creative
Amy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Criss says
I tried these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, and they were so moist and flavorful! You’d never guess they’re gluten-free. Perfect for a cozy fall treat!