Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

This Vegan Pumpkin Muffins recipe is simply the best! Sweet, moist, gently spiced with heaps of cinnamon & finished with a touch of plum jam, these lovely vegan muffins are proper celebration of all things pumpkin!

I love autumn for many things, one of them being an abundance of many different types of pumpkins and squashes which I've always loved both cooking and baking with!

My recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with a touch of plum jam utilises my Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree but you can use tinned, shop bought variety as well.

I was over the moon with how these pumpkin muffins turned out, moist, light, sweet (but not overly so). Cinnamon, pumpkin and a touch of plum jam make wonderful flavour combination. 

The Best Vegan Pumpkin Muffins!

That's quite a bold statement isn't it? Well, that's the verdict given by my boys who have been my harshest critics from the moment they went onto eating solid foods! They do keep me on my toes indeed!

Pumpkin or Plum Jam Muffins?

Pumpkin season coincides with plum season and as the two go so well together I thought it would be great to incorporate them both into these muffins.

You might have already tried my Pumpkin Steamed Sponge Pudding which is another autumnal dessert where both pumpkin and plums come together and the result is super scrumptious!

Few helpful tips for baking Vegan Pumpkin Muffins!

1. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature which includes pumpkin puree, jam and even yogurt. If you are planning on making these, simply take all the ingredients you keep in the fridge out couple of hours before the baking session.
2. Pumpkin puree you use for this recipe should be nice and dry! My guide on how to make your homemade pumpkin puree should help you here. If you're worried your homemade puree might be too wet, simply use shop bought tinned pumpkin puree* (not pie filling) which is perfect for baked goods!
3. Make sure you don't overmix the batter! It is really important for you to mix dry and wet ingredients together gently without incorporating too much air into the batter which will result in the rapid raise but also a rapid fall of your muffins.
4. Don't worry about the lumps in the batter too much, as long as there are no visible signs of flour anymore you're good to go.
5. Once your muffin batter is ready, don't hang around but get these pumpkin muffins in the oven straight away. The raising agents start doing their job straight away and you want to take advantage of that and get a lovely rise on your muffins.

Can I adapt these muffins to make them healthier?

Yes of course and one of the easiest way is to play around with the flours you use.

I like to use half plain and half wholemeal flour in lots of my bakes. You could use half plain and half spelt flour for that extra fibre or even use wholemeal flour only but that will result in heavier and denser muffins. They will still be delicious but not as light so the choice is yours!

For gluten-free version of these muffins simply use your favourite gluten-free flour blend.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins - possible swaps and additions!

I love cinnamon which you can easily see in the amount I've used in this recipe. Feel free to substitute it with some mixed spice* or pumpkin spice* instead if you want!

Don't feel like you need to add plum jam to your pumpkin muffins. You can keep them plain, add some vegan chocolate chips*, nuts, raisins or any other dried fruits you like.

Alternatively, try my Plum Jam with Chocolate or your favourite vegan chocolate spread which would be perfect as a little surprise in the middle of the muffins. Simply fill muffin case half way up, spoon a small dollop of chocolate spread and cover with more muffin batter, then bake!

Another delicious alternative would be cinnamon sugar topping I've used for my Apple & Cinnamon Muffins, check it out. For a vegan version make sure to use your favourite vegan block butter in place of unsalted dairy butter.

Storing and freezing

Keep your muffins in airtight container on kitchen counter for up to 4 days.

Plain version without plum jam topping is freezer friendly for up to 3 months. I wouldn't recommend freezing them with plum jam on top.

How to make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins - Step-By-Step Instructions.

This recipe is so easy it doesn't really need detailed instructions but because I know how helpful you find them, I decided to add them anyway!

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
• Sieve the flour or flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon or mixed/pumpkin spice and salt into the large bowl. Alternatively, put all of the above mentioned ingredients in a bowl and whisk gently with balloon whisk until mixed and aerated.
• In a separate bowl mix together plant based yogurt, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, rapeseed oil and vanilla extract (if using) until well combined into a smooth mixture.

• Pour the wet mixture into the dry one and gently mix until combined. Do not over mix!
• Line muffin tin with paper cases and fill each three quarters full.
• Put a teaspoon of plum jam on top of the batter and press in ever so gently. It will create a lovely glaze on top of your muffins as it bakes.
• Alternatively, fill your muffin cases only half way, spoon small amount of plum jam on top and cover up with some more muffin batter for that lovely jammy surprise in the middle.
• Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
• Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Have you tried my Vegan Pumpkin Muffins?

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More delicious pumpkin recipes you might want to try!

Crunchy Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Banana Bread (Vegan)

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin & Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Spiced Pumpkin Soup Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

This Vegan Pumpkin Muffins recipe is simply the best! Sweet, moist, gently spiced with heaps of cinnamon & finished with a touch of plum jam, these lovely vegan muffins are proper celebration of all things pumpkin!

Course Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Muffins, Snack

Cuisine American, British, International

Keyword vegan pumpkin muffins

Equipment

• Large Glass Bowl*
• Whisk*
• Silicone Muffin Tins*

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 214kcal

Author Jo Allison

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

• 250 g plain flour or mixture of flours of your choice (see notes)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoon cinnamon can be substituted with mixed spice or pumpkin spice
• pinch of salt
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 100 ml rapeseed or light olive oil
• 225 g pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• 130 g plain plant based yogurt I like Plain Alpro Soya yogurt
• plum jam or conserve optional (see notes)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
• Sieve the flour or flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon or mixed/pumpkin spice and salt into the large bowl. Alternatively, put all of the above mentioned ingredients in a bowl and whisk gently with balloon whisk until mixed and aerated.
• In a separate bowl mix together plant based yogurt, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, rapeseed oil and vanilla extract (if using) until well combined into a smooth mixture.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry one and gently mix until combined. Do not over mix!
• Line muffin tin with paper cases and fill each three quarters full.
• Put a teaspoon of plum jam on top of the batter and press in ever so gently. It will create a lovely glaze on top of your muffins as it bakes. Alternatively, fill your muffin cases only half way, spoon small amount of plum jam on top and cover up with some more muffin batter for that lovely jammy surprise in the middle. - For more filling/topping alternatives see post above.
• Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
• Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Notes

• Nutritional information is approximate, per muffin and should be treated as a guideline only. 
• To make these healthier, try swapping half of the flour for wholemeal variety like spelt. I suggest using half and half plain and wholemeal to keep your muffins light. Feel free to use your favourite gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free version of these muffins. 
• See post above for alternatives to plum jam when it comes to filling or topping for your vegan pumpkin muffins. 
• Store your muffins in the airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 4 days.
• Plain version of the muffins is freezer friendly but I wouldn't recommend freezing them with plum jam on top. 

Tips: 

1. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. 
2. Pumpkin puree you use for this recipe should be nice and dry! My guide on how to make your homemade pumpkin puree should help you here. If you’re worried your homemade puree might be too wet simply use shop bought tinned pumpkin puree which is perfect for baked goods!
3. Make sure you don’t overmix the batter! 
4. Don’t worry about the lumps in the batter too much, as long as there are no visible signs of flour anymore you’re good to go and there is no need to mix anymore.
5. Once your muffin batter is ready, don’t hang around but get these pumpkin muffins in the oven straight away. The raising agents start doing their job straight away and you want to take advantage of that and get a lovely rise on your muffins.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Amount Per Serving

Calories 214 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 60mg3%

Potassium 162mg5%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 2918IU58%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 75mg8%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2017 and republished in October 2020 with updated recipe card, new process photos, tips, substitutions and better layout improving user experience. Recipe itself has been updated to include plant based ingredients only.

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