Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips (Dairy Free!)

These soft, spiced gluten free pumpkin muffins are easy, dairy free, and delish with chocolate chips. Bonus: the recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin!

Servings 20 muffins

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 24

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

Measure out the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Stir with a fork to combine.
3 cups gluten free flour blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
Add the chocolate chips, and stir to combine. Set aside.
1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

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 pumpkin
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
Add the melted coconut oil and applesauce and mix (by hand or on low) until combined.
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix (by hand or on low) until combined.
4 eggs
2 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.

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.

TIPS

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!

ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS

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!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword: after school snack, fall breakfast, gluten free muffins, pumpkin muffins