Seriously the best vegan pumpkin muffins I’ve ever tasted! Perfectly spiced, soft and moist. Best of all you only need 1 bowl and 30 minutes to make them!

stack of two muffins that are orange, white background

Vegan pumpkin muffins are perfect for fall but I could seriously eat them all year long. They are perhaps the most fluffy, moist and flavorful muffins that ever existed.

Pumpkin puree gives them that beautiful orange hue and incredible flavor, especially alongside warming autumn spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Pumpkin is also what makes these muffins SO moist and irresistible.

I love to keep a few in my freezer at all times, if I can stop myself from eating the whole batch fresh! Along with my popular Vegan Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Coffee Cake, these muffins are one of my favorite fall treats.

lots of vegan pumpkin muffins on top of each other, white background

Ingredients you need (with substitutions)

  • Canned pumpkin puree – I’ve never made them with fresh pumpkin, but it should work just fine. Use quality canned pumpkin for the best results.
  • Melted vegan butter or oil – You only need 1/3 cup for the whole batch. I prefer the taste melted vegan butter adds, but a neutral oil works as well, such as avocado, vegetable or melted coconut oil. For oil free, substitute applesauce or non-dairy yogurt.
  • Non-dairy milk – I usually use soy, but sometimes I will use almond, cashew or even oat milk. Use your favorite.
  • Brown sugar – To make the muffins extra rich tasting. Feel free to use less for a less sweet muffin, or substitute coconut sugar instead.
  • All purpose flour – If you need gluten free vegan muffins, use a quality gluten free mix. Almond flour will NOT work here though.
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves – If you have it, substitute 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix instead.
  • Add ins – Sometimes I stir in some vegan chocolate chips, chopped nuts or dried fruit. But most of the time I like to keep them purely pumpkin.

How to make pumpkin muffins

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Prepare the muffin pan with paper liners. Spray the inside of the liners with non-stick spray. I always do this for muffins so they don’t get stuck.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, melted vegan butter or oil, milk and brown sugar.

bowl of ingredients to make muffins

Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. I use a fine mesh strainer for this. You can skip the sifting, but you may find little chunks of flour in your muffins. Not the end of the world really, but I prefer sifting here.

Stir until just combined, but do not over mix the batter or your muffins will be dense and rubbery. Stir in any optional ad ins, if using.

Fill the liners all the way to the top for nice big muffins. You should get 12 good sized muffins.

adding dry ingredients to wet in a bowl for muffins

Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with no wet batter.

It’s best to let the muffins cool for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. The flavors mingle together and settle, and the texture gets better as they sit.

cooked muffins in a pan with liners

How to store leftover muffins

Leftover pumpkin muffins will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days, or a week in the refrigerator. Cover them or keep in a container so they don’t dry out too fast.

You can also freeze them. Freeze in a large container or ziplock type freezer safe bag.

I love to warm them up in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or even pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes until warm. YUM!

lots of pumpkin muffins together

Tips

  • Add frosting! These muffins are totally sweet enough to pass as cupcakes if you swirl some Vegan Vanilla Frosting on top.
  • Don’t accidentally use pumpkin pie mix! You have to use pumpkin puree, which is just plain old canned pumpkin.
  • Do not over mix the batter. This is almost always the reason your muffins turn out dense and rubbery. Mix gently until just combined, and carefully fold in any optional ad ins.
  • Do not over bake. This is the second reason for dry, dense muffins! Only bake them until a toothpick comes out clean.

Can I turn these muffins into pumpkin bread?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well. I tried it when testing my Vegan Pumpkin Bread and it wasn’t good. My advice? Go make that bread instead!

You can, however make mini pumpkin muffins! Bake for only 15-18 minutes.

cut muffin showing texture inside

Want more pumpkin recipes?

And check out all my Vegan Fall Recipes!

square image of muffin on top of another orange muffin

1 Bowl Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Author: Nora Taylor
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Seriously the best vegan pumpkin muffins I’ve ever tasted! Perfectly spiced, soft and moist. Best of all you only need 1 bowl and 30 minutes to make them!
4.93 stars (85 ratings)
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Ingredients 

  • 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup melted vegan butter OR vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup soy or almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Optional ad ins:

  • 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries or chopped walnuts
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a muffin pan. If you use paper liners, also make sure to spray the cups lightly with oil so the muffins don’t get stuck to the paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, melted vegan butter (or oil), non-dairy milk and brown sugar. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and spices over the wet mixture (I use a fine mesh strainer for this or use a sifter).
  • Mix the dry ingredients into the wet gently using a large wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
  • Fold in any optional ingredients, if using, and fill the muffin cups full. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. For oil free, replace the butter/oil with applesauce or non-dairy yogurt. They won’t be quite the same though.
  2. If you want less sweet muffins, you may lower the brown sugar amount to 3/4 cup. Or feel free to substitute coconut sugar if desired.
  3. For gluten free, use a quality gluten free flour mix.
  4. If you have pumpkin pie spice mix, you may use 3 teaspoons of it and omit the single spices. Either way works!
  5. These muffins freeze well, simply let them cool completely and place in a freezer bag.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 72mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 5515IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2mg

This recipe was originally published in August 2018 and has since been republished with improved photos and writing.

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