The Perfect Pumpkin Muffins (GF/V)
adapted from Rainbow Nourishment's already fabulous recipe, these perfectly plump fluffy muffins were a hit with Imagine Cincinnati's "Care-Free Fridays" Family Playgroup today! I'll be writing more on my time there in a separate blog post, but wanted to get this out now since the recipe was so heavily requested!
Ingredients
Wet ingredients for pumpkin muffins
15 ounces pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
1 cup packed light brown sugar, cane sugar or coconut sugar
½ cup neutral oil (I prefer grapeseed oil)
¾ cup dairy-free milk (I used Planet Oat Oatmilk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Dry ingredients for pumpkin muffins
3 cups gluten-free flour (I use Pamela's)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, (note 1 for homemade blend)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt, optional
Crumb topping (optional)
½ cup gluten-free flour (I use Pamela's)
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds and/or oats
3 Tablespoons vegan butter (I use Country Crock)
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar, cane sugar or coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or butter.
Preparing the pumpkin muffins:
Add the wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix until there are no big lumps. Make sure you don't overmix the batter.
Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to divide the batter in your muffin pan. The batter should fill each cup almost entirely.
To make the crumb topping (optional):
Add all ingredients for your crumb topping to a mixing bowl (use the same bowl that you used for your batter to minimize dirty dishes). Mix with a spoon or your fingertips until combined and the mixture is flaky and crumbly.
Generously sprinkle the crumb topping onto your muffins.
Baking and storing the muffins:
Bake the muffins for 25-28 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in a muffin and it comes out completely clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes (or until they aren't too hot to handle). Remove the muffins and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy the muffins warm or at room temperature. They're perfect by themselves or with some vegan butter.
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If the crumb topping softens, you can reheat the muffins in the oven for 10 minutes at 320°F or until heated through.
Notes
For homemade pumpkin spice, use 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and (optional) ½ teaspoon ground cloves.