Gluten Free Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Taste delish like pumpkin pie, but quick, easy & convenient

GF vegan adaptation of The Best Pumpkin Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moscowitz. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, snacks or supper.

Isa says "Everybody loves these muffins (You think I throw around phrases like 'the best' for nothing?)" I've only made a gluten free version of the original best pumpkin muffins. It took me two tries to get it right, and along the way, the recipe changed substantially. But they are still 'the best'! Especially with cranberries and walnuts added.

Total prep & cook time: 45 min

12 Servings

Nutrition Data, 90g Serving (1 muffin): 233 cal, 71 cal. from fat, 39g carb, 8g fat, 5g Sat. Fat, 114mg sodium, 1g fiber, 2g protein, 21g sugars, low sodium. Estimated glycemic load 26

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose gf flour mix or gf flour of your choice
1 tsp xanthan gum (DO NOT add if your AP GF mix already contains xanthan gum)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup soy or almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut or safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp light molasses
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped frozen cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Spray 12 standard-size muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray, OR oil them, OR line the muffin cups with paper liners
In a large pitcher, mix the milk with vinegar and ground flax seed. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, measure out and whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Add coconut sugar, oil, vanilla, pumpkin and molasses to the milk mixture
Mix wet ingredients with a whisk or stick blender until creamy
Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. (don't overmix)
Fold in the optional cranberries and walnuts
Spoon the muffin batter evenly into the muffin cups (fill just to the top)
Bake muffins at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and firm to the touch
Cool in pan on a rack for fiften minutes, then transfer muffins to the rack to cool completely

Recipe Tips:

Sad to say, it's best if gf baking cools completely before eating because the crumb is delicate and needs a chance to 'set'.

Use fresh cranberries if you can get them. I made these muffins in the summer, and used cranberries that we froze at Thanksgiving, plus a lonely can of pumpkin I found in the cupboard.

Frozen cranberries can be thawed enough to make them easy to chop, but not all the way or they'll be mushy and bleed into the batter.

You don't need to grease muffins cups if using paper liners. We like the parchment paper liners we buy at our local natural food store.

There are several brands of all purpose gluten free flour mixes (e.g. Hodgson's Mill, Bob's Red Mill), which vary greatly in ingredients. If you've found one that works for your baking, use that. OR you could use the ap gf flour mix we adapted from the Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free by Ricki Heller.

Xanthan Gum is a magical ingredient in gf baking - it replaces gluten, and helps both rising and binding. Check to see if XG is an ingredient in your ap gf flour mix befor adding XG to the recipe. If you are against xanthan gum, add an extra Tbsp ground flax seed.