These vegan pumpkin muffins can be made with gluten-free, whole wheat or all-purpose flour. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and covered in cinnamon sugar!
Speaking of maple syrup – if you’re vegan, check out my post on Is Maple Syrup Vegan? Some manufacturers use an animal product during production that you may or not be okay with. And it doesn’t even have to be listed on the label!
I first posted these vegan pumpkin muffins in 2014 (and called them vegan pumpkin donuts) but wanted to repost them to include a gluten-free option. I never post pumpkin recipes this early but it was either these muffins or nothing, so I chose the muffins. :)
If you want something that’s grain-free, check out my paleo pumpkin donuts and just make them with a regular-sized muffin pan! And this vegan pumpkin pudding also looks great, by the way. You can use the arrowroot option to make it paleo.
If you make the gluten-free version of the below vegan pumpkin muffins recipe and they’re a little weird or gummy straight out of the oven, just let them sit for a while (maybe 1-3 hours) and they’ll somehow magically straighten themselves out!
Something I discovered when remaking these muffins is that dipping them in butter or coconut oil is totally unnecessary to get the cinnamon sugar to stick. When you use butter, it’s like you actually have to dip them twice in the sugar because the first go around, the butter absorbs it all and it kind of disappears.
So unless you want them buttery and full of sugar, then just forget about the butter! If you prefer to skip the cinnamon sugar, these muffins are also great with apple butter (here’s how to make apple butter).
When these muffins come out of the oven, they look kind of funky texturally but they’re perfectly moist and have an awesome texture. A lot of the reviewers have commented on their fluffiness, but for me… they’ve always come out a little dense! But dense in a good way.
If you need convincing to make these, just read some of the reviews. Everyone seems to love them! This vegan pumpkin cheesecake is also a huge hit around here!
You know how you normally just plop the muffin batter in the pan and if it’s not very even, neat or pretty, it straightens itself out while baking? That doesn’t happen here. How they look in the pan is pretty much how they look after baking.
I adapted this vegan pumpkin muffins recipe from these maple pumpkin donuts on My Darling Vegan. If you don’t have a mini muffin pan or if you want some spiced glaze instead of cinnamon sugar, go check it out!
Looking for more great gluten-free and vegan recipes for fall? I’ve got you covered! Try my Swedish apple pie, paleo and vegan pumpkin pie, or gluten-free apple crisp!
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins (gluten-free, whole wheat options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 6 muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (109 grams) whole wheat flour, whole spelt flour or all-purpose flour or for a gluten-free version, use 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (119 grams) of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour1
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil, melted or canola or olive oil
- 1/2 cup (120ml) maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (182 grams) pumpkin puree, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar (make sure to use vegan certified sugar for a vegan version)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42 grams) unsalted butter (vegan butter or coconut oil for a dairy-free or vegan version), melted – optional 2
For the donut holes:
For the cinnamon sugar coating (the butter actually isn't needed! See post for more details):
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line muffin pan with 6 muffin liners.
- In a medium bow, mix together the dry ingredients (flour through cloves). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup and pumpkin.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet one and stir just until combined.
- Divide among the liners and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Invert the muffins onto a wire rack to partially cool, about 5 minutes, while you prepare the cinnamon sugar topping. Remove the muffin liners.
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip the tops and sides of the mini muffins in the butter (if using) and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- If you make the gluten-free version and they're a little weird or gummy straight out of the oven, just let them sit a while (maybe 1-3 hours) and they'll somehow magically straighten themselves out!
- Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (if you used butter) or at room temperature (if you didn't use butter) for up to 3 days.
Notes
- I do not recommend trying another gluten-free flour for this recipe. I can only say that it works with this exact flour (and the reviewers have had good luck with it, too!
- If you use unrefined instead of refined coconut oil, these will taste coconut-y.
Adapted from Maple Pumpkin Donuts with Spiced Glaze from My Darling Vegan
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104 comments on “Vegan Pumpkin Muffins (gluten-free, whole grain options)” — Add one!
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Excited to try this recipe!
Love all the flavours. Thanks!!
You’re welcome! Enjoy. :)
Made these but they came out kind of chewy and moist, not very fluffy. We used Namaste brand gluten free flour. Baked them as directed and the toothpick test passed but then they sit and become this weird texture of goo almost. They don’t taste bad but they’re not great bc of the texture. Any recommendations of how to make them drier and more muffin-like and not just a lump of goo. I just don’t get it because I followed the recipe exactly and ours look nothing like your picture. Maybe it’s the flour? Should I cook them longer? Less pumpkin purée?
It’s the flour. I’ve only made these with the GF flour I linked to and different blends don’t all work the same. There are several other reviewers who have made these with that flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF Flour) and said that they had a great texture (which is also my result) so I really recommend trying that. :)
Hello! I just made these with the Bob’s gf flour and instead of oil I used 1 mashed banana and it came out perfect! Just thought I’d let you know in case you also wanted to offer an oil free version. Thanks for the great recipe!
Oh cool. Thanks for sharing your oil-free version! I’ll have to try that. Thanks for your feedback (and sorry for my slow reply!).
Erin! You did it again!! These are amazing! Our whole family loves them (even though only one of us is GF!) The only sad thing is that we only have 6 of them 😂
Aww, sorry there were only 6! Haha. At least it’s easy to make another batch. ;) Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad they were enjoyed.
Have you tried this recipe with the Bob’s Red mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour? I would like to know if they will be as fluffy as in the pictures. Thanks!
Sorry for just now seeing your question! Hopefully you found the answer. :) That flour is listed in the recipe and yes, they’re fluffy with it!
Wonderful, Thank you so much Erin, I’ll be making these very soon. Blessings!
I just made these with that flour and they were amazing! so fluffy!
Thanks Christina, I’ll be ordering that GF flour.
Thanks for your reply! :)
Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
I doubled the recipe and used an entire can of pumpkin puree. I also did half unsweetened applesauce and half melted miyokos vegan butter in place of the oil. I was looking for more of a breakfast muffin so I added only 3/4 of the maple syrup called for and did not toss in the cinnamon sugar though I can imagine that would make an over the top delicious dessert.
These came out so so so good and I will definitely be making them again. Thanks Again!
Samantha
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that they came out so well, especially with your changes. I’ll have to try them with less maple next time! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
What size muffin pan did you use? Like a 6 muffin pan or a 12 muffin pan? If I made them in a big jumbo muffin pan how long do I bake them?
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! I just got back from vacation. I used a regular-sized muffin pan. I’ve never made jumbo muffins so I unfortunately have no idea how long you’d bake them. But I’m not too confident that it’d work out perfectly. I can imagine them coming out gooey / dense. I recommend using a standard pan!
These look delicious! To clarify, this recipe only makes 6 mini muffins. If I wanted to fill a full 24-cup pan, then I would need to quadruple the recipe?
Thanks! It makes 6 regular-sized muffins, not mini muffins. :) So if you had a 24 mini muffin pan, it’s probably the right size for this recipe. Or it might only yield about 18. I haven’t tried so I’m not sure.
Made a double batch, and used melted vegan Becel instead of coconut oil. They are incredibly fluffy, moist, and super delicious!! We devoured them!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! It’s great to know that Becel works well. Thanks for the tip and your feedback. :)
Thank you SO much for adding alternatives to coconut oil. My son is severely allergic to coconut and I’m always hesitant to sub something else in for it when baking, so I often end up not trying a recipe at all. These look amazing and I’m very excited to try them!
You’re welcome! Coconut oil and olive oil are the only fats I can have so unfortunately a lot of my recipes just call for coconut oil (because olive oil just isn’t good in many things). So I’m happy you stumbled across this recipe! I hope you’ll both enjoy the muffins. :)
These look wonderful! Do you think I could add some raisins and/or pecans? I’m going to make them with spelt flour for some guests and would like them to be as hearty and healthy as possible.
Hi! I think both would a great addition. I hope you’ll all enjoy them!
these are so good holy shit
Haha. Happy you like them! :)
Just popped these in the oven! I am so excited for the timer to go off! Is it normal for the batter to be kind of sticky? I struggled with dividing it into the liners. I was wondering if I did something wrong! Thanks :)
Hi! I hope they came out well. :) I don’t remember there being an issue with dividing it into liners or it being especially sticky. Did you make any changes to the recipe? Did your melted coconut oil harden while the batter was sitting? That can make batters thick!
can you substitute unsweetened applesauce or something for the oil? I follow an oil free plan.
I’ve got to say that you probably know more about oil subs than I do then. ;) It’s such a small amount I’m guessing it’d be an okay sub but since I haven’t tried, I can’t say for sure.
I have to watch my blood sugar, but no diabetic. Do you happen to know how many grams og sugar and also saturated fat in each muffin? These look so good, would love these for breakfast or a afternooon snack. Thank you so much.
Sorry for just now seeing your comment! I don’t have that information but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional analysis, if you’d like. :) Hope you’ll get to try the muffins out!
Just made these for my son who is vegan and everyone else isn’t. Not sure who liked them more! Delicious and so moist. Made mini muffins, 15 to 18 min at 350°, and did not have to use butter to coat them.
Wonderful! I’m so happy that you all enjoyed them and didn’t have issues with making them in mini form. :) Thanks for your comment!
The recipe says the yield is 8 muffins, but it says to line the muffin tin with 6 liners. This recipe makes 8 muffins, correct?
I actually made them bigger and changed it to 6 muffins. I just updated the yield to 6 (that’s what the given baking times are for). Thanks!
I made these for my daughter with FPIES (a weird food allergy) for her Halloween party at school. It is a breakfast themed menu and wanted her to have something she could eat. They are in the oven, but oh my goodness the batter was define! I ended up making a second batch while the first ones were in the oven! Thank you for this fabulous recipe!
I love that you made a second batch right away. :) I hope that your daughter and her classmates enjoyed the muffins! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
Delicious! Doubled the batch, came out perfect. Husband loves them for breakfast. Will make again!
Delicious! Doubled recipe and froze, just reheat in microwave on defrost. Husband loves them for breakfast. Had to search again for recipe since I forgot to save.
I’m happy you found the recipe again! Thanks for your feedback. :) So happy that you like the muffins!
They do make getting up nicer, I have to say. ;)
Just made the pumpkins muffins for my Son and his family who are vegan. OH MY GOSH they are so good, I really love them!!!! Can I double this recipe?
I’m pretty sure doubling wouldn’t be an issue! I’m happy to hear that everyone enjoyed them. Thanks for your comment! :)
Could I translate this into a loaf recipe? Just cook longer maybe??
I am working with only a toaster oven until we replace my regular oven, so the muffin pan won’t fit.
Hmm. Muffin recipes often don’t convert well to loaf pans. I’ve never tried it so I really have no idea if it’d work out well here. Sorry I can’t give you a better answer! But if you do try it, you’d definitely have to bake it longer.
Made these tonight as a test run for my husbands 30th Bday party, sooo delicious! Will be making these many more times!
Awesome! So happy to hear that! Hope your husband has a great birthday. :) Thanks for your comment!
The recipe says to line the muffin tins but the pictures show the entire muffin rolled in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Did you take the paper liner off or did you bake the muffins without liners?
Take off the muffin liners before rolling in the cinnamon sugar. :) You can also spray the pan if you prefer.
These muffins are amazing! This is the second time I made them and both times they have come out perfectly! They are moist and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you liked them and that they’ve come out well for you! Thanks for your comment. :)
These are FABULOUS!!! I substituted in Gluten Free Flour and split the maple syrup with some Coconut Sugar. They are super delightful. So fluffy and light!
Will be making again and again!!
Oh, awesome! Which brand of GF flour did you use? I’ll have to try that! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. So happy you liked them. :)
Hi
What can I use instead of maple syrup?
Hello! Honey or another liquid sweetener should work. :)
I substituted 2 tbsp of flour with ground hemp hearts, I also made the muffins mini for my picky little eaters. 4 out of 4 loved these. I will definitely make again.
That’s an interesting sub! I’ll have to try that. I’m so happy that they came out well! Thanks a bunch for your comment (and sorry for my slow reply!).
completely forgot to coat in sugar and cinnamon but these were amazing!! i loved how fluffy they were and i always put double the spices in cos i really like this spice combination and want to really taste it. and in this i did. its like a smack in the face but a good thing! so tasty and such a lovley texture! only thing im disappointed in is i only got 9 and me and mu two kids smashed them all within minutes!! wish i had more to share with others. oh well back in the kitchen to make another batch tomorrow. i guess its a good thing really because if they were not to my liking i didnt waste too many ingredients and i can always double the ingredients.
Haha. Yeah. I wouldn’t recommend doubling the spices or vanilla in my recipes because I already double or triple them. :D I’m sorry that they didn’t last long! And I’m with you on not making too much the first time around. I actually usually make a 1/4 batch the first time because I live in Germany and bring most of my baking ingredients with me from the US when I go back to visit. It’s painful to waste ingredients! Anyway. I’m happy you all enjoyed the muffins! Thanks for your comment. :)
I am going to try these later today!
Do you think adding a flax egg may make these muffins a bit lighter…or rise a bit?
I wouldn’t do it as I think that’d throw off the whole recipe. But if you try it anyway, I’d love to hear how it goes. :) Enjoy! By the way, they may not rise a lot, but they’re still delicious and not overly dense. :)
I think you are right. I like kinda dense cake stuff anyways…just wondered as I usually bake things with some egg sub. I am going to make em as the recipe calls for. looking forward to it. And using fresh roasted pumpkin as that is what I have. Do you think that will work well?
I hope you’ll enjoy them! As long as the homemade pumpkin puree looks to have about the same water content as canned, it should work fine. :)
Mine came out too moist. Maybe too much pumpkin??
Did you use canned or homemade pumpkin? The water content varies in homemade puree so that could explain it!
Ah, i used canned.
Canned’s what I used so that’s not the problem. Perhaps bake them a little longer next time? :)
Butter is not vegan. This is not a vegan recepie, am I right? Looks yummy though.
I’m not sure where you’re looking? The recipe says, “2-3 tablespoons (28-42 grams) unsalted butter (vegan butter or coconut oil for a dairy-free or vegan version), melted.” :)
THESE DO NOT RISE IN THE OVEN POUR THE SIZE YOU WANT THE MUFFIN! They are great though!
I haven’t made these in a while but I think they rise a little! Otherwise they wouldn’t be domed at all like in the pictures. I’m happy you liked them, though! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure it’d work!
We just discovered my daughter has a serious egg and dairy allergy, so I’m very thankful for this recipe! If I want to freeze a batch, can I do that with the finished product? Or would you recommend doing it before the butter and cinnamon sugar step?
You could freeze them with the cinnamon sugar on them, but it’d get kind of liquidy. I think it’s best to freeze them, defrost them and then cover them in the coating. :) I hope you and your daughter will enjoy them!
Do i have to refrigerate these if i make them the day before??
Cant wait to try these!!
If you roll them in the butter and sugar, I’d refrigerate them just to be on the safe side. Or what I’d probably do is keep them at room temperature and then on the day of serving, warm them slightly and then roll in the butter and cinnamon sugar. Enjoy! :)
Good idea!! Thanks so much! 😊
No problem! :)
I made these this morning, and we all inhaled them. lol
I only sugared the top and it was perfect.
Haha. That’s good to hear! I’m so happy you liked them. :) Thanks for your feedback!
I made these last night- and they turned out incredible! I substituted Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free flour for the donut holes, and used a light brushing of Avocado Oil to coat before rolling half the batch in Coconut Sugar/Cinnamon, the other half in Cacao Powder/Coconut Sugar/Nutmeg. They’re addictive, plus a perfect fluffy donut texture. I’m so happy with this recipe, thank you!
I’m so happy that they came out well! And how awesome that they work with Bob’s Red Mill’s GF flour. :) That’s great to know. Sorry for my slow reply – Christmas preparation has been a little crazy. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback and happy holidays!
Pumpkin doughnuts. These sound so good! There are SO many pumpkin recipes I want to try this fall/winter!
I hope you get a chance to try these! :)
Absolutely delicious, I had no pumpkin puree and used half an half carrots and sweet potatoes. As sugar I used maple sugar – we love the taste. thanks for the recipe.
Wow! That’s an interesting sub. I’m so happy it worked for you. :) Thanks for the feedback!
Pumpkin donut holes are the best! Love the cinnamon sugar coating!
Agreed! And cinnamon sugar coating makes everything better, doesn’t it? :)
In *LOVE* with these. I should probably join you on that detox, but instead lemme just each roughly 5 dozen of these, because how can a normal human be expected to resist?!
Yeah, I think your idea is better. Less detox and more donuts! :D
Oh wow these look so perfect. I love that they are vegan!!
Thanks a bunch, Jocelyn! :)
I’m going to have to open one of my stashed cans of pumpkin puree to make these! Thanks for the vegan option and just in time for the cooler weather and changing leaves.
I hope that you’ll find them worth using your stashed can on! And I’m happy to hear someone appreciates the vegan part. :)
I did finally make these for a Halloween party and they were a big hit! Thanks again. Of course I ate one straight off the cooling rack and then another with the cinnamon sugar, sugar dipped wins hands down. ; p
Haha. Yup. WAY better with cinnamon sugar but then again, isn’t it always? ;) Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m happy you enjoyed them.
love the cinnamon sugar coating on these little babies. Sounds so yummy and reminiscent of being a kid and getting donut holes for someone’s birthday celebration! Thanks for sharing!
Oooh… that’s right! That’s pretty much the only time I ever got donut holes growing up. I feel so liberated now that I can have donuts holes all day, every day. ;)
Such a yummy recipe girl! Donut holes are the best!
Agreed! So quick and easy and there’s more surface area to roll in cinnamon sugar. :)