Classic Vegan Pumpkin Muffins! Soft, fluffy, full of fall flavors like pumpkin and pumpkin spice, and made even better with nubbly delicious, nutty streusel and a generous drizzle of maple glaze. The perfect fall treat!
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"Just made another batch of the World's Best Pumpkin Muffins (vegan or not!) and the kitchen smells amazing and the muffins look wonderful. I make these all year long as they are our favourite muffins and actually they are the only pumpkin 'thing' I make."
- Maureen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Back-to-back vegan pumpkin recipes? Yep. And you know what? I'm not sorry. Fall is my favourite season and if like me you feel like celebrating the beauty of the changing seasons and all things pumpkin spice, then these amazingly delicious Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are here for you.
They make a lovely, more decadent alternative to my vegan pumpkin bread with their irresistible vegan streusel topping and drizzly maple glaze! Inspired by my vegan lemon muffins and just as delicious, my vegan pumpkin muffins will be just perfect with your cozy cup of morning coffee or if you're really feeling it, a pumpkin spice latte.
Prefer a single-serve super quick pumpkin treat? Try my Caramel Pumpkin Mug Cake, and if you're after a decadent cake my Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting is a must!
Mel x
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Ingredients
Here's what we'll be needing to make this vegan pumpkin muffin recipe:
For the muffins:
And a few ingredient notes:
- Pumpkin purée - You won't need the entire can. Use the remainder to make one of my other delicious vegan pumpkin recipes.
- Flour - You can use all-purpose flour, spelt flour or white whole wheat flour in this recipe.
- Sugar - You can use any sugar you like in this recipe. White, cane, light brown, dark brown or coconut. Just don’t replace the sugar with a liquid sweetener.
- Non-dairy milk - To bring everything together. Any such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk or cashew milk is fine.
- Ground flaxseed - Really important in this recipe! When using a lot of pumpkin puree in baking, especially when eggs aren't being used, the texture can suffer, ending up damp or a little gummy. Flax absorbs the moisture, improving the texture and rise of these muffins.
For the streusel:
See my stand alone vegan streusel recipe post for more detailed information on this crumbly topping, and for some other ways you can use it in your recipes.
Muffin Pan Tip
I highly recommend using USA Pan muffin pans. They are such great quality and never stick. No liners required.
Let's Make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins!
These vegan pumpkin spice muffins are really easy to make. Here's how:
1 - Mix the streusel ingredients together in a small bowl using a fork then refrigerate.
2 - Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
3 - Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl.
4 - Mix the wet mixture with the dry mixture to make a thick batter.
5 - Fill the muffin wells right to the top with batter.
6 - Sprinkle over the streusel then bake.
7 - Bake, cool then drizzle with maple glaze once cool.
My Success Tip For Perfect Muffins
Fill the muffin wells right up to the top and give them an initial, very hot blast in the oven. This creates steam that will raise those muffin tops right up from the inside out. Then you need to turn them down after 5 minutes so that the insides cook through more gently. And don't worry, the batter won't overflow because of the initial high temperature.
Variations
I haven't added any mix-ins to these muffins because they are incredibly delicious without any. Feel free to add some in if you want to though. Chocolate chips or chopped nuts would be great! you could even top them with vegan cream cheese frosting instead of the streusel!
Recipe FAQS
I haven't tested the recipe gluten-free but a good gluten-free flour blend like Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 baking flour should work just fine.
Any squash puree will work in this recipe as will sweet potato puree.
Omit the streusel and use cashew butter instead of oil in the muffin batter. Use the same quantity and blend it up into the milk before proceeding with the recipe. You will need to add an extra 2 tablespoons of milk. Cashew butter has a neutral buttery flavor and will provide the necessary fat to create a nice spongy, good textured muffin.
Use this combo instead:
1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
slightly rounded ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
slightly rounded ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
For the streusel
- ¼ cup (54 grams) melted vegan butter , it must be melted then cooled to room temp before you use it.
- ⅓ cup (64 grams) light or dark brown sugar , or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) white or cane sugar
- ⅔ cup (84 grams) all purpose flour , plain flour in the UK
- OPTIONAL ½ cup (75 grams) chopped pecans or walnuts
For the muffins
- 1½ cups (338 grams) pumpkin puree , not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup (200 grams) white or cane sugar
- ½ cup (120 mls) plant milk , unsweetened & unflavored
- ½ cup (120 mls) liquid oil , such as light olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour , plain flour in the UK (spelt or white wholewheat are ok too)
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda , bicarbonate of soda in the UK
- 2½ tablespoons ground flaxseed , it must be ground not whole
- 2½ teaspoons pumpkin spice , see recipe notes for alternative
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt , not table salt
For the optional maple drizzle
- 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup , real maple syrup not pancake syrup
- 2 to 3 tablespoons plant milk , unsweetened & unflavored
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218 °C) with a shelf ready in the middle and grease or line a 12 hole muffin pan. The temperature is not a mistake. We want the oven that high.
For the streusel
- First make the streusel - To a medium bowl add the cooled melted butter, brown sugar and white/cane sugar. Stir to combine. Add the flour (and optional chopped pecans) to the butter mixture and using a fork (do not use a spoon or spatula), gently toss everything together to form a mix of sandy, small, medium and large clumps, making sure to incorporate all of the dry flour. Put it in the fridge while you make the muffin batter.
For the muffins
- To a medium bowl, add the pumpkin puree, sugar, milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir well to combine
- To a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground flax, pumpkin spice and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently fold together until you can't see any dry flour. Do not over-mix. Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together it is important to work as fast as you can. The quicker you are the more the muffins will rise in the oven.
- Fill the muffin wells right to the top with the batter. You should get 11 or 12 muffins depending on your pan. Don't worry, they won't overflow because of my high temperature trick ;O)
- Remove the streusel from the fridge and sprinkle a really generous amount over the top of each muffin. Press it in just a little with your fingers then get the muffins straight in the oven. Don't leave them hanging around.
- Bake for 5 mins then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175 °C) WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR and bake for another 16 to 17 minutes or until the muffins look golden, well risen and a skewer, sharp knife or toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean
- Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes in the pan before gently transferring to a wire rack.
For the glaze
- Once the muffins are cool, put the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup a small drop at a time, mixing well as you go to work out lumps, then slowly add very small drops of milk until a very thick, but drizzle-able glaze is formed. You will not need nearly as much milk as you think you will. The amount is very, very small. No more than a couple of tablespoons. That's why it's important to add it very gradually. If you do accidentally add a little too much juice, add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar to thicken it up again.
- Using a teaspoon, drizzle the glaze all over the top of the muffins allowing some to drip down the sides. The more rustic the better!
NOTES
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- slightly rounded ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- slightly rounded ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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Donna Ross says
I am going to make these and would like to know if I can substitute applesauce for the oil.
Thank You
Melanie McDonald says
I've never tried it but with a recipe like this that already has pumpkin puree I think it would probably add too much moisture and you'd end up with a damp or gummy crumb.
I do give an oil-free alternative in the FAQs. My go-to is cashew butter because it provides the fat necessary for a great texture without adding extra moisture. I recommend using the same amount and blending it into the milk before you begin.
Hope that helps!
Brooke DeRosa says
My kiddos loved these! Delish and super moist!
Courtney R says
These are absolutely delicious! I made them to have for a quick breakfast and they're perfect. I had some vegan egg nog that I loved the flavor of but it was a little thin so I used that as the milk and it worked great. Otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. Super yummy.
Danielle says
Hi Melanie ! First I want to say I love your recipes and have made MANY of them for so many gatherings and every time, my friends and family are beyond impressed vegans and non vegans alike. So thank you. But! I’m commenting because I’m just now about to make these muffins for tomorrow for a Friendsgiving I am hosting, but I’m not sure I have an airtight container to keep them in until the morning.. would a regular Tupperware do? I really don’t want them to be hard or ruined! Thank you so much 🧡
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Danielle! Yes a tupperware will be fine. Put some paper towels (or clean dish towels) above and below them to absorb any moisture. Enjoy!
Maureen Cram says
I just made another batch of the World's Best Pumpkin Muffins (vegan or not!) and the kitchen smells amazing and the muffins look wonderful. I make these all year long as they are our favourite muffins and actually they are the only pumpkin 'thing' I make.
I even take a can or two of pumpkin puree with me when we go back to South Africa as my son also loves the muffins :).
Melanie McDonald says
Aw I love that Maureen! Thank you!
Allison says
These are delicious! They did not overflow in the oven, and came out beautifully domed. I added some oats to the streusel for added texture. I didn’t add the glaze but definitely could, if you want some extra sweetness. Will definitely make again!
Cindy says
I just made these! Oh my goodness, they are moist, flavorful and scrumptious! If these are any indication of the quality of your recipes, I decided to put a shortcut to your site for future recipes!!! Thank you for all your hard work!!!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Cindy, I'm so pleased you're enjoying them!
Alecsandra says
I haven't expected to be sooooo good and they came out exactly like in your photos. First I was reluctant to adding the frosting, but is a such big plus on the taste. Just a note for others: for oil - I used canola oil, for milk - I used oat milk. For streusel - coconut sugar and only sweeteners, for the rest of sugar.
These muffins are simple THE GREATEST!
Thank you for sharing the recipe and for the details!
Coby says
I love all things pumpkin, and these muffins are absolutely delicious! I loved how soft and fluffy they were. I skipped the maple glaze just to decrease the overall amount of sugar. These are definitely one of my favorite pumpkin muffins!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed them, Coby!
Renee Kapowai says
The BEST pumpkin muffin recipe. I thought the frosting part would take over the top too sweet, but nope, made them even better. Non vegan son ate most of them, which warmed my heart. Thanks for sharing the recipe and tips to make them.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you are enjoying them Renee and thanks for leaving a review. It's much appreciated!
Kari says
My husband is vegan, but my son and I are not. Honestly, my son and I ate more of them than my husband! They were extremely easy to make and absolutely delicious. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Melanie McDonald says
That's awesome! I'm so pleased you're all enjoying them!
Jill Moore says
Could I use less sugar? Does anyone have any suggestions?
Melanie McDonald says
Sugar isn't just for sweetness in baking. It also provides structure, so reducing it will affect the texture and rise of the muffins. You can often get away with reducing it by up to a third without it making a huge difference, but I haven't tried it with this recipe so can't guarantee how they'll turn out. Hope that helps!
DiegoGal says
Pumpkin desserts are okay. I'll eat them, but I don't seek them out, and I wouldn't choose them over chocolate. Every year at this time though, as my inbox fills with pumpkin recipes, I fall for one, just one, and decide to make it. This year, this is the pumpkin recipe that sucked me in. And OH MY GOODNESS. The muffin part is so soft, so fluffy, so delicious. And then there's the streusel that really brings it all together. My husband and I (mostly me) devoured 6 of these in 3 days. I will be making two pumpkin desserts this year, but both will be this recipe. It's AWESOME.
Melanie McDonald says
I love this! I am so pleased that my pumpkin muffins recipe was the one to suck you in and that you enjoyed them so much. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Joanie Lewis says
Hi Mel - Another delicious muffin! Your recipes are always spot on and loved by everyone. Thanks for offering such a wide selection of vegan deliciousness!