These gluten-free pumpkin muffins are perfectly spiced with a fluffy and moist texture that the whole family loves. Topped with a crunchy streusel, these muffins are irresistible on a cool fall morning!
I've tested this recipe countless times to get the balance of spices and the texture just right. The streusel topping was a last minute addition—but a great one, taking these muffins from basic to addicting, even for my non-gluten-free friends.
Notes from the Kitchen
Before you run to the kitchen and start baking, here are a few things you should know about these muffins:
- Texture: The crunchy streusel topping complements the fluffy and moist muffins perfectly!
- Bakery-style: These muffins are baked at two temperatures to make them rise as much as possible for those domed muffin tops you get in bakeries.
- Simple ingredients: No complicated ingredients you can’t pronounce—just standard pantry/kitchen ingredients.
- Versatile: You can make these muffins dairy-free, with or without the streusel topping, and you can even add mix-ins!
Ingredients & Notes
You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes on a few key ingredients you’ll need for this gluten-free pumpkin muffin recipe:
Gluten-free flour blend - I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Any gluten-free “measure for measure” or “1-to-1” blend that includes xanthan gum would work.
Cornstarch - Adding cornstarch helps take your gluten-free muffins from a little chewy to moist and fluffy. It may be unnecessary depending on your choice of gluten-free flour blend, as some blends have a higher ratio of starch.
Spices - I use a combination of ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice—both from Simply Organic. I like using this combination over just using pumpkin pie spice, which can feel a little heavy on the ginger and cloves.
Pumpkin purée - Make sure your can says pure pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling already includes sugar and spices, and won’t work in this recipe.
Sugar - This recipe uses a combination of granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. A combination is needed for both the texture and flavor of these muffins. You can swap out the granulated sugar for cane sugar if you want, and light brown sugar for dark brown sugar.
Milk & Greek yogurt - While most pumpkin muffins recipes rely on the oil and pumpkin purée for the moisture, I like adding a little bit of milk and plain Greek yogurt to maximize the fluffiness while maintaining the moisture. The acidity of the yogurt works with the baking soda to help the muffins rise—you can use sour cream instead, or mayo if you’re dairy-free!
Butter - While the muffin batter uses oil, the streusel topping requires butter. Make sure your butter is nice and chilled so your streusel becomes nice and crunchy. If you only have salted butter, just omit the pinch of salt in the streusel ingredient list. You can also use vegan butter sticks to make these dairy-free.
Pumpkin seeds - Adds an extra nutty flavor and crunch to the streusel topping. Use raw pumpkin seeds, as they’ll bake in the oven. You can also use chopped pecans!
How to Make the Muffins
This recipe is so easy to make! Just get your bowls, whisk, silicone spatula, and muffin tin ready and follow these steps:
Make the batter: Start by mixing together the dry ingredients. This helps to make sure that the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices are evenly dispersed in the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sugars, milk, yogurt, vanilla, and pumpkin purée until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms. Run your spatula along the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the batter is thoroughly mixed and you have no pockets of dry flour—this can cause uneven baking!
Don't skip this step:
Let your batter rest for 20 minutes before you portion them out into your muffin pan and bake it in the oven. This helps to prevent that stereotypical gritty texture that many gluten-free baked goods have!
While the batter rests, you can preheat the oven, line your muffin pan with paper liners, and prepare the streusel topping.
Make the streusel: Add your gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter to a small bowl, and use your fingers to pinch and work the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture looks crumbly. If the mixture feels warm or greasy, put the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to keep it chilled—this is key for a crunchy streusel. Finally, add the pumpkin seeds and mix.
Bake: Once the batter has rested and the oven is preheated, portion out the muffin batter evenly into the muffin pan. Top each one with equal amounts of the prepared streusel.
Bake for 7 minutes at 410°F (210°C), and then without opening the oven door, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 16-18 minutes. Baking the muffins using the two-temperature method helps the muffins rise high and creates beautifully domed tops!
You'll know when the muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a couple crumbs.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before taking them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 1¾ cup gluten-free 1-to-1 flour a blend that includes xanthan gum
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup oil neutral flavor oil like avocado oil or light olive oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1½ cups pure pumpkin purée
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt sour cream or mayo also work
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup gluten-free 1-to-1 flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed and chilled
- pinch fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
Instructions
Muffin Batter
- In a medium bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Take a silicone spatula and run it along the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure you have no pockets of dry flour. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes.
- While the batter rests, preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C) and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
Streusel
- In a bowl, add the gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, salt, and cold butter. Use your fingertips to pinch and work the butter into the flour and sugar. Add the pepitas and mix.
Baking
- Evenly portion out the muffin batter in the muffin pan, and top them with equal amounts of streusel (about a heaped teaspoon per muffin). Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 7 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) without opening the oven door, and bake for an additional 16-18 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a couple of crumbs on it. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then move them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Storage Instructions
Storing: Keep the muffins in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you want to store them any longer than that, I recommend freezing them.
Freezing: Tightly wrap each muffin with plastic wrap and place the muffins in a freezer bag. Keep them frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheat: In a pinch, you can warm up your muffin in the microwave in 15-second increments until warm. If you’re not in a rush, or you want to reheat a bunch at once, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C), take the plastic off the muffin, wrap it in foil to prevent it from drying out, and warm it in the oven for 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you need to use a gluten-free measure for measure flour blend that uses xanthan gum for this recipe. Swapping out the entire amount flour for almond flour will cause the texture to be off. You can, however, substitute ¼ cup of the flour for equal amounts of super fine almond flour.
Yes, you can use melted butter for the oil. Just be sure to use unsalted butter, or cut the amount of salt in half if you're using salted butter. Please note that butter solidifies in cool temperature unlike oil which stays liquid, so if your home stays cool, your muffins may harden a little as they sit.
This recipe is already nut-free, unless you're using dairy-free milk and vegan butter that's contains nuts.
I haven't tried making these egg-free. The eggs are crucial for both moisture and the structure of these muffins, so I wouldn't recommend substituting them. You can try using an egg-replacer or flax eggs, but I can't make any promises that it'll work!
Yes, you can make the streusel, put it in an airtight container, and keep it in the freezer until you're ready to use it.
The streusel will unfortunately soften as it sits, so I would recommend reheating them in the oven to re-crisp up the streusel topping.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you love this recipe, here are more pumpkin desserts and snacks for you to try:
This gluten free pumpkin bread is one of my favorite snacks to have in the freezer during the fall! They're similar to these muffins, but in loaf cake form.
These cakey pumpkin bars are moist and topped with a silky cream cheese frosting.
If you need a dessert for a fall get together, look no further than this dairy-free pumpkin pie. The creamy and rich pumpkin filling is to die for! I make this vegan pumpkin pie for my vegan friends, and they love it!
If you love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, try these pumpkin blondies or these pumpkin cheesecake brownies.
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