If you are looking for a solid recipe for gluten free pumpkin muffins that are easy to make (no mixer required + no measuring the pumpkin) AND delicious, you’re in the right place. These yummy pumpkin muffins, spiced with cinnamon and cloves and packed with the perfect amount of dark chocolate chips, are naturally dairy free, so they’re perfect for those of us with multiple dietary restrictions. (You might also like the gluten free pumpkin bread version.) Let’s dig in!
The STORY: Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Back before pumpkin had its own season and pumpkin spice latte went by an acronym, there was a time when I had not yet tasted a pumpkin muffin. Pumpkins were for carving, and possibly for pie (although I wasn’t a huge fan), definitely not for muffins. Putting chocolate into something made of pumpkin sounded like a terrible idea. Pumpkins were vegetables and chocolate was dessert. Pure and simple. That was that.
But then my friend Kim in college made a loaf of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips and I about died. The combination of flavors! It turns out that pumpkin (+ cinnamon) is the perfect foil for chocolate, especially dark chocolate! I’ve been hooked on pumpkin + chocolate ever since.
This recipe is my oldest son’s favorite, and I make it for him every holiday season (and he loves this gluten free version as much as he did the original recipe). Below I’ll share my favorite brands of ingredients so you can make these soft and moist gluten free dairy free muffins without fail. I know you’ll love them as much as we do!
The INGREDIENTS: Pumpkin, Chocolate, and the Rest
Here are a few of the recipe’s most important ingredients, with tips on brand suggestions and potential substitutions. Make sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend: As always, I strongly recommend Steve’s GF Cake Flour Blend from Authentic Foods (order directly from Authentic Foods or via Amazon). This GF flour transformed my baking. It is more finely ground (which avoids the dreaded grittiness) and uses plant fiber instead of xanthan gum (which avoids the dreaded gumminess). If you don’t have this blend, you can try using a blend with xanthan gum (such as King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1); let us know in the comments how it goes.
- Pumpkin: The star of the show, hello! Make sure to look for the cans that say 100% pure pumpkin. (You don’t want to accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling, which has a bunch of other stuff in it.)
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil works really well in muffins — at this amount, the coconut flavor doesn’t come through, and it helps to increase the moisture and tenderness. Note that you’ll want the virgin, unrefined coconut oil here; I buy mine at Costco. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can substitute it with canola or another neutral-tasting oil.
- Applesauce: Using applesauce in the recipe reduces the fat a bit compared with a more traditional recipe and adds some natural sweetness to boot. I use organic, unsweetened applesauce. If you don’t have applesauce, you can substitute it with oil.
- Spices: I personally like the showstopper pairing of cinnamon plus a smidge of cloves. But feel free to adapt if you also like ginger and nutmeg.
- Salt: I use fine pink salt in my kitchen. If you use regular table salt, you might want to reduce the salt a bit depending on your preference. If you use a coarse salt such as kosher salt, you might need to add a bit more.
- Quality Chocolate: I LOVE Guittard chocolate, and my favorite is the red bag (Extra Dark, 63% cacao). It’s pricey but the quality really makes a big difference. If you do use another version or brand, make sure to read the label to ensure that it’s dairy free.
The STEPS: How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Muffins make a good first step into gluten free baking because they’re quite forgiving. This recipe is quick to pull together and easy to pull off, even for a beginning baker! Here is an overview of the recipe — check out the recipe card for the full instructions.
Making the Batter
Bake the Muffins and Enjoy!
- Use a #12 size cookie scoop (or 1/3 cup measuring cup) to scoop the batter into the muffin pan for a substantial, domed muffin. If you’re using tulip liners as I do here, it’s a bit of a trick to avoid getting batter all over the liners. (Don’t worry if you do — it just makes your muffins look more like real deal homemade muffins!)
- Bake at 350°F for 24-25 minutes until the muffins have nice crowns on them and are firm when you press lightly on their tops.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes on a rack while still in the muffin pan. Then take them out of the pan to finish cooling. The finished result is a muffin that stays soft and moist, even after several days. Delish!
More Ideas
Looking for other yummy gluten free and dairy free recipes? Here are a few ideas to consider (not trying to make you hungry or anything):
Leave a comment to let me know how it goes, have fun, and remember:
We only get one wild and wondrous life, so live a life you love!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips (Dairy Free!)
Equipment
- #12 cookie scoop (optional)
- Whisk or mixer
- Paper cupcake liners (optional)
Ingredients
Dry
- 3 cups gluten free flour blend - I recommend Authentic Foods Steve's GF Cake Flour Blend
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
Mix-Ins
- 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips - dairy free
Wet
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil extra virgin
- 1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 4 eggs large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Set out 4 eggs.
- Melt the 1/2 cup of coconut oil if necessary.
- Line two muffin pans with paper liners, or grease the pans.
Measure the Dry
- Measure out the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Stir with a fork to combine.3 cups gluten free flour blend2 teaspoons baking powder2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons cinnamon¼ teaspoon cloves
- Add the chocolate chips, and stir to combine. Set aside.1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Make the Batter
- Measure out the pumpkin, sugar, and brown sugar into a large bowl. Using a whisk, a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, mix until combined.1 15-ounce can pumpkin1 cup sugar2/3 cup brown sugar
- Add the melted coconut oil and applesauce and mix (by hand or on low) until combined.1/2 cup coconut oil1/2 cup applesauce
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix (by hand or on low) until combined.4 eggs2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated. (If mixing by hand, you might want to switch to a large spoon or flexible spatula at this point.) Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is fully mixed.
Bake the Muffins
- Scoop the batter into the muffin pan using a size 12 cookie scoop (5.4 tablespoons) or a 1/3 cup dry measuring cup, scraping off any extra batter against the side of the mixing bowl. You should get approximately 20 muffins using this large scoop.
- Bake the muffins, one pan at a time, at 350°F for 24-25 minutes. They are done when they are nice and domed, a deep golden orange color, and firm when lightly tapped on top. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan to continue to cool.
Notes
- Smaller Muffins: If you use a smaller scoop similar to an ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup, you will get 24 muffins. These smaller muffins should bake in about 20-21 minutes.
- Storage: Once cooled, the muffins can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing the Muffins: Pop the cooled muffins into a large Ziploc bag and freeze. Whenever you want a yummy treat, defrost at room temperature for an hour or two, or hurry the process along by microwaving for about 30 seconds on medium power. (I almost always freeze these muffins because otherwise I would eat the whole batch over the course of two days!)
- Snack: These muffins make a perfect mid-day snack. You can send them to school with your kids (or in your own lunch!) straight from the freezer, and everything will be thawed and ready to eat by late morning. They also make a great after school snack!
- Gluten Free: This recipe is gluten free as written! Make sure to use Authentic Foods Steve's GF Cake Flour Blend, or if that's not possible, use another GF 1:1 flour blend that has xanthan gum in it.
- Dairy Free: This recipe is dairy free as written. Make sure your chocolate chips do not have milk in them!
- If You Aren't Gluten Free: If you don't need to avoid gluten, feel free to swap out the GF flour with regular flour. Remember to not overmix the flour! Stir just until the white disappears. Also, the muffins might need less time to cook, so check the muffins 1-2 minutes early.
- If You Aren't Dairy Free: If you don't need to avoid dairy, feel free to use any chocolate chips you like! I would still recommend dark chocolate, but that's just me. I still recommend using coconut oil because I think oil in general is better in most quick breads and muffins, and unrefined virgin coconut oil has some health benefits as well.
- Making It Vegan: This recipe might be a bit harder to make vegan because it uses so many eggs. If you do try it with flax eggs or aquafaba, please let us know how it turns out in the comments!
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