Wonderfully spiced Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with whole wheat and no oil are a perfect taste of fall. These muffins are quick to make with easy to find ingredients. They are a wonderful treat for the Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons. So delicious!
Signs of fall are everywhere. The yards and streets are covered with blankets of colorful leaves, pumpkins and squash are piled in the stores, and houses are adorned with fun and scary decor. And every food establishment is advertising pumpkin spice!
These Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are perfect for the Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons. Enjoy one for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. They’re so delicious! Soft, moist, and pleasantly spiced. These muffins keep on the counter for a couple of days, in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for a month or more.
Are pumpkin muffins healthy?
These muffins are low fat, whole grain, and a great source of Vitamin A. They are much lower in sugar than regular pumpkin muffins, and I’ve included options of using less processed sweeteners in place of brown sugar.
Ingredients needed for these pumpkin muffins
- Whole wheat pastry flour – I love baking with whole wheat pastry flour. It’s lighter than regular whole wheat flour, but it is still whole grain. It’s a wonderful substitute for all purpose flour.
- Baking powder
- Salt – just a little to bring out the flavors
- Spices – cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. You can substitute with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.
- Pumpkin puree – I use canned pumpkin puree. Make sure the only ingredient is pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, as it contains sugar and spices.
- Organic brown sugar – If you prefer a less processed sweetener, you can use coconut sugar or maple syrup.
- Unsweetened appplesauce – this is an oil replacement.
- Vanilla
- Chopped walnuts – or add ins of your choice
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
It’s easy to bake muffins without eggs or dairy. These muffins get their moisture from the pumpkin puree and some applesauce. They are made with a standard muffin recipe method.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Whisk together the wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just combined.
Add in the chopped walnuts.
Spoon the batter into a silicone muffin pan and bake.
Note: I’ve made these muffins with brown sugar, and with maple syrup. If you choose to use maple syrup, you should increase the whole wheat pastry flour by 1/4 cup to compensate for the extra liquid.
Variations:
Instead of or in addition to the chopped walnuts, feel free to fold in your favorite muffin add ins. Some ideas are:
- Chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Chopped pecans
- Dried cranberries
- Pumpkin seeds
Tips for baking muffins
When measuring your flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it with the flat side of a knife.
Be sure you are using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices, and will not work in this recipe.
Be careful not to over mix your batter. If you mix too long, it will activate the gluten and the muffins will turn out gummy or tough.
Allow your muffins to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the baking pan. If you remove them too soon, they may fall apart.
Frequently asked questions
These muffins keep on the counter for 2 to 3 days, in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for two months or more.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but I have had success with other recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Yes! This can be baked in a loaf pan for about 55 minutes to make pumpkin bread. Be sure to test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. When the toothpick comes out clean, the pumpkin bread is done.
Freeze the leftover puree in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, store the cubes in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. These pumpkin cubes can be used as an egg replacement in baking, or can be added to soups or pasta sauces.
If you enjoy these muffins, you might also like:
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Carrot Muffins
- Corn Muffins
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Multigrain Bread
- Vegan Granola Bars
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Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Add ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Be careful not to over mix.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Spoon batter into a 12 cup silicone muffin pan.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean.