I am very excited to post these gluten free pumpkin muffins today. They are actually the product of having too much pumpkin puree on my hands after writing this post. They’re also basically the sibling of my gluten free banana and carrot muffins.
But onto the muffins themselves. They are starch based flour free, using a mix of white rice flour and buckwheat flour. They contain no nuts, xanthan gum or any binders, which means they are also egg free. The muffins are lightly sweetened with brown sugar, making them a wholesome treat option. The best part? They can be made with regular yoghurt or coconut yoghurt. This is the only switch necessary to make gluten free vegan pumpkins.
Gluten free pumpkin muffins (egg free)
These muffins are incredibly easy to make and stay moist for days. They would make a great lunchbox muffin given that they contain no nuts and only a conservative amount of sugar. You can’t taste the buckwheat flour in these muffins, but it gives them great elasticity and texture.
Another thing? They’re low FODMAP, fructose free and low lactose (or lactose free). The perfect little snack or treat for the digestively challenged.
Honestly, they’re one of my favourite things I have made in a while and I’m excited to share them with you.
Can I use canned pumpkin puree for these muffins?
I’m based in Australia, where canned pumpkin puree is not widely accessible. As such, I make my own pumpkin puree (my method is here). In testing another recipe, I found homemade pumpkin puree (made with Kent/Japanese/Kabocha pumpkin) to be much sweeter than Libbys brand canned pumpkin. It was also a brighter orange colour and had a more well rounded flavour (to me! Sorry!)
With that said, I don’t see why you couldn’t use canned pumpkin here. I would suggest perhaps adding a little less milk and a little more brown sugar to compensate for the difference in sweetness. You could also top the muffins with finishing sugar to give them that extra burst of sweetness.
Another thing to keep in mind is the FODMAP content. If you use canned pumpkin, the FODMAP threshold is much lower than if you use Kent/Japanese/Kabocha puree. 75g is a low FODMAP serve of canned pumpkin, but Kent/Japanese/Kabocha are low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g.
Can I make gluten free vegan pumpkin muffins?
Yes! As we have discussed, these muffins are very easily made vegan. Simply use a nice thick plain coconut yoghurt and a plant based milk (or water).
Substitution options for your gluten free pumpkin muffins
First off: I have no substitution suggestions for the flours. This recipe has been designed specifically to cater to the absorbency of these flours and I have not tested anything else.
If you want to use canned pumpkin, have a read of the section above.
As with canned pumpkin puree, Australia doesn’t really have pumpkin spice. I use cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in this recipe for a quick pumpkin spice adjacent flavour. If you’d prefer to use store bought pumpkin spice, go for it. I haven’t actually tried it, so I can’t suggest how much to add.
I have tested these gluten free pumpkin muffins with thick, full fat lactose free Greek yoghurt and coconut yoghurt. Whatever you use, ensure it is nice and thick. Some brands of lactose free yoghurt are watery and thin and will impact the end result. Yoghurt that is too liquidy might make for soggy muffins.
Any neutral flavoured oil works here. I used vegetable as it’s cheap and accessible, but olive would also work.
You can use plant based milk, regular milk or water in these muffins.
FODMAP notes for your pumpkin muffins
There are a few things to note when it comes to these muffins in terms of FODMAPs.
Firstly, the canned pumpkin option. If you use canned pumpkin, the FODMAP threshold is much lower than if you use Kent/Japanese/Kabocha puree. 75g is a low FODMAP serve of canned pumpkin. In serves of 120g of more, canned pumpkin is moderate in both GOS and fructans. The app doesn’t mention which brand they tested.
Monash has recently (as of November 2024) updated their entry for Japanese/Kent pumpkin. It is low FODMAP in serves of 75g and up to 161g. In serves of 162g or more, it contains moderate amounts of fructans. It was previously 500g per person.
Secondly, the yoghurt. If you are making these muffins with a regular cow yoghurt, keep lactose in mind. If you malabsorb lactose, use a lactose free option. I use Jalna lactose free Greek yoghurt. It is lovely and thick.
Finally, the milk. Again, choose a lactose free dairy milk if you have issues with lactose.
Low FODMAP milk options
- Lactose free full cream milk is low FODMAP and Monash does not list an upper limit
- Lactose free light milk is low FODMAP and Monash does not list an upper limit
- Almond milk is low FODMAP in 240g serves
- Oat milk (British) is low FODMAP in 140g (1/2 cup) serves. Oat milk is not considered gluten free in Australia, so choose another option if you are catering to a coeliac.
- Oat milk outside of Britain (Monash doesn’t specify where or what brand) is low FODMAP in 104g or 6 tablespoon serves. I have more information on oat milk in this post. Oat milk is not considered gluten free in Australia, so choose another option if you are catering to a coeliac.
- Hemp milk (British) is low FODMAP in 120g (1/2 cup) serves
- Rice milk is low FODMAP and Monash does not list an upper limit
- Macadamia milk is low FODMAP in 240g (1 cup) serves. Monash does not list an upper limit
- Soy milk made from soy protein (as opposed to whole beans) is low FODMAP in 257g serves (1 cup).
- Regular canned coconut milk is low FODMAP in 60g serves. It becomes moderate for sorbitol in 120g serves.
- Light canned coconut milk is low FODMAP in 60g serves. Monash says it remains low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g
More gluten free pumpkin recipes
- Vegan, gluten free spiced pumpkin mug cake
- Gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls without yeast (use the optional pumpkin puree addition)
- Gluten free spiced pumpkin loaf
- Low FODMAP pumpkin soup
- Low FODMAP pumpkin sage risotto
Gluten free pumpkin muffins (egg free, vegan option)
Equipment
- 80ml (1/3 cup) capacity 9-12 hole muffin tray
Ingredients
- 160 g (1 cup)* fine white rice flour
- 60 g (1/2 cup)* buckwheat flour
- 4.5 g (heaped 1/2 teaspoon) baking/bicarb soda (not baking powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of fine salt
- 300 g pumpkin puree see notes
- 150 g thick plain yoghurt (I have tested Lactose free Greek yoghurt and coconut yoghurt)
- 100 g light brown sugar or rapadura sugar
- 80 ml (1/3 cup)* neutral flavoured oil (I used vegetable oil)
- 125 ml (1/2 cup)* milk of choice or water
Optional:
- 75-100g dark chocolate chips (reserving some for the tops)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F. Line 9 holes of your muffin tin with muffin liners or grease them well.
- Whisk to combine the flours, baking soda, spices and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Add the pumpkin puree, yoghurt, sugar, oil and milk to the bowl and whisk until combined. It should be a loose yoghurt consistency and fall off the whisk in thick ribbons.
- If you are using choc chips or any mix ins, add them there. Reserve a few for topping the muffins just prior to baking.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin liners, right to the top. Once you’ve used all the batter, bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until domed and lightly golden. Allow them to cool a little before eating, and completely before storing in an airtight container. They keep well in an airtight container for a number of days.
Notes
- I’m based in Australia, where canned pumpkin puree is not widely accessible. As such, I make my own pumpkin puree (my method is here). In testing another recipe, I found homemade pumpkin puree (made with Kent/Japanese/Kabocha pumpkin) to be much sweeter than Libbys brand canned pumpkin. It was also a brighter orange colour and had a more well rounded flavour (to me! Sorry!). If you want to use canned pumpkin puree, I would suggest using a little less milk and a little extra brown sugar to compensate. You could also add finishing sugar to the tops of the muffins for extra sweetness.
- Baking soda, not baking powder, is critical here. It is stronger than baking powder, so muffins made with the wrong sort of powder will not rise nearly as much. It also interacts with the acidity in the yoghurt and brown sugar to rise.
These are just SO GOOD, thank you for such an amazo recipe. I made them this morn and have devoured 3 already. Light, fluffy, moist and delicious. Thanks again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Kate! 🙂