Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins taste like fall, Thanksgiving and everything warm and homey about the holidays. They’re an easy to make option for breakfast, snacks or perfect sides.
My gluten free pumpkin muffins are light, fluffy and tender. The pumpkin muffins are moist and autumn spice delicious.
Gluten free pumpkin muffins are dairy free, too. I’m not gonna lie. It may be a little dangerous that these scrumptious pumpkin muffins are SO delectable AND so easy to make! Yum!
Where Did the Recipe Come From?
This gluten free pumpkin muffins recipe is adapted from a recipe from my childhood. That pumpkin bread, often made into pumpkin muffins, is a tradition in our family, especially at the holidays. And, it’s a delicious pumpkin muffin recipe we all love.
Since, we have children and grandkids who do better when eating gluten free, now, I created this gluten free pumpkin muffins recipe for them. Everyone should be able to enjoy the aromas and tastes of autumn! Now, the gluten free version of pumpkin muffins can be a new tradition.
Whether you are eating gluten free or just wanting to prepare some gluten free options for guests, these moist, tender and delicious pumpkin muffins will be a hit! If you don’t tell, no one will guess they’re gluten free.
Happy Fall, my friend! Enjoy!
P.S. If you’re a huge muffin lover just like everyone at our house you’ll probably want some flavors better suited to Spring and Summer, too. Well check out these scrumptious Raspberry Muffins over at Of Batter and Dough.
The Ingredients
Avocado Oil : Use the oil you normally use for baking, of course. I choose avocado oil because of it’s neutral flavor and high smoke point.
Sugar : You can use your everyday granulated sugar. If you want to do the recipe exactly as I have, I use Zulka Morena sugar. I’ve actually used Zulka Morena sugar for several years, now. It is minimally refined, so it’s not the white color you’re accustomed to. It’s more caramel colored. But, it is used cup for cup just like granulated sugar. And I notice zero difference in the taste or performance over baking with white sugar.
It was a huge surprise to me to discover that most granulated sugar in the U.S. uses charred cattle bones to make the sugar white during the refining process. This may or may not be a problem for you. But, it would definitely affect those of you who try to eat a strict vegan diet.
I buy Zulka Morena sugar at Walmart and I’m sure it is probably available at most U.S. grocery stores.
Eggs
Pumpkin Puree : Just plain pumpkin puree in a can. Don’t grab pumpkin pie filling by mistake. They’re often sold in the same area.
Water
gf Jules Gluten Free Flour Blend [affiliate link] works beautifully in this recipe. So do, Better Batter or Cup4Cup gluten free flour blends. I prefer gfJules, but after testing, all of them work great with muffins. If you have a tried and true, tested with muffins blend that can be subbed in cup for cup, you could give that a try. But, these are the ones that I KNOW work in this recipe.
spices : a few of my autumn favorites – cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
leavening : both baking powder and baking soda
salt
FAQ’s
Yes. Simply use an equal amount of all purpose flour in this recipe to create a version that isn’t gluten free.
How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
This recipe is so simple! You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time. As a matter of fact, it’s quick and easy enough to toss together for weeknight dinners.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line two 12-hole muffin tins with paper liners.
- Mix together the oil and sugar.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Mix in the water and pumpkin puree.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Scoop the finished batter into muffin tins lined with paper liners. The liners make clean-up a breeze. Fill each muffin cup half way full. That way the muffins will rise to the top of the tin, but won’t spill out over the top of the cup. I use my trusty #20 muffin and cupcake scoop to get a uniform amount of batter into each cup.
- Bake the muffins at 350° for 20 – 23 minutes. The tops will feel dry and firm when lightly touched with your finger. A toothpick inserted into a muffin will come out with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Cool the tins on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes or so and then the gluten free pumpkin muffins can be removed from the tins and allowed to finish cooling.
- When completely cool, store the muffins in an airtight container. They will be good in the fridge or on the counter for 3 or 4 days, if they last that long. lol
- These muffins also freeze well. I like gallon-size zip top freezer bags. I can usually get 12 muffins (in one single layer) per bag. Don’t stack muffins on top of each other. Single layers are best. Then I just pop them in the freezer to use at a later date. They should last at least 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them, simply set the bag on the counter for an hour or so to thaw the muffins.
Ideas for Serving Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Muffins are always a quick, easy and portable solution for breakfast.
- They are simple to pack into lunch bags.
- I love to serve muffins with soup and with salads. But, honestly they are a welcome homemade bread option at any meal.
- Our favorite way to enjoy Pumpkin Muffins is with soups and stews like my Slow Cooker Beef Stew or this yummy Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Katie at Wheat by the Wayside.
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins are also a great pick-me-up snack in the afternoon.
- I served the muffins you see in the picture, today, with some Homemade Maple Butter. It’s easy and DELISH! A perfect complement to fall flavors. Get the quick recipe in the photo caption, below.
- They would be fabulous with honey or with Cranberry Jam, too!
- Obviously, they are a great complement to all the flavors on your Thanksgiving table as well.
How to Make Homemade Maple Butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup real maple syrup, (Not pancake syrup with artificial flavoring. It won’t work the same.)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Whisk all the ingredients together until they have emulsified into a light, fluffy whipped spread. Serve on your pancakes, waffles, toast or muffins. It’s great for bagels and English muffins, too! Plus, adding a dollop to warm oatmeal, in the morning, just might change your whole outlook on the day.
The Recipe
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Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 muffins 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Warm, homey, pumpkin-y goodness! My Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins are light and tender, with a moist crumb. They taste like Autumn and Thanksgiving and cozy nights at home. The aroma will fill the house when you bake them. And even better, they’re so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 2/3 cups *Better Batter or *Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon soda
Instructions
- Cream the sugar and butter together.
- Add the eggs and stir to combine.
- Mix in the pumpkin and water.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are just combined.
- Scoop the batter into lined muffin tins.
- Bake at 350° for 20 – 25 minutes. I my oven it takes about 23 minutes until the muffin tops are dry and firm when touched lightly with a finger. A toothpick inserted may come out with a few moist crumbs, but no liquid batter should be present.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Freezing Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin muffins also freeze well. I like gallon-size zip top freezer bags. I can usually get 12 muffins (in one single layer) per bag. Don’t stack muffins on top of each other. Single layers are best. Then I just pop them in the freezer to use at a later date. They should last at least 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them, simply set the bag on the counter for an hour or so to thaw the gluten free pumpkin muffins.
How to Make Homemade Maple Butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup real maple syrup, (Not pancake syrup with artificial flavoring. It won’t work the same.)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Whisk all the ingredients together until they have emulsified into a light, fluffy whipped spread. Serve on your pancakes, waffles, toast or muffins. It’s great for bagels and English muffins, too! Plus, adding a dollop to warm oatmeal, in the morning, just might change your whole outlook on the day.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Bread, Muffins, Baked Goods
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
More Recipes for Fall
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
This looks so yummy!
Thank you, Camille! They really are a treat.
these were so good!
Thank you, Paula!
These gluten-free pumpkin muffins turned out really good. My good friend is gluten-free and I have been trying to find easy but yummy recipes I can make for her. These were a big hit!
Jamie, that’s awesome! I’m so glad both she and you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know!
I love pumpkin muffins, and these look delicious! I have not heard of either one of these brands of flour. Do you know if they can be bought locally?
Thank you, Debi!
Here in small-town Nebraska I cannot buy them. But, Whole Foods and the north Hy-Vee, where you are, stock the Cup4Cup blend. You can also get it at walmart.com, vitacost.com and amazon.com.
So far, I haven’t found any local sources for Better Batter. I have been ordering on Amazon, but I noticed that Walmart does have it, not in stores, but for shipping. You can also order directly from https://betterbatter.org. First time orders right now get 35% off with the promo code TRYME.
I decided to do a cut and paste from my Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, that may be helpful in finding the gluten free flours, too, Debi.
*Better Batter All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend (Amazon affiliate link) : This is a simple, cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend that works for almost any baking. It’s a good all purpose one to keep in your pantry. It’s also dairy and corn free. Better Batter will give great results for baking cookies, cakes, biscuits, quick breads and muffins. The cost for me on Amazon is about $5.79/pound. Currently, you can order it directly from Better Batter.org and for first time purchasers use the 35% off promo code, TRYME.
*Cup4Cup All Purpose Gluten Free Blend (Amazon affiliate link) : Again, all the math is done for you and this is an easy cup-for-cup exchange in your favorite recipes. This one DOES contain dairy and corn, however. It’s great for things like biscuits, choux pastry (for eclairs and cream puffs), muffins, cookies, cakes and gravies and sauces. It costs me around $6.12/pound. (Keep in mind, I can’t buy any of them locally. I am ordering off Amazon. If you have a Whole Foods in your area, it looks like they do carry it. And I know it can be ordered online from Walmart.com. You may find other less expensive sources. If you do, I’d love to hear about them.) Cup4Cup is what I used in this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, today. Although any of these three would have netted the same great results.
*gfJules Gluten Free Flour Blend (Amazon affiliate link) : This is the holy grail of gluten free flour blends. It provides the most structure of any of the three blends. Enough so that you can make gorgeous yeast breads with it. It is not only gluten free, but also nut free. If you could only choose one gluten free flour for baking, this one can do it all. It is also another simple cup-for-cup exchange with all purpose (wheat) flour. So, you can convert your favorite family recipes. It costs me around $6.11/pound ordering in small bags on Amazon. But, I can order from gfJules.com and get the 25 lb bag at only $4.28 per pound and with free shipping. That’s a HUGE savings. I usually use it for yeast doughs (think sandwich bread, hotdog buns and cinnamon rolls) and for gravies and sauces. But, it’s also perfect for quick breads, cookies, cakes, muffins and biscuits.