Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

These yummy pumpkin muffins are loaded with healthy ingredients like fresh pumpkin puree, oat flour, and flaked almonds. They’re naturally vegan and gluten-free. And this one bowl recipe only takes 30 minutes to make!

I’m obsessed with putting pumpkin in everything in the Fall, but especially muffins and cupcakes. So it should be no surprise to see these pumpkin muffins hit the blog!

These muffins are ridiculously easy. You need just one bowl, a muffin tray and an oven to make them. And even better yet – they’re the healthiest pumpkin muffins you’ll ever find too!

These healthy pumpkin muffins are:

• Vegan.
• Gluten-Free.
• Refined sugar free.
• Packed with fiber and other nutrients.
• Healthy!
• And totally delicious.

As a chocolate lover, I added dark chocolate chips to mine. But I’ve also tried them with blueberries, which made a great addition.

The almonds add a nice crunch, while the peanut butter gives them a great creamy texture.

Making the Muffins (Step by Step)

It really is unbelievably easy. Firstly, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F and lightly grease a muffin tray. If you want to keep this recipe completely oil-free and still prevent sticking, you can use muffin cases instead.

Add the dry ingredients (gluten-free oat flour, gluten-free self-raising flour, baking soda, cinnamon and coconut sugar) to a large mixing bowl. Mix together well.

Now add plant based milk, apple cider vinegar, pumpkin purée, flax eggs, peanut butter and apple purée. Mix together once again, then finally mix in the dairy-free chocolate chips and flaked almonds.

Divide the batter evenly across the muffin tray, filling the divisions almost all the way to the top (or around ¾, if using muffin cases).

Bake in the preheated oven for around 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the centre. Allow to cool for around 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tray and serving.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

You can, of course, use canned pumpkin for this recipe. But in an effort to keep things as healthy and natural as possible, I do like to make my own. Simply peel and chop a sweet pumpkin variety, spread across a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until soft and golden brown.

You can then mash the pumpkin with a potato masher, or add it to a blender or food processor to make pumpkin purée.

Storing and Freezing

You can keep these pumpkin muffins in the fridge, covered or in an airtight container, for 5-6 days.

They are also freezer-friendly. Store them in a freezer-friendly container for up to around 2 months, leaving to thaw fully in the fridge or on the counter before serving.

Tips & Substitutions

If you are not using self-raising flour, add ½ tsp more baking soda.

The peanut butter can be replaced with any other nut or seed butter of your choice. Alternatively, you can take it out and replace with an equal amount of apple sauce.

Feel free to replace the flaked almonds with any other nuts or seeds of your choice. For instance, I love adding pecans and/or pumpkin seeds to muffins.

Fresh berries also make a great addition.

Do not overmix the batter because if you do, the texture won’t be as fluffy.

Make sure not to leave them in the oven for too long as they can burn quite easily. It’s best to stick more to the 18-minute mark, as they do firm up a bit more while cooling.

More Recipes to Try

If you love these healthy pumpkin muffins, be sure to try these other delicious treats.