Gluten free pumpkin muffins are soft, tender muffins made with canned pumpkin and warm fall spices. No dry, crumbly texture. No gritty aftertaste. Just a moist pumpkin muffin that happens to be gluten free.
Most gluten free muffins fall apart when you peel the liner. These hold together. The pumpkin puree adds enough moisture that you can skip the xanthan gum and still get a muffin that stays soft for days.
Why These Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins Work
Canned pumpkin is the hero. Gluten free flour blends are dry by nature. Pumpkin puree adds weight and moisture that keeps the crumb tender. Use canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. The mix has sugar and spice already added and throws off the balance.
Oil, not butter. Canola oil keeps these muffins softer longer than melted butter would. Butter solidifies as it cools and makes gluten free baked goods turn firm or crumbly the next day. Oil stays liquid and the muffins stay tender.
Do not overmix. Gluten free flour has no gluten to develop, which sounds like you can stir as much as you want. You cannot. Overmixing gluten free batter makes the muffins dense and gummy. Stir until the dry ingredients disappear and stop.
Fill the liners two-thirds full. Gluten free muffin batter does not rise as high as wheat flour batter. Filling past two-thirds overflows before the center sets. Slightly underfilled gives them room to dome.
Add chocolate chips if you want them. Half a cup of gluten free chocolate chips folded into the batter turns these into gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. No other changes needed.
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How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or grease lightly with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the canola oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and pumpkin puree until smooth and combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until the dry ingredients are just moistened and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 muffin liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 24 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Quick Tips
- Use canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. The labels look similar. Read it.
- Oil beats butter here. The muffins stay soft for days instead of drying out.
- Do not overmix. Stop the second the flour disappears.
- Two-thirds full. Gluten free batter does not rise as high.
- Add a half cup of gluten free chocolate chips for a chocolate chip version.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. They stay softer than most gluten free baked goods thanks to the pumpkin.
Freeze for longer storage. Wrap each muffin individually and freeze for up to two months. Thaw on the counter for about an hour.
More Gluten Free Baking
For more gluten free recipes, try my monster cookies packed with oats and chocolate candy. My flourless chocolate cake is rich and fudgy. My flourless chocolate cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ canola oil
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin pan with muffin cup liners or grease lightly with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: canola oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and pumpkin puree.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, mixing until the ingredients are incorporated and the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Spoon the batter evenly among the 12 muffin liners, about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
