Looking for an EASY and crowd-pleasing gluten-free thanksgiving dessert? These gluten-free crustless pumpkin pie cupcakes are it!
With dozens of 5-star reviews, this recipe continues to be a treasured reader and family-favorite. It’s my #1 thanksgiving recipe!
This recipe was originally published in 2015. It was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions in 2022. I hope you enjoy the crustless pumpkin pie as much as we do!
If you’re yet to master the art of gluten-free pie crust making, these pumpkin pie cupcakes are for you! Even if you have mastered the art of gluten-free pie crust making (tell me your secrets…) these cupcakes are amazingly delicious.
They are a cross between pumpkin pie and a cupcake. Skeptical? You’ll have to taste to believe it!
VIDEO: See how to make it!
(Original photo from 2015!)
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
These gluten-free pumpkin pie cupcakes are perfect for gluten/dairy-free guests at Thanksgiving.
Coconut milk replaces regular milk, but nobody will notice or taste the coconut. All they’ll taste is creamy, custardy, spiced pumpkin deliciousness.
These are so easy to make and can be made a day in advance, which is always a lifesaver at holiday gatherings.
I didn’t think anything could ever compare to traditional pumpkin pie, but these cupcakes are right up there with the best pumpkin desserts I’ve ever tasted!
For more gluten-free thanksgiving dinner recipes, check out this gluten-free gravy, gluten-free stuffing, gluten-free rolls and gluten-free cornbread stuffing.
Feel like making crust? Check out this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie! You also might like these collections of gluten-free thanksgiving recipes or gluten-free thanksgiving desserts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients to make this crustless pumpkin pie recipe:
- Canned pumpkin: I like to use canned Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin. Any can of pumpkin will work. Just do NOT use pumpkin pie filling!
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk makes a delicious pumpkin pie custard! I also love using coconut milk to keep these gluten and dairy-free! You could also use evaporated milk if you prefer.
- Sugar + brown sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor — the perfect compliment to the pumpkin spices. I don’t find these to be overly sweet but if you’d like to reduce the sugar I suggest reducing the white sugar to 1/4 cup. Check the comments for information about sugar substitutes!
- Gluten-Free flour: A little gluten-free flour gives these crustless pumpkin pie cupcakes some structure. Any brand you have on hand will work!
How to Make Gluten-Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners (or silicone muffin liners).Generously spray the bottoms and sides of the liners with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and egg yolk, vanilla, and coconut milk until smooth.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour blend, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to fully combine.
- Scoop the pumpkin filling into the prepared muffin pan. The cups will be fairly full. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Nothing better than creamy pumpkin pie! Top with coconut milk or use heavy cream to make homemade whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
SILICONE MUFFIN PAN: Lately I have been loving baking these in a silicone muffin pan. They bake up perfectly and are so easy to pop out of the pan!
MUFFIN LINERS: The kind of cupcake liners you use for this recipe matters. I like using a higher quality liner (this kind) because nothing sticks to them! You can also spray the liners lightly with nonstick cooking spray for extra guarantee they won’t stick.
THEY WILL SINK – THAT’S NORMAL: These are not a true cupcake or a true pumpkin pie. They’re a wonderfully delicious cross between the two, so set your expectations right. They will sink slightly in the middle as they cool and that’s totally normal. Fill that hole up with whipped cream and nobody will complain!
Make-Ahead/Storage
MAKE-AHEAD: For best results, recommend making these in advance! They are best when they’ve chilled overnight.
STORAGE: Cover any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or on a plate tightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
MORE GLUTEN-FREE THANKSGIVING DESSERTS
I hope you enjoy these gluten-free crustless pumpkin pie cupcakes as much as we do! If you try this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. Have a happy holiday season!
Gluten-Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (Dairy-Free)
Video
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
For Topping:
- Coconut milk whipped cream I use So Delicious CocoWhip
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners (or silicone muffin liners).Generously spray the bottoms and sides of the liners with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and egg yolk, vanilla, and coconut milk until smooth.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour blend, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to fully combine.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. The cups will be fairly full. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Top with coconut milk or regular whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- COCONUT MILK: For best results, use full-fat canned coconut milk in this recipe. Do not use boxed or refrigerated coconut milk in place of the canned coconut milk.
- MUFFIN LINERS: Lately I have been loving baking these in a silicone muffin pan. If you use muffin liners, the kind of cupcake liners you use for this recipe matters. I like using a higher quality liner (this kind) because nothing sticks to them! You can also spray the liners lightly with nonstick cooking spray for extra guarantee they won’t stick.
- THEY WILL SINK – THAT’S NORMAL: These are not a true cupcake or a true pumpkin pie. They’re a wonderfully delicious cross between the two, so set your expectations right. They will sink slightly in the middle as they cool and that’s totally normal. Fill that hole up with whipped cream and nobody will complain!
Make-Ahead/Storage
- MAKE-AHEAD: For best results, recommend making these in advance! They are best when they’ve chilled overnight.
- STORAGE: Cover any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or on a plate tightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Have you made this as an egg free version?
I haven’t tried this recipe egg-free! Sorry about that.
Just a question as I prepare to make these next weekend… do I have to use muffin cups at all? Will a non-stick muffin tin suffice? And if I use paper is it going to be awful??
I made these for Thanksgiving and they tasted wonderful! However, they were very dense and not cakey looking like your photos. A toothpick inserted at the 25-minute mark came out uncleanly, so I gave them another 5 minutes which seemed to do the trick. Within a minute of two of removing them from the oven, they all fell in the middle. It is hard to tell from your photos whether yours have done the same thing because of the whipped cream dollop on top! Can you give a definitive answer as to whether these cupcakes should be falling in the middle when cooling? I see others have asked the same question.
Yes they tend to fall in the middle when I make them too! This happens less when I use silicone baking liners for some reason. They aren’t regular cupcakes (more of a cross between pie and cupcakes) so it’s not a bad thing. Nothing a dollap of whipped cream won’t fix!
These are soooo good! I just served up a batch at a family thanksgiving dinner and no one knew they were gluten and dairy free. I substituted stevia/cane sugar blend for the granulated sugar (note: you need to cut sugar in half because stevia is naturally sweeter). I’m making a second batch now to have treats for myself for the week. This is a must try recipe!
Thanks Jill! So glad they were a hit and that those substitutions worked! 🙂
I’m wondering the same thing as the last commenter! Of course it’s the night before Thanksgiving and I’m sure I have no idea if im about to serve my relatives undercooked cupcakes.
They are supposed to be a cross between and pie and a cupcake. It’s normal if they fall a little in the middle as they aren’t regular cupcakes. Just fill in the top with whipped cream! If you refrigerate them overnight that will help greatly.
Question…After I took them out of the oven, I let them sit for awhile before trying. They taste just like a pumpkin pie in the center. The sides and the top cooked similar to a cupcake but the inside was soft like a pie. I’m curious if it’s supposed to be like this? I’m not sure why the center wouldn’t cook but the rest of it did. I did replace regular sugar with coconut palm sugar so maybe that did it?
That’s how mine came out too & they fell so I cooked em 5 mins longer than reccomended. I used regular flour & when I opened my coconut milk I realized it had separated. I’m not sure if the flour & coconut milk separating contributed or not but I tried following the recipe to a T
Any suggestions for substitute for the coconut milk?!
I could not find the frozen coconut whipped cream but I found reddiwhip that is made with coconut milk, would that taste the same? I am going to make tmrw and if it would throw off the taste I will go to other stores to look for the frozen kind.
It’s just for the topping so if you like the taste of the reddiwhip that will work great!
Has anyone tried this with almond milk?
Do you have nutrional value for recipe. Thanks
I often use this site to get info for recipes: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Do you ever post the nutrition for your recipes?
Great recipe! I have celiac disease as well and these cupcakes are ….AMAZING. So moist unlike most other gluten free desserts. I’ll definitely be making these for my family this Thanksgiving! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for the comment! So glad they are worthy of your Thanksgiving dinner!
They smell amazing but I’m worried they’re undercooked as they were gooey on the outside when I tried peeling the liner off. Did anyone else experience this or are they meant to be this way? Thank you!
I’ve found this recipe (and most gluten-free baked goods!) do better with a high-quality cupcake liner. I like these cupcake liners best! If you use those liners and let the cupcakes cool completely before peeling that should help.
Another important note is they will be gooey when they haven’t cooled all the way. Let them cool then refrigerate for a few hours and they should be good to go!
LOVE these. So easy to make and are finding their way to our Thanksgiving dinner feast! My daughter was just diagnosed Celiac this summer, and we want to make sure she is safe and happy and still gets the joy of Autumn smells and comfort food at Thanksgiving!
The only thing I did differently than the recipe is I “Magic Bullet”ed the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet to avoid any graininess or lumpiness that you mentioned (and I took the lazy route and just used King Artur 1-to-1 GF flour, rather than a flour blend).
Seriously wonderful and a hit so far with all gluten-eating and non-gluten eating taste-testers… added a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon… YUM!!! THANK YOU!! Wonderful! A MUST HAVE on my Gluten Free/Dairy Free Dinner table!!!
King Arthur Flour 1-to-1 is such a great option for these! I’m so glad they turned out and your daughter enjoyed them. Thanks for the comment 🙂
These are AMAZING! If you try to take off the wrapper before they cool it can stick. Once cooled they come out perfect! I’ve loved making these a few years in a row now.