sweet miscellany

The perfect autumnal treat, these gluten free pumpkin muffins are packed with warm spices and pumpkin flavor. I highly recommend enjoying them alongside a mug of coffee or tea!

Pumpkins are one of my favorite things so it’s probably not shocking that pumpkin baked goods are ranked pretty high up there as well! It doesn’t feel right to let an autumn pass without sharing a couple of pumpkin-y recipes here with you. Last year it was these dark chocolate pumpkin bonbons and this year, I shared my absolute favorite spiced pumpkin pecan granola. Today, we’re focusing on a classic: the pumpkin muffin.

It’s super common to see decked out pumpkin muffins this time of year with crumble toppings or chocolate chips, or swirls of cream cheese. Personally, I like to keep it classic without any add-ins and a simple sprinkle of sugar on top. To keep the ingredient list on the smaller side, I use my homemade pumpkin pie spice in these which gives them that lovely, cozy autumnal flavor.

You Only Need 10 Ingredients to Make these Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

• Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour: rather than combining several different gluten free flours, we’re keeping it easy with a good ready-made baking blend! This is the only one I use in my kitchen.
• Baking Powder: helps the muffins rise.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: this spice blend adds all of the delicious autumnal flavor to these muffins. If you can’t find this seasonal spice blend, you can either make it or use a combination of a few different spices for similar results (see recipe notes).
• Sea Salt: balances all of the flavors.
• Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: sweetens the muffins. If you prefer, you can use all granulated sugar if you don’t keep brown sugar on hand.
• Pumpkin Puree: gives the muffins their lovely pumpkin flavor while also keeping them moist. You can use homemade pumpkin puree, just make sure it’s not too watery!
• Melted Vegan Butter: keeps the muffins from having a rubbery texture. You can also use an equal amount of melted coconut oil if you prefer!
• Eggs: provide structure which is incredibly important in a gluten free recipe. I haven’t tried this specific recipe with a vegan equivalent so if you do, let me know how it goes!
• Vanilla Extract: enhances all of the flavors.

How to Make these Muffins

Start by grabbing all of your ingredients. This recipe (and most gluten free recipes that I develop) works best when the majority of the ingredients are measured by weight so you’ll need a kitchen scale. In one bowl, measure out all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, spices, sugars) then whisk them together. In another bowl, measure out the wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, vanilla) and whisk until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin to mix. You’ll probably want to switch to a wooden spoon or spatula for this. Mix until you have a thick batter and cannot see any streaks of flour remaining. You don’t need to worry about overmixing the batter since we’re using gluten free flour!

Place muffin liners in your pan, then fill the liners all the way to the top with the batter. You should have enough batter to completely fill all 12. If you want, you can sprinkle some granulated sugar onto the top of each muffin.

Bake the muffins until a tester comes out clean, about 26-28 minutes. These take slightly longer to bake due to the gluten free flour. Allow your muffins to cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. You can enjoy them warm or at room temperature.

Tips for Storing Your Muffins

As with most gluten free baked goods, these don’t have as long of a shelf life! The best way to store them is to keep them on a plate or platter on your counter and cover them with a kitchen towel. Plan to enjoy them within a couple of days. You can also keep them in the fridge but I recommend warming them up in a toaster before eating them if you go that route. You can also easily half the recipe if you’d like to make less!

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