Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Published
If you’re going to make any seasonal treat this fall, make it these gluten-free pumpkin muffins! This no-fuss recipe is all I’ve been craving lately, and my family are huge fans too. They’re moist, perfectly spiced, and have a deliciously fluffy texture with a beautiful golden-brown top. I use real pumpkin puree and gluten-free flour, which packs these muffins with autumnal flavor and keeps them totally gluten-free. This recipe is also naturally dairy-free!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
These muffins are soft and tender like our gluten-free pumpkin bread but handheld like these gluten-free pumpkin cookies—the best of both worlds! I spice the batter with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger to give these gluten-free pumpkin muffins that classic pumpkin spice flavor. Then, the eggs, vegetable oil, and two types of sugar (granulated and brown) make the muffins super moist, with just the right amount of sweetness. They’re easy to make and freeze beautifully, too! I always warm mine up in the microwave for a few seconds to have with my morning coffee.
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour with Xanthan Gum: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that includes xanthan gum for the best texture. We like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all flours are created equal, and you may experience different results depending on the brand you use. If your flour doesn’t contain xanthan gum, I recommend adding ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Makes these GF pumpkin muffins nice and fluffy. Always double-check the labels on your baking powder and baking soda to ensure they’re gluten-free, as some brands may have cross-contamination risks.
- Spices: I use cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger for a lightly spiced flavor that isn’t overpowering. You can also use 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices.
- Vegetable Oil: Provides moisture and helps keep these muffins soft. Use a neutral-flavored vegetable oil, like canola oil. Melted coconut oil and even melted unsalted butter will work, but they’ll add a slightly different flavor.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: A combination of brown and granulated sugar gives these gluten-free pumpkin muffins just the right amount of sweetness. The molasses in the brown sugar also adds depth of flavor and color.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: Don’t accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling! You want 100% pure pumpkin puree for this recipe. You can also make your own pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins if you’d prefer. I’ve included instructions on how to do that below.
- Eggs: Use large eggs to bind the ingredients together. The eggs also help the muffins to rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a lovely warmth and flavor to the batter.
- Salt: For flavor enhancement.
Tips and Suggestions
- Xanthan gum is an important ingredient in gluten-free baking. It mimics the gluten in traditional flour and creates a similar texture. That’s why I recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour that already includes xanthan gum. But don’t worry if your flour doesn’t have it; you can just add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to this recipe.
- Make sure your oven is set to 350°F and fully preheated before baking the muffins. The high temperature helps the muffins to rise and creates the beautiful cracked tops you see in my photos!
- Let your muffins cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before removing them. This helps them to set and stops them from falling apart. However, I don’t recommend letting them cool completely in the tin because they might get soggy. Move them to a wire rack to cool after 5 minutes.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter. This can result in tough and dense muffins. Mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- A greased cookie scoop can help you portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin.
Can I Use Fresh Pumpkin Puree Instead of Canned Pumpkin Puree?
Yes, you can! Here’s how to prepare fresh pumpkin puree for this recipe:
- Wash your pumpkin and slice it in half (pie or sugar pumpkins work best).
- Remove the seeds and stringy bits.
- Place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet, cut side down.
- Roast in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
- Scoop out the flesh and blend it in a food processor until smooth.
- Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove any excess liquid. It should match the consistency of canned pumpkin.
- Once strained, measure out the amount needed to make these muffins. Any extra puree can be used in other recipes or frozen for later.
Why Are My Muffins Dense?
Make sure not to overmix the batter, as this can cause your GF pumpkin muffins to be dense. Also, check that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh, as expired leavening agents can affect the texture.
What Else Can I Add?
I sometimes make these spiced pumpkin gluten-free muffins with chocolate chips, which is delicious! After combining the wet and dry ingredients, I fold in ½ to 1 cup of chocolate chips. You can also add chopped nuts or dried fruit to the batter if you like. Just don’t add more than a cup’s worth of additional ingredients, or the batter may become too heavy and not rise properly.
Storage Instructions
Store these homemade gluten-free pumpkin muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes to Try!
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners or lightly grease it.
- In a large bowl, whisk together gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ground ginger.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk the pumpkin puree into the wet ingredients.
- Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
- Divide batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each almost full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already contain xanthan gum, add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to this recipe when combining the dry ingredients.
- To Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
- Mama says, “Check all of your labels!”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Step-by-Step
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners or lightly grease it. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, ⅔ cup brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Whisk 1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree into the wet ingredients.
Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
Divide batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each almost full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
These muffins are beyond any expectations I ever have of GF muffins. They are moist, delicious and so incredibly flavourful. They are my go-to muffins. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you for sharing this recipe – I first looked at it as you are Austrian and half my family are in Austria and no one bakes better than oma and opa. Then I made the muffins and all my 3 kiddos love them. I have now made them 3 times with consistent results and I change nothing with the recipe. Perfection every single time – this is a keeper! Thanks!
I bookmarked this recipe years ago and have used it many times over the years. When I went to make it this AM, the link took me here and the recipe has changed. Where is the original? With the topping? I’m so disappointed. I will try this recipe but was not what I was expecting. Why did it change? Why not keep the original recipe on the page and just make a new page for this recipe? I got so many compliments from people who don’t even eat gluten free about that original recipe, they didn’t know they were eating gluten free!
Hi Saba, we retested this recipe and updated it with our improvements. You can still visit the old recipe here: https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/wprm_print/5660
What happened to the original pumpkin crumb recipe? I found a video on YouTube and followed the link but it brought me to this recipe. I have also searched for it on your site and can’t find it. That was the BEST pumpkin muffin recipe ever!
Hi Kimberly, you can visit that recipe here: https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/wprm_print/5660
These muffins are SO good! I used the King Arthur’s gluten free measure for measure flour, and it works perfectly. I highly recommend these muffins, and I’m definitely making them again.
The best. So flippin good.
These are really moist and have a great flavor. I even made them with Swerve instead of sugar and they were still awesome!
I love all of your recipes that I’ve tried! Thank you so much for your tips and great recipes!!
making for Thanksgiving
These muffins are delicious. I made as directed but didn’t have xanthan. I just used gluten-free flour and it was fine. The muffins are a perfect texture and taste like pumpkin pie. Wonderful!
I use mama knows best all the time because she does really know best. One of her recipes have been amazing. Love to get her recipes.
Lovely recipe! I added about a half teaspoon of clove, did only lightly packed brown sugar, and took out the white sugar. I did a couple TB less of oil and added a couple TB of maple syrup. Added chocolate chips. Bake until soft crumbs came out on cake tester. Moist, fluffy and delicious!
Next time I may use even less sugar and sub a few TBs of flax seed with my GF flour for extra fiber. 🙂
I just made this recipe but modified it a bit: I used my own gluten flour blend of rice flour, potato starch, coconut flour and protein powder. Subbed cardomom for cinnamon and used full fat coconut milk in place of oil. And I use monk fruit for most of the sugar except I added 1/4 c coconut sugar. They look fabulous. No xanthan gum.
Best pumpkin recipe I’ve tried! These are so good. Very soft and moist. I cook for the minimum time of 18 minutes. I reduced the sugar to a little less than 1/2 cup white sugar and only used a scant 1/4 cup brown sugar. I also used two heaping teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in place of the other spices listed in the recipe since that is what I had on hand. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gf flour is my preferred brand and it does great in this recipe too. The batter is pretty thick, but that’s ok because they rise well. I always let my gf batters rest 30 minutes before baking. I made a batch of these and then froze them. I reheat in the microwave for about 20 seconds and they maintain their flavor and texture. Highly recommend!
Very yummy. I replaced both sugars with 2/3cup Lankato monk fruit sweetener + 1 Tbsp molasses; replaced 1/4 cup flour with almond flour and dusted with powdered monk fruit sweetener. Perfection!
Made these tonight for the instructions, except I use light brown sugar instead of dark because I didn’t have dark. They were a hit with everybody! Even my kids who are not gluten-free enjoyed them.
Can I use a 1/2 butter instead of oil?
Hi Lori, melted butter should work well in place of oil.
Batter is thick. I reduced the brown sugar by 1/4 cup. Muffiffins were delicious and soft. Easy to make.
I made this recipe and it was fabulous! My family who normally won’t touch my gluten free food went gaga over these. They are moist and delicious and taste so good my family didn’t realize at first they were gluten free. I added some DF chocolate chips to make them pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Two thumbs up!
Did anyone save/write down the gluten free pumpkin crumb muffin recipe that was shown on this page October 6th, 2024? Made those for son’s birthday and now tried to share the recipe from history where it shows crumb in page title only for it to only show these current muffins with no crumb nor glaze. While I do not doubt these are amazing, the crumb version was perfect.
Hi Jen, you can access the recipe right here: https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/wprm_print/5660 🙂
Thank you! I was also looking for the same recipe! Ordered all the ingredients and then the recipe disappeared on me! Off to make it tomorrow now. Thank you!
These are awesome! I made as mini muffins and baked for 20 min. Came out perfect. I used the King Arthur Measure for Measure flour which I think is the best for baking. I also replaced the oil with equal amounts of apple sauce (one of the small snack pack organic apple sauce works well). I also used fresh pumpkin from two baking pumpkins I had baked ahead of time.
I took these muffins to an event and marked them as GF. I had a friend come up to me and said, “did you have one of those pumpkin muffins? They’re the best I’ve ever had!” She didn’t know what the GF meant.
High praise!
I sprinkled some sea salt on before I baked, but did not see a topping in this recipe, although others referred to it in the comments. I have loved all of your recipes!
My son has celiac and I’m always looking for easy and delicious recipes to make and put in his cook book and this one meets all taste testers approval. I made muffins the first time and then mini muffins with chopped pecans on top with pumpkin seeds. 👍👍
Very yummy! I replaced 1/4 cup of flour with almond flour for a bit more moistness as I find gluten free recipes end to dry out quickly. Used KA Measure for Measure. I also replaced both sugars with 3/4 cup Lankato monk fruit sweetener and added 1 Tbsp molasses. My pumpkin was pretty thick, so my batter was as well and I ended up baking for 30 minutes. I dusted with monk fruit powdered sugar while warm. They turned out great. Very moist, a nice amount of sweetness and a wonderful blend of spices.
This is the lightest fluffiest muffin in my gluten free repetoire, and I’ll make them again and again! Next time I think I’ll try more spices and some raisins. So many possibilities. Thx for this one!
Wonderful recipe. My family loved it. I especially loved it with my tea in the mornings but can be eaten any time of the day. When I first read the recipe, I thought it would be too sweet but the cake part and the topping complimented each other beautifully without being too sweet. This is my 3rd dessert recipe from you and I will be making 2 more new desserts today. I am impressed by all your recipes. We are a GF and DF family. I love that all your recipes have a DF option. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
This recipe was a great place to start from for me. I needed to make a few tweaks to adapt it to dairy free and egg free which also happened to make it vegan.
I’m sure it would have been great as is but my high-allergy customers (aka two of four my kids) can’t do dairy or egg.
To make the swap, I just replaced the egg with Energy brand powdered egg replacer and the butter with melted coconut oil. I also thinned it out with about 1/3 cup of coconut milk because the egg replacer powder needs added liquid. Then mixed it with an immersion blender to help it rise easier.
Comes out just fine but note that this is NOT a sweet muffin. It’s more the sweetness of a corn muffin, not a pumpkin bread.
Excellent! The muffins taste a lot like a Panera pumpkin muffin!
This recipe was very easy to understand and make. I took them to our Sunday game night. They were a Hugh hit, our friends whose turn to host was happy to have the left over ones.
What an amazing recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I accidentally purchased the pumpkin mix instead of puree. All my puree went bad. I was a bit upset, but I did everything the same except opted out of the vanilla extract. I also used pancake maple butter syrup cause that is all I had at the time. I did used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour because it also has xanthan gum in it as well. Wow just delicious muffins. My next bake would be making them sugar free and vegan for my sister-in-law. Thank you!!!
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit. Everyone couldn’t believe they were gluten and dairy free 🙂 So soft and delicious, and full of pumpkin flavor. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
These pumpkin muffins are so delicious!! Just the right combination of spices abs sweetness with the crumb topping and glaze. I followed the recipe exactly with the suggestion on how to make dairy free. Yummy!! Whenever I see a recipe from Mama Knows Gluten Free I know it will be a 5 star recipe. Thank you!
Yum! These are so amazing! So glad I tried this recipe, it will definitely be a regular now. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your GF pumpkin muffin recipe . They’re super moist and tasty 😋 My husband is GF and he loves them too. I put chopped walnuts also. Yes, I have to freeze them so I don’t eat too many of them. Ha❣️
These turned out fantastic! I used the KA 1:1 GF flour. I can’t have egg, so I replaced with whole milk, plain Greek yogurt. For the glaze, I added almost one whole shot of espresso (had to add more powdered sugar of course). So, so good!!
These are delicious! I tried them for the first time and whoa…you would never know these are gluten free. I did substitute the flour in the muffin and crumb topping for what I had on hand. Almond flour for the muffin and pecan flour for the crumb topping. I added more cinnamon since this was nut heavy to enhance the flavor. Being in Colorado high altitude modifications come into play. I added 1.5x the amount of baking powder to get the proper rise. Overall one of the best GF recipes I’ve had the opportunity to make.Thank you Audrey for making this available to the masses.
Super delicious pumpkin muffin recipe! The muffins are light and delicious, the crumb topping and icing put them over the top! I’m going to have one for breakfast for the next several days with a cup of coffee! Great recipe, 5 stars!
These muffins are delicious, and I’m not fond of pumpkin and don’t eat gluten-free! I made for a family member who checks both those boxes and felt compelled to taste anyway. They are not crumbly as so many gf muffins tend to be, are perfectly seasoned, and so moist. I’m wondering whether I can just sub ap flour 1:1 since it’s a bit cheaper to make these for my non gf friends. All of your recipes are wonderful, btw. Thank you.
Hi, Audrey, We love your recipes at our house! You’re our go-to gf website. Some of your recipes provide a xanthan gum amount if one’s mix doesn’t have it. Could you tell me how much xanthan gum to use per cup of flour called for in your recipes? Much thanks!
Thank you so much Kim! You really made my night. It really depends on the type of recipe. A 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum for every 1 cup of gluten-free flour in a recipe is a good guide. That ratio might increase slightly if you are working with something that needs more elasticity like yeast recipes. Thank you again.
These muffins are SO delicious ! I have never added the glaze ; they are perfect without it . ( Maybe I’ll try it some day as I also love maple syrup ) .
I am not a baker but these muffins were delicious – even made by me! The instructions were thorough and simple, with helpful tips along the way. And they tasted incredible!!!! My granddaughter gobbled them up as did my 92 year old mom and they had no idea they were GF/DF muffins. I’m bringing them to Thanksgiving this year!
I made these last week for my granddaughter’s Montessori School fund raiser (dairy free). One gentleman bought 2 for he and his wife. A few minutes later he returned and bought all that were remaining, and also gave a generous contribution! No one could be they were gluten and dairy free! Thanks for another great recipe!!
By Far the BEST muffin EVER. This is the most delicious sweet treat I have ever eaten. I have made many batches and everyone that has tried them LOVES them. It has been a struggle to find gluten free recipes that taste great. This one is amazing.
Delicious! I made these for the first time & they came out absolutely incredible! By far the best gf muffins I’ve made. They’re moist, light & fluffy and the crumb topping baked perfectly. I skipped the glaze because I didn’t have all the ingredients but I’m definitely making these again & will add the glaze. This recipe’s a keeper!!
I used this recipe to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts. (slightly less on baking time) Worked beautifully. Delicious. Thank you.
I added a small can of crushed pineapple in place of the other 1/2 cup of the called for pumpkin. WOW. It turned out FABULOUS!! Best gluten free muffins we’ve ever tried. Thank you!!
These are our Family Fav! I’m the oldest sibling so I make them with the help of one of my brother’s or sister
Delicious!!!! I have made a few gluten free pumpkin muffins and these are the best I have made.They are moist and just delicious.Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe,
Made these tonight for my husband who recently had to go dairy free and WOW! These are delicious. He was so excited to have such a delicious DF option! He is already asking me when I’m ready to make the next batch!!!!
These are great! Everyone e loves them even family members that do not need gluten free. Taste best when warmed slightly.
These taste like pumpkin coffee cake muffins.. Just made these this morning and they are all gone. So delicious!!!! I used King Arthur Gluten measure for measure flour and they were amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Great muffins I’m making them again and again lol thx Cindy from Colorado
This was SO good that my husband and I made these twice this weekend – whoops! Also this is the first time something has been so good I actually wrote a review! Tweaks – I used flax eggs, ghee instead of butter, coconut sugar in place of all the sugar, and vanilla bean powder instead of extract to make them low histamine. I actually accidentally put 1 tsp. Baking powder in the pumpkin mixture so it had both baking powder and baking soda. Turned out perfectly – they are dense but we love them like that. The crumble topping is perfection along with that drizzle!! YUMMM
Great recipe, thank you for this Audrey! Not complicated, well written, tasty, perfect texture, and easy to make. I made this for Valentine’s Day ❤️ breakfast today (without the toppings) and now I think this will be a go-to recipe at home.
My tweaks were: used my silicone mini-size muffin tray so I baked them for 15 minutes. Used coconut oil instead of melting butter. Skipped the white sugar and just used the dark brown since I like things less sweet. Added extra spice. Didn’t add xanthan gum, and used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour – the one based on garbanzo beans. (That flour isn’t nice raw so nobody will be licking out the mixing bowl and spoons. But in the baked muffin you just taste the pumpkin and spices.)
Thank you so much Tracey for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins and that it will be a go-to recipe for you. Thank you for sharing your tweaks, as I know it will help others. Thank you again!
Everyone loved these muffins! They are a new family favorite!
Thank you so much Ann for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that it’s now a family favorite. Thanks again!
Tried these yesterday and they turned out wonderful! I Decided to make them pumpkin chocolate chip and added a cup of Enjoy Life Dark Chips (med these dairy free). I didn’t do the crumble topping. I’ll be trying these out at our ministry’s coffee shop later this week 😉
Thank you so much Terry for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins. I love adding chocolate chips to the muffins too. I hope everyone at the coffee shop enjoys them as well. Thanks again!
loved these muffins. i did add walnuts and this will be my go to recipe. i gave some to the girls and they all raved about them too. thanks
Thank you so much Char for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your girls enjoyed the pumpkin muffins. I really like nuts in my pumin muffins too. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Delicious!! I added some walnuts to some of the muffins (not everyone likes them), and I skipped the icing. Even my gluten-eating husband said they were really good.
Thank you so much Bonnie for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the pumpkin muffins. I really like nuts in my pumpkin muffins too, thank you for sharing as I know it will help others. Thank you again!
What is a good suggestion to replace eggs
Hi LoriAnn! The only egg replacer I have baked with is Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. I have not tried it in this recipe. I know some people also use apple sauce or flax eggs when baking. I hope this helps. If you try the recipe egg-free will you please let me know how it turns out?
These were SO GOOD! Everyone gobbled them up! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review Joansy! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the pumpkin muffins. You are so welcome I love sharing what I make for my family! Thank you again!
These are our FAVORITE pumpkin muffins. They are easy to make and look impressive. My kids can’t get enough of them! I don’t usually make the icing on top just because my kids can’t wait long enough for it!
Thank you Mollie for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that these are your family’s favorite pumpkin muffins. My kids love them too. Thank you again!