These Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are one of the most made recipes on my blog, and I totally get why. They’re super soft and fluffy muffins made with pumpkin puree, warming spices and a touch of brown sugar. I like to mix in a handful of mini chocolate chips for good measure and the result is the coziest Autumn treat. Serve them warm at breakfast time with a pat of vegan butter or as a sweet treat the end evening. Either way, I hope you enjoy this sweet taste of Fall 🎃

Ingredients to make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are incredibly light and fluffy, slightly sweet, and perfectly pumpkiny. They honestly just taste like a warm hug, so I hope you make them asap because they’re one of my favorite treats around this time of year!

• Pumpkin Puree – check the can to make sure the only ingredient listed is pumpkin 🎃
• Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg and the secret ingredient: Fresh Ginger!
• Cane Sugar and Light Brown Sugar
• Refined Coconut Oil – make sure it’s refined and not virgin so that it doesn’t impart a coconut flavor.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – this might seem strange but don’t worry, you can’t taste it once the muffins bake. It’s an important because it makes the muffins super fluffy! The acidity from the vinegar helps activate the baking soda and this serves as one of the egg replacers in this completely vegan muffin recipe 😊👩🏻‍🍳
• Vanilla extract
• Soy Milk – opt for an unsweetened soy milk
• Vegan Chocolate Chips (optional) – these are my favorite.

TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT VEGAN PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Don’t over mix! When mixing the wet ingredients you can (and should!) really go for it! Whisk until very light and fluffy because this will create a wonderfully light and fluffy texture in the finished product too. You’ll also want to mix the dry ingredients pretty thoroughly as well to ensure that the flour, baking powder, and spices are evenly distributed. BUT STOP THERE! Once you begin adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, you only want to mix to combine. Don’t spend a super long time beating the two together or you’ll end up with dense, doughy muffins. Just mix until fully incorporated and then get ’em in the oven! (This is true for most cakes and cookies by the way! 👩🏻‍🍳)

RECIPE FAQS

WHAT KIND OF PUMPKIN PUREE DO YOU NEED TO MAKE PUMPKIN MUFFINS?

I used canned pumpkin puree and always check to make sure that the only ingredient is pumpkin. None of the salt, sweeteners, or oils commonly found in the canned pumpkin pie filling which usually sits nearby on the same shelf and can make things confusing. Pure pumpkin, that’s all ya need!

WHY DO YOU NEED TWO KINDS OF SUGAR?

If you’re like me, you may read a recipe that calls for both white and brown sugar – like classic chocolate chip cookies for example – and wonder if it’s reeeallly necessary to add both. And after years of creating hard, pale, flavorless chocolate chip cookies because I didn’t think I needed to follow the recipe, I can say with certainty that there is a definite reason for the combo and it makes a world of difference!

Like a chocolate chip cookies, these muffins contain a little brown sugar which provides a depth of flavor that plain sugar alone can’t match. It also holds moisture differently than regular sugar, so a little of both ensures that these muffins have the right amount of sweetness and that the texture is on point.

Perhaps most importantly for vegan baking, is that brown sugar is a little acidic which means it will interact with the baking soda and create lift. This is also why there’s a touch of apple cider vinegar in the recipe too. The acid works with the leavening agent to replace the eggs that would normally be a muffin recipe. You don’t need them if you have these elements. Isn’t science cool? 🤓

TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT VEGAN PUMKIN MUFFINS

1. Measure properly! I know that sounds obvious, but it makes a world of difference. The coconut oil should be melted before it’s measured and the flour should be fluffed, then spooned into a measuring cup into a heaping dome shape, then leveled off with the back of a butter knife to achieve an accurate measurement. Too much or too little of either can result in flat, dense, dry, or grease baked goods.
2. Pre heat the oven before you start so that it’s actually the temperature you think it is. Believe it or not, a lot of ovens beep to signal that they’re preheated before they actually are. A simple way to know for sure is to get yourself one of these oven thermometers. They’re under $10 and make it easy to tell how hot the oven is…which in turn yields better baked goods that have baked properly at the right temperature 👩🏻‍🍳

How to Store Leftover Muffins

These keep well for a few days in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for about 5 days.

CAN YOU FREEZE LEFTOVER MUFFINS?

Yep! Just wrap tightly and store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve. I like to warm them in the microwave for a few seconds to bring back that fresh-from-the-oven feeling.

MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

• Vegan Pumpkin Bread
• Incredible Vegan Gingerbread Cake
• Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese
• Pumpkin and Potato Stew with Rosemary Biscuits
• Savory Pumpkin Tart