Happy first day of fall! At our house, we go more by food seasons that calendar seasons - you know citrus season, berry season, apple + pumpkin season and chocolate season (which happens on all the in between days). These gluten free pumpkin muffins are terrific year round, but if you're really vibing the pumpkin spice now that fall is here this is the recipe for you.
This recipe only uses ½ cup of pumpkin puree, so if you're looking for more ideas to use up the can, I'd suggest my gluten free pumpkin bread that is topped with the most amazing cream cheese frosting.
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Why you'll love this pumpkin muffin recipe
- EASY TO MAKE - These easy pumpkin muffins mix up in under 5 minutes and doesn't require special equipment.
- QUICK - They will be ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
- SMALL BATCH - This recipe only makes 6 muffins, which is perfect for a small family or a single person who is eating gluten free.
- It's gluten free and dairy free!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - for almost all of my recipes, I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour Blend. You can use your own favorite flour blend but keep in mind this recipe was developed with BRM, so your final product may be slightly different.
- Baking Powder - Leavener helps gives you that extra lift for light fluffy muffins with beutiful domed tops.
- Spices - Pumpkin spice is very important for that signature fall flavor.
- Oil - I typically use extra light olive oil for all of my baking and cooking. If you don't have olive oil any light flavored cooking oil will do.
- Sugar - Although pumpkin is most often found in the company of brown sugar, this recipe calls for white sugar to help with the moisture brought by the pumpkin puree.
- Eggs - Just one egg to provide the structure needed for rising.
- Pumpkin Puree - Use canned pumpkin puree here, not pumpkin pie filling. Canned puree has less moisture than homemade puree.
- Vanilla - Just a hint of vanilla to sweeten the flavor.
- Milk - Any dairy free milk will do (or regular milk if you consume dairy). Just a little extra liquid to help loosen up the batter.
- Pumpkin Seeds - These are optional but I really enjoy the extra crunch on top. If you don't have pumpkin seeds you can substitute with nuts or leave them plain.
See recipe card for full list with measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Not Dairy Free - use dairy milk in the same measure.
- Make it Vegan / Egg Free - I would suggest trying a baking soda + vinegar egg replacement here.
- No pumpkin seeds - you can leave them out since they are just sprinkled on top.
How to make gluten free pumpkin muffins
If you browse my website, you'll see I am a huge muffin fan. Just about every weekend I bake fresh muffins for my family with whatever ingredients we have on hand. I am a die hard believer in the muffin method for mixing to get great texture and beautiful muffin tops.
STEP 1: Combine the gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
STEP 2: Crack the egg into a second smaller bowl and whisk until frothy, like soap bubbles.
STEP 3: Add the oil, vanilla, pumpkin puree and milk to the beaten egg. Whisk until smooth.
STEP 4: Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just mixed, about 15 strokes.
STEP 5: Portion the muffin batter into six lined muffin cups.
STEP 6: Top the muffins with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and bake.
Baking Tip
To check for done: gently poke the top center of one muffin with your finger. If it springs right back it is baked through. If it leaves an indentation, bake another 2 minutes and recheck.
Tips for making the best gluten free pumpkin muffins
- Make sure to measure your gluten free flour carefully. A scale is the most accurate measurement. But if you prefer cups, then make sure to spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off at the top. Never scoop the cup into the flour or pack the flour in.
- Use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in and it will not turn out right in this recipe.
- Don't overmix the batter. Fold the batter together just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Always check the muffins for done rather than trusting the timer. Checking them with the poke test (mentioned above) will ensure the insides are cooked and the muffin tops stay tall.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. You can make these for the week ahead and reheat for breakfast or a snack. I love putting treats like this in my son's lunchbox.
You should store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can either let them come to room temperature before serving or microwave for 15 seconds to reheat.
Pumpkin puree is just straight mashed, cooked pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices already mixed in.
Yes, but homemade pumpkin puree tends to be wetter than the canned puree. You can reduce the moisture by cooking down the puree on the stove and cooling before use.
More pumpkin recipes to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ⅔ Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree
- ¼ Cup Non-Dairy Milk regular or non-dairy
- 2 Tablespoon Pumpkin Seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 6 muffin cups with paper liners.
- in a large bowl, combine dry ingredients: gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin spice and sugar. Stir well and set aside.1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ¾ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice, ⅔ Cup Sugar
- In a second smaller bowl, crack and whisk your egg until frothy.1 Egg
- Add the wet ingredients to the egg: olive oil, vanilla, pumpkin puree and milk. Whisk together until smooth.3 Tablespoon Olive Oil, ½ teaspoon Vanilla, ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree, ¼ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula, about 15 strokes.
- Scoop the batter into your prepared muffin cups, dividing equally between 6 cups. It should be filled almost to the top. Sprinkle the tops with pumpkin seeds if using.2 Tablespoon Pumpkin Seeds
- Bake in preheated oven for 28-30 minutes, until tops spring back when gently poked.
- Remove from oven to cool and serve. Do not cool in the muffin tin for more than 10 minutes or the bottoms will become wet with condensation.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Morgan Robins says
These are perfect fall muffins. I made a batch this morning and am so excited to share them with friends this weekend. I doubled the recipe and added about 3/4 C chocolate chips. The flavor, consistency and smell are just what I'd hoped for. Definitely making these again. Thanks, Well Fed Baker!