Featured Comment
From Lorna: “In the words of my toddler, in tears over these treats, “they’re just so good!” A really great recipe that brings the texture and moisture many gluten-free baked goods are lacking. Will be keeping this recipe close at hand”
From Sam: “These are my absolute favourite pumpkin muffins! Sooo good.”
From Abbie: “My family absolutely loves this recipe! I have been gluten free for over 6 years and this is one of the best pumpkin muffin recipes I have made. One that I am keeping on repeat this fall! Thanks for all your great recipes!”
Recipe Overview
⏱️ Time to Taste: 45 minutes
✨ Texture: Moist, fluffy, and light.
🥣 Ease: A simple recipe that’s easy to whip up whenever a pumpkin craving hits
🌾 Flour Used: Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour + Blanched Almond Flour
🧁 Equipment Needed: Standard muffin pan, mixing bowls, whisk, and rubber spatula
🎉 Best For: Fall breakfasts, snacks, lunchboxes, and holiday baking
❤️ Why You’ll Love It: These muffins are the kind of fall treat you’ll want to make on repeat. They’re soft, full of pumpkin flavor, and loved by both kids and adults. I love them so much they inspired my protein-packed gluten-free pumpkin protein muffins!
As the weather gets cooler, there’s no better treat than a soft, spiced pumpkin muffin. This muffin recipe with pumpkin puree is packed with flavor and has the perfect tender texture. And they’re even better with mini chocolate chips added in!
If you’re looking for a delicious gluten-free muffin idea to satisfy your pumpkin cravings, this is a recipe you’ll come back to time and time again. Whether for breakfast, a snack or dessert, it’s one of my favorite gluten-free recipes for fall!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free pumpkin muffins. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-Free Flour: The type of flour you use can greatly effect how the muffins turn out. For best results, I recommend using King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour.
- Almond Flour: I love adding a little almond flour because it adds moisture and richness for a tender texture. I recommend using blanched almond flour.. I also use a little in my gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bread!
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves add warmth and enhance the pumpkin flavor for the coziest fall muffins! You can also use pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use 100% pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. It’s my go-to for all of my favorite gluten-free pumpkin recipes, like my classic gluten-free pumpkin bread!
- Oil: Any neutral oil works in this recipe! I like to use grapeseed, avocado, or vegetable oil. Coconut oil will work too.
- Lemon Juice: This might seem like an unusual ingredient, but adding a little lemon juice helps activate the baking soda and baking powder. This creates a little extra rise to ensure the fluffiest muffins!
How to Make the Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Here’s an overview of how to make these muffins. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Whisk dry ingredients: I like to mix the dry ingredients first so the leavening and spices are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Whisk the wet ingredients: Mixing the wet ingredients separately helps create a uniform batter and even texture.
Combine: When adding the wet mixture to the dry ingredients be careful to not overmix! I stop mixing as soon as the flour is no longer visible. I love folding in some mini chocolate chips too!
Chill and Bake: I always chill the batter after scooping it into the muffin pan to give the gluten-free flours time to hydrate. I also recommend using the two-temperature baking method for tall, bakery-style muffins!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: These muffins are best baked fresh, but you can make them ahead and store them once baked. They stay soft and moist when stored properly!
To Store: Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To Freeze: Let the muffins cool completely before transferring to a freezer bag or air-tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, let frozen muffins sit out at room temperature for a few hours.
What Do These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Taste Like?
These muffins taste like fall in every bite! They’re packed with fresh pumpkin flavor, warm spices, and just the right amount of sweetness. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves create that classic pumpkin spice flavor without being overpowering.
Can I Use Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Yes! You can use 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices.
Can I Make Mini Muffins?
Yes! In fact, that’s one of my favorite ways to make this recipe! You can bake the gluten-free pumpkin muffins in a mini muffin pan, just reduce the bake time to 15-20 minutes. They’re perfect for parties and snacks!
More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
Soft Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (Whole Can!)
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups (225g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ¼ cup (25g) almond flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (106g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Other
- one 15-ounce can (425g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (80ml) neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup (90g) mini chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Line a standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, vanilla and lemon juice.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Using a kitchen scoop or large spoon, portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
- Refrigerate the muffins for 20 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bake the muffins for 10 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2020. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2026.
Can I make these vegan by using flax meal instead of eggs?
Hi Debbie! We don’t typically bake with egg substitutes unfortunately. An option like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer or flax eggs may work, but we haven’t tested them. If you decide to try one out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Great recipe!
I forgot to refrigerate the muffins beforehand. Got a little carried away and missed that step. Is there a reason why you recommend cooling the muffins before baking?
We’re so glad you loved the recipe, Katrina! Thank you! We recommend chilling the batter before baking so that the GF flour has time to hydrate which helps the texture. Thank you for your question!
Hi! Could I substitute oat flour for almond flour?
Hi! Unfortunately those two flours behave quite differently and don’t work as 1:1 swaps. If needing to make these nut-free, we’d recommend using an additional ¼ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour in place of the almond flour. We hope you love the muffins!