These Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are healthy and delicious! Made with whole wheat flour, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and topped with crunchy pecan streusel and a maple glaze.
These vegan pumpkin muffins were made, photographed, and eaten at 2:00 AM because I couldn’t sleep. Well, turns out I’m a recipe GENIUS in the middle of the night because these muffins are SO. GOOD!
Ingredients
There are three parts to today’s recipe: the pumpkin muffin, the pecan streusel, and the maple glaze.
Pumpkin Muffin
Moist, tender, fluffy perfection!
- Almond Milk – thins out the batter so they’re super moist and light.
- Vinegar – combines with the almond milk to make a “buttermilk”. It keeps these muffins fluffy, yet moist.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour – wheat pastry flour is more finely ground than whole wheat flour and therefore produces a less dense muffin.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – help the muffins rise while baking.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, and Salt – a delicious homemade pumpkin pie spice!
- Maple Syrup – used to naturally sweeten the muffins.
- Coconut Oil – adds moisture to the muffins. I don’t recommend omitting the oil or replacing it with applesauce to avoid a gummy muffin.
- Vanilla Extract – gives the batter warmth and flavor depth.
- Pumpkin Purée – I use canned pumpkin for ease but you can certainly use a fresh, homemade pumpkin purée as well. Do not use pumpkin pie purée.
Pecan Streusel
Crunchy and perfectly toasted in the oven . . . this balances out the soft muffin.
- Rolled Oats and Whole Wheat Pastry Flour – the base for our streusel. The oats add a hearty chew while the flour keeps it fluffy.
- Pecans – add a much needed crunch.
- Salt and Cinnamon – add flavor and warmth.
- Coconut Oil – binds the streusel together.
- Maple Syrup – naturally sweetens the topping.
Maple Syrup Glaze
Sweet, syrup-y, mouth-watering . . . a little goes a long way. This is definitely the icing on the cake. 😉
- Powdered Sugar – thickens the glaze.
- Salt – cuts the sweetness from the sugar and maple syrup.
- Coconut Oil – gives the glaze a smooth, shiny finish.
- Maple Syrup – thickens and sweetens the glaze.
- Vanilla Extract – adds a depth of flavor.
- Almond Milk (optional) – I just use this to thin out my glaze if it’s too thick.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the ingredient list, there are many “repeat” ingredients (example: salt, maple syrup, coconut oil, etc.) between the muffins, streusel topping, and glaze!
How to make vegan pumpkin muffins
These muffins couldn’t be easier.
Pecan Streusel
- Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients!
Pumpkin Muffins
- Combine milk and vinegar in a measuring cup then let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Stir together wet and dry ingredients with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the muffin batter into a prepared jumbo muffin tin using a 1/2 cup measuring cup.
- Top with maple glaze, serve, and enjoy!
Maple Glaze
- Whisk together all glaze ingredients in a small bowl.
How to make as standard muffins
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into a greased standard non stick 12 slot muffin tin.
- Bake at 425ºF for the first 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 375ºF and bake for 5-8 minutes.
The original recipe is for jumbo muffins, because I wanted these to be bakery style muffins, but as you can see. It’s very easy to make these in as standard size muffins.
How to make as mini muffins
Looking for bite-sized deliciousness? You can make these as mini muffins too!
- Fill each slot in your mini muffin pan 3/4ths of the way full.
- Bake at 425º for 5 minutes.
The mini muffins will most likely be done after just the first 5 minutes. If they’re still not done, however, reduce the heat down to 375ºF and bake for another minute or two.
Tips and tricks for making the best vegan pumpkin muffins
- Don’t over-mix. This will cause the muffins to be too dense and chewy. Light and fluffy is the way to go!
- Don’t skip the streusel topping or maple glaze. They add much needed texture and sweetness.
- Spray your muffin tin or use muffin liners. This prevents the muffins from sticking when you take them out.
- Don’t overfill the muffin tin. Make sure you keep the batter level just below the top of the muffin cup so they don’t spill over as they rise in the oven.
- Let muffins cool in the tin first. If they’re too warm when you try to take them out of the muffin tin, they’ll fall apart.
- Make extra and freeze them! These muffins keep super well in the freezer so make some extra and have them on hand for a delicious snack. 🙂
- Add chocolate chips. Looking for some extra sweetness? Dump some chocolate chips into your batter! Pumpkin and chocolate? Heck yeah!
Can i use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?
Canned pumpkin purée is quicker and easier (plus you can buy organic if that’s important to you) but you can definitely use fresh pumpkin as well!
- Peel and chop pumpkin, spread out on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.
- Bake at 350ºF until soft. Let cool then add to food processor or Vitamix then process into purée.
- Pour the purée into a mesh sieve and let the extra moisture drip out then it’s good to go!
My opinion? Stick to the canned stuff. 😉
Can i make these gluten-free?
This vegan pumpkin muffin recipe can easily be made gluten-free! Simply use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (*not tested).
Why didn’t my muffins rise?
If your muffins didn’t rise, here are a few things that might have happened.
- You didn’t let your milk and vinegar sit long enough. These react together to make a buttermilk which, in non-vegan baking, makes things light and fluffy.
- Your baking soda/powder is expired. Make sure your leavening agents are fresh or they won’t work nearly as well!
- You over-mixed. Over-mixing the batter will result in a short, dense muffin.
Why do i need to let the milk and vinegar sit?
The vinegar and milk react together as they sit to become a makeshift buttermilk. This allows the muffins to become light and fluffy when they bake!
Substitutions
- Different Milk. I prefer to use unsweetened plain almond milk, because it’s mild in flavor, but if you only have sweetened or vanilla almond milk that’s fine too. You can also substitute for other non-dairy milks such as coconut, soy, or oat although this may slightly affect the flavor.
- Sweetener. If you don’t have maple syrup, feel free to substitute another sticky sweetener like agave or brown rice syrup. You can even use honey if you don’t need these to be vegan.
- Oil. If you don’t have coconut oil, try subbing for another neutral flavored oil like canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil. I don’t recommend swapping the oil for applesauce, because the muffins turn out gummy.
- Flax Egg. If you don’t have any flax meal for a flax egg, try equal parts chia seeds instead.
What to serve with vegan pumpkin muffins
I LOVE having these as an on-the-go breakfast with my hot coffee, but if you’re looking to bulk up your breakfast, try serving them next to these recipes:
- Vegan Granola with fruit and non-dairy yogurt
- Breakfast Burrito Bowls minus the egg to keep it vegan
- Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
How to store
These vegan pumpkin muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 7 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
I love to make a big batch and keep them in the freezer so I can have a delicious snack on hand all the time!
To reheat, simply pop the frozen muffin in the microwave until thawed through. You can also heat them in the oven for a bit longer to crisp the topping back up.
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
Pecan Streusel
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted and cooled slightly
- ¼ cup maple syrup room temperature
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk room temperature
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled slightly
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
Maple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup room temperature
- 1 tablespoon almond milk optional (use if you want a thinner glaze)
Instructions
Pecan Streusel
- Whisk together dry ingredients: rolled oats oats, flour, pecan, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Whisk together wet ingredients: coconut oil and maple syrup.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and set aside.
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Combine the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Grease a jumbo sized (6 slot) muffin tin and a standard sized muffin tin (you'll only use 6 slots) with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Whisk together maple syrup, oil, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and the milk + vinegar mixture.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir together dry and wet ingredients - DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Fill the prepared muffin tins (use 1/2 cup for the jumbo and 1/4 cup for the standard) with the batter.
- Top with the pecan streusel - about 2 tablespoons for the jumbo and 1/2 tablespoon - 1 tablespoon for the standard muffin.
- Bake at 425ºF for 5 minutes.
- Then decrease the heat to 375ºF and bake for another 5-8 minutes (for the standard muffins) and another 10-15 minutes (for the jumbo).
- Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin and topping with the maple glaze!
Maple Glaze
- Whisk together glaze ingredients, excluding the almond milk.
- If you'd like a thinner glaze, whisk in the almond milk.
- Drizzle over muffins and serve!
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post has been updated to provide more detailed content.
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