The very BEST recipe for soft, spiced gluten-free pumpkin muffins! They bake up tall and fluffy and are perfect for cool fall mornings.
Looking to make a delicious gluten-free pumpkin baked good? I tested this recipe 5+ times to get it just right. We continue to make it year after year!
When the weather gets cooler, there’s no better treat than a soft, spiced pumpkin muffin. Whether you enjoy these gluten-free pumpkin muffins for breakfast or dessert, they’re sure to become your new favorite recipe.
I tested this recipe many times to get it just right. I’ve included all my tips and tricks for perfect pumpkin muffins in this blog post!
These gluten-free muffins are not too sweet or overly moist. They have the perfect amount of spiced cinnamon flavor and a nice light texture.
Table of Contents
For more tested and perfected gluten-free muffin recipes, try these gluten-free apple muffins, gluten-free banana muffins, gluten-free blueberry and gluten-free chocolate chip muffins.
If you are like me when fall rolls around you are adding pumpkin spice to just about every treat out there. It’s my favorite time of year for baking!
For more gluten-free pumpkin recipes, try these gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bread, gluten-free pumpkin donuts, gluten-free pumpkin cookies this gluten-free pumpkin pie!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients for these muffins.
- Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that contains xanthan gum. The type of flour you use can greatly effect how the muffins turn out. For best results, this is my favorite brand of gluten free all purpose flour.
- Almond Flour: I love adding a little almond flour to my gluten-free baked goods! It adds moisture and richness to the batter. I recommend blanched almond flour rather than almond meal,
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Using both helps the muffins to rise up nice a fluffy.
- Spices: A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Brown Sugar & White Sugar: A combination of the two makes the perfect texture/flavor.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use 100% pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Large eggs: Eggs are key to getting the right soft, fluffy texture of these muffins. I don’t recommend using flax eggs. For an egg substitute, I would opt for something like Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer.
- Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil will work! I also like to use coconut oil.
- Lemon Juice: Helps activate the baking soda/powder and gives the muffins a little extra rise.
You also might like this gluten-free pumpkin bread.
Gluten-Free Muffin Tip: Adding a little lemon juice helps activate the baking soda/powder and gives the muffins a little extra rise.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
STEP ONE: Mix the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
STEP TWO: Combine the wet/dry.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
- If you’re adding chocolate chips, fold them in when the batter is just about mixed to avoid over-mixing.
STEP THREE: Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
- This recipe makes 18 muffins. I have a smaller 6 cup muffin pan in addition to my standard 12-cup pan to make this recipe.
- Good quality paper liners prevents the muffins from sticking. I like these ones!
STEP FOUR: Bake!
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the muffins spring back when touched on top. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Storing/Freezing Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Like most gluten-free baked goods, these delicious muffins are the best the day they are made. The can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To freeze, let the muffins cool completely before transferring to a freezer bag or sealed container for further storage. Frozen muffins will keep for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
You can easily make these gluten-free pumpkin muffins nut-free. Use another 1/4 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour in place of the almond flour.
Yes! You can easily use 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices.
Sugar is a key ingredient for the correct texture and structure of these muffins. Some reviewers have used coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar with good results. I haven’t experimented with many other sugar substitutes but it you do, leave me a comment below to help others!
Yes! In fact it’s one of my favorite ways to make this recipe! You can bake the gluten-free pumpkin muffins in a mini muffin pan. They’re perfect for parties and snacks. Just reduce the bake time to 15-20 minutes.
More Gluten-Free Recipes
If you love these gluten free pumpkin muffins as much as we do leave me a comment/rating below. I’d also be happy to help with any questions. Happy Baking!
The Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 15oz can pure pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips I prefer mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place 12 paper liners into each well of your standard size muffin baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry streaks remain. If adding any chocolate chips, fold them in when the batter is just about mixed to avoid over-mixing.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the muffins spring back when touched on top.
- Let cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour as well as a little almond flour for great texture and flavor.
- A good quality paper liner prevents the muffins from sticking. I like these ones!
- Gluten-free muffins typically take longer to bake than regular muffins. Just until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs is perfect.
Just made the chocolate chips cookies and the zucchini bread. Love them! Want to make these but have a question. Can I use lemon extract instead of lemon juice?
I’m so glad you’re liking the recipes! Unfortunately that won’t work. The lemon juice is just a touch to tenderize the crumb. Lemon extract will make the lemon flavor too strong.
Thank you for all your delicious recipes… do you have a cookbook with all your recipes?? If so where may I purchase it??!! ❤️❤️Janet Stapleton
These pumpkin muffins are to die for! I have been making them GF/DF for a lot of people and they all LOVED them! Recently I tried a another recipe from another site, and they were not even close in flavor to these ones. Definitely my favorite!! Thank you for sharing your talent ❤️
This muffins is so yummy first time we make and it come out so good.. Can’t stop eating really healthy and delicious,we already tried the gluten-free chocolates chips and it so great too.. Soon we try gluten-free classic pumpkin chocolates chip cookies☺️
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These are soooo good!! Would never know they’re gluten free. Used King Arthur measure for measure flour and subbed 1/2 cup coconut sugar for regular sugar and came out perfectly. Also used vegetable oil since I didn’t have coconut oil.
For the GF pumpkin muffins, what can I substitute for the almond flour?
You can replace the almond flour with the same amount of gluten-free 1:1 baking flour!
Hello, can i use Namaste gluten free perfect flour blend? Thanks!
Yes that should work great! That blend is high quality and contains xanthan gum so it should hold up well.
Erin,
I’m making these now and this summer night smells kind of fall-ish. I cant wait to try them. 5 more minutes!
What would your advice be for jumbo muffins and mini muffins.
I’m so glad you like the muffins! I think it’s always a good time for them 😉
For jumbo muffins add 5-7 minutes to the bake time. For mini muffins take away 5-7 minutes of bake time. I hope this helps! 🙂
These are INSANE! Your recipes are exceptional. Thank you so much!!
Yay! I’m so glad they turned out for you! Thanks for the comment 🙂
If you don’t have almond flour do you add another 1/4 cup of the gluten free four.
Yes! That will work great 🙂
My family loves these muffins!
I made these this evening & they turned out amazing!! I had just cooked down 2 pie pumpkins, so I had fresh pumpkin. My husband loved them!! Thank you for a great recipe!!
On my list for this week – has anyone made these into mini-loafs and muffins? Also, is there a sub for the coconut oil that would work. Thanks
I hope you like them! You can use vegetable oil instead of coconut oil. Let me know if how they turned out!
when you go to print the recipe, the almond flour does not show up in the list! will it work without the almond flour?
I’ve fixed it so it does! Thanks for letting me know!
A winner, Erin…thank you! I made them this morning and they are simply wonderful! I added 1/2 cup walnuts instead of using chocolate chips, I didn’t have paper liners, so I oiled up my muffin pan really well, and they slid right out without sticking. Also, just fyi, my pan makes 12 large muffins and the baking time was about 26 minutes in my oven.
I tried these for the first time today and they turned out AMAZING! Perfect texture and flavor. Thank you!