As the weather cools and the leaves start to change, I begin craving all things pumpkin. These gluten-free pumpkin muffins are light, fluffy, and packed with warm, spicy flavors. The cinnamon and nutmeg smell amazing while they bake, and the melty chocolate chips make them extra special. They’re easy to make, freeze well, and are a great way to use up that can of pumpkin sitting in your pantry.
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Fall is my favorite time of year, and it means it’s time to bake with pumpkins! I have always wondered why we don’t enjoy pumpkin recipes all year-round. Most people love pumpkin recipes, and the scent of pumpkin and cinnamon baking brings all sorts of warm feelings that comfort foods often bring.
These muffins are incredibly fluffy, and you’ll never believe they contain a generous amount of pumpkin puree! These gluten-free, dairy-free pumpkin muffins are fun to add mix-ins to, such as chocolate chips. They are really easy to make!
If you love baked pumpkin recipes as much as we do, you will want to check out my yummy gluten-free pumpkin recipes! Also, try these Gluten-Free Chocolate Pumpkin Swirled Muffins! Here are my kids’ favorite gluten-free muffin recipes.
Testing Notes From My Kitchen
I’ve been baking gluten-free for over 15 years, and I originally developed this pumpkin muffin recipe in 2017. Since then, I’ve retested it many times using different flour blends, canned vs. fresh pumpkin, and both oil and butter. My goal has always been a moist, fluffy muffin that works for everyone, especially if you’re new to gluten-free baking.
One key takeaway: gluten-free flours all absorb liquid differently. If your batter looks too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time. If it’s too runny, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. These small tweaks make a big difference and help you avoid gummy or dry muffins.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. Both worked well, and the muffins were perfectly fluffy. Other blends work, but because every blend varies in its ingredients, you may need to adjust the moisture levels.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon. Read more about binders in gluten free baking.
- Almond Flour – I highly suggest using almond flour instead of almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will result in grainy muffins. I always use Anthony’s Almond Flour because it is the best for baking. Almond flour helps keep these muffins lighter.
- Yogurt – Yogurt helps add moisture and a creamy texture. Not pictured above, but I used dairy-free plain yogurt by Silk. There are several good brands. If you are not dairy-free, use any regular yogurt brand.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – I’m not a fan of imitation vanilla, so if possible, try using pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Coconut Oil – I love the added flavor of coconut oil, but you can use any light oil type in this recipe.
- Pumpkin Puree – I prefer canned pumpkin puree for muffins because it has a smoother and more consistent texture. Avoid pumpkin pie filling, which includes extra sugar and spices that can throw off the texture and flavor
How to Make Fluffy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins:
Gather your kitchen tools and ingredients. Here is a list of my favorite tools for making muffins.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller bowl. Whisk together your wet ingredients until they are creamy.
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Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips. Gently fold the ingredients together.
🔑 Sandi says: Do not use an electric hand or stand mixer to make muffins. Overmixing leads to very dense muffins!
Step 4: Put parchment paper muffin liners into a muffin tin. I like to use these parchment paper liners and they ensure my muffins don’t stick to the papers. Fill each muffin cup full with pumpkin muffin batter.
Step 5: Bake the muffins for 25 minutes until done. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If the muffins are done baking, the toothpick will come out clean. If you see batter or crumbs, bake the muffins a few minutes longer.
Step 6: Remove the gluten-free pumpkin muffins and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Mix-In Ideas:
I love varying the mix-ins in this recipe. Feel free to try some of these ideas:
- White chocolate chips, mini chips work too!
- Pecans or walnuts
- Heath candy bits
- Butterscotch chips
If you want to try a couple more incredible pumpkin recipes, try this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bundt Cake or this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread.
Tips For Making Perfect Gluten-Free Muffins:
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- Do not overmix the muffin batter.
- Let the muffin batter sit for 15 minutes before baking. This allows time for rice flour to soften, eliminating any grit.
- Do not put muffin batter into a hot muffin pan. This will start the baking process early and prevent them from rising as tall.
If you need more tips, be sure to check out my Gluten-Free Baking Tips, Gluten-Free Muffins Troubleshooting Guide. If you wonder which gluten-free flour blend to use for muffins, I tested four easy-to-find gluten-free flour blends to find out.
Storage and Freezing Tips:
- Store these muffins in an airtight container. I always recommend freezing the muffins if you don’t plan to eat them within a day or two.
- These muffins freeze really well. I just put cooled muffins in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
- Thaw in the microwave oven for 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins:
The main reason your pumpkins turned out dense is that you over-mixed your batter. Try to mix the batter until it is just barely mixed. Do not use a standing mixer.
If you love those dome-topped muffins, you can do this easily! If you want your muffins to have a domed top, bake at 425°F for the first 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F.
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes:
If you are crazy about baking with pumpkin, try some of my favorite gluten-free pumpkin recipes. They have the perfect blend of pumpkin and spice!
Love This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out and which flour blend you used! Your feedback helps others (and helps me keep improving these recipes for you). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fluffy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree * see note
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup almond flour * see note
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- dash salt
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt dairy-free or regular
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup melted coconut oil or any light oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup chocolate chips Use Enjoy Life if you want these to be dairy free.
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Instructions
- Determine if you want big dome muffin tops or regular muffin tops. If you want dome tops, preheat the oven to 425ºF. For regular muffin tops, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to blend. This helps ensure all of the dry ingredients are blended thoroughly.
- In a medium bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and whisk until well blended.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, add any mix-ins, and gently fold them together. It is important not to overmix the muffin batter or the muffins. Avoid using a stand mixer, as it can overmix the batter, resulting in dense muffins.
- Put parchment paper muffin liners into a muffin tin. Fill each muffin paper 3/4 full to the top with the batter for regular-sized muffins or to the top for dome-style muffin tops.
- Optional: Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. This will soften the grit by allowing the rice flour to soften.
- For dome tops: Bake at the higher temperature for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes, or until the cookies are done baking.
- For regular tops, bake the muffins for 25 minutes until finished. The baking time can vary depending on the material your pan is made of. I use metal muffin pans.
- Remove from the oven and put the muffins onto a cooling rack.
- Insert a toothpick into a muffin. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are finished baking. If you see crumbs or batter, they need to bake longer.
- Move the pan of muffins to a cooling rack. Let the muffins stay in the rack for 5 minutes, then gently remove each from the pan and place them onto the cooling rack. Let them fully cool before eating.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. Other blends will work, but be prepared to tweak the moisture levels. If the batter is too thick, add more water. If the batter is too thin, add more flour. Increase 1 tablespoon at a time so you can control the adjustments.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Use almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will result in grainy muffins.
- To make this recipe nut-free, omit the 1/2 cup of almond flour and substitute an additional 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend.
- These muffins will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I have a question… Wondering about the dimensions of your pan. Length, width, number of cavities, _volume of cavities_. I’m trying to figure out how to scale the recipe for a novelty pan I recently bought (There was only one there at winners and it cost a bit.). It looks like it will make something in between mini and regular muffins. I don’t want to have too much batter left over or have to cook in too many batches…although I could put the rest in some mini loaf pans and do the rest that way, but there are always cook time calculations involved. Any information would be helpful.
Thank you
PS. I subscribe due to a wheat allergy and am now having to avoid dairy also…so these recipes are very helpful especially when I am substituting ingredients in other recipes that are not so friendly…or rather…are more fiendly to my health.
Hi. I use the Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick Cupcake Pan It is a 12-Cup muffin tin. I hope this helps.
Could you use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Hi Grace, I haven’t tried that. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Do you use regular yogurt or Greek? Thank you.
Hi Diane, I used regular yogurt, but I suspect Greek will also work well.
These were fantastic! I topped mine with chopped walnuts and butterscotch chips.
Oooh, the walnuts and butterscotch chips sound delicious with this!
These were delicious! Light and fluffy as advertised however; they stuck to the paper liners.
I am so glad you loved them April. This happens often and it is why I love using parchment paper muffin liners when I bake. If you haven’t tried them, they are available on Amazon and in many grocery stores.
I am curious if your gluten free flour blend contains xanthum gum. I thought it was necessary in GF baking. The muffins look delicious–can’t wait to try the recipe!
Hi Karen, My mix does have xanthan gum. If yours doesn’t, please add 1 teaspoon. Thank you 🙂
These look yummy. As is often the case for those who can’t tolerate gluten, I can’t do dairy either. Any suggestions on a replacement for the yogurt?
Hi Colleen, I highly recommend you try Dream Plant-Based Yogurts. They are available with either almond milk or coconut milk and these taste really great. They can be used easily in this recipe. Take care, Sandi