Gluten-Free Spiced Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-Free!)

Enjoy a healthier fall treat in less than 35 minutes with these incredibly easy Gluten-Free Spiced Pumpkin Muffins.

This original recipe post was published on October 27, 2019. It was updated with additional instructions and tips on July 30, 2020 and new photographs on October 5, 2020.

Tender and moist; spicy and sweet; these Gluten-Free Spiced Muffins are the best of fall. They're made with whole oats in a blender, making them an easy one-bowl gluten-free recipe the whole family will love!

My Oatmeal Blender Pancakes recipe inspired me to experiment with this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin recipe.

Requiring no hard-to-find gluten-free flours, none of the hassle of multiple mixing bowls, and all of the satisfaction of a tasty and fluffy stack of pancakes, the recipe has become a reader favorite.

Figuring that there's no such thing as too many good recipes, especially easy and family-friendly recipes, I wanted to come up with another blender-centric take on a classic baked good. And knowing that it's fall, I wanted to do something with pumpkin.

I tried pumpkin blender pancakes. Pretty good, but I needed something different. Something sweeter. And something that could more prominently feature the pumpkin.

While in my brainstorming period, I stumbled across Sally's Baking Addiction's Pumpkin Crumb Muffins on Instagram one day. Just a quick like on her post and I was on with my day, but I couldn't stop thinking about the richness that such a combination could offer.

A day or two later and still obsessed with the pumpkin crumble muffin idea, I decided to try my hand at a healthy blender muffin interpretation of it.

Knowing how delicate the blender pancakes are, I knew I wanted these muffins to be flourless and I knew I wanted to do it with oats. This way, these pumpkin muffins would also be gluten-free (if used with certified gluten-free oats!), no-fuss, and an easy way to enjoy a healthier pumpkin crumb muffin.

So, I combined the oats, coconut oil, spices, and a few other common kitchen staples. After a quick blend and delicious smelling bake, they had quite the way of disappearing, leaving just rave reviews in their wake. I hope they disappear for you, too.

These Healthy Pumpkin Spice Blender Muffins are...

• Spicy
• Tender
• Moist
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• A one-bowl recipe
• Lower in sugar
• Ready in under 35 minutes
• Full of whole grains
• Quickly disappearing
• A quintessential fall treat
• Not likely to last very long!

If you're big into fall baking, but not so big into all the hassle & clean-up, this recipe is for you. Just dump all the ingredients in a blender, whir up for a minute or two, pour into the muffin tins, and top with a simple streusel and before a quick bake!

Pumpkin muffin ingredients:

• Canned pumpkin - we will want pure pumpkin puree for this recipe, not canned pumpkin pie mix
• Pumpkin spice - Pumpkin spice is made out of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and sometimes even lemon peel and cardamom. You can make your own pumpkin spice, or you can buy it in a store. I love using Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice -- it's the perfect flavor profile and is affordably priced
• Coconut oil -- raw and unfiltered is best, as it lends the recipe a naturally sweet flavor
• Almond or nut milk -- I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Dark brown sugar -- light brown sugar works in a pinch, but dark brown sugar adds an extra special depth of flavor to the recipe
• Old fashioned oats -- quick oats don't work for this recipe, so make sure you have old fashioned. Also, use certified gluten-free oats to keep your recipe gluten-free!
• Gluten-free flour mix -- almost any type will do. We'll be using just 1 tablespoon for the muffin streusel!
• Salt & baking soda -- salt brings out all the flavors in the muffin and baking soda helps these muffins rise

Can you make pumpkin muffins with fresh-baked pumpkin?

Yes, you can make these treats with fresh-baked pumpkin. Puree the pumpkin by itself before adding it to the recipe, however, and add a little extra almond milk (1-4 tablespoons) to the batter if it's super thick after blending.

Are these muffins dairy-free, too?

Yes, these pumpkin muffins are dairy-free, too. They don't have any butter or dairy milk in the recipe so they are safe to eat if you are gluten-free or dairy-free!

What is streusel and how do you make it?

Streusel is a sweet, crumbly topping used to top baked goods. It can go on top of muffins, cakes, pies, and even quick breads.

We will make streusel by first whisking together our dry ingredients -- brown sugar, gluten-free flour mix, pumpkin spice blend, and old fashioned oats -- and then gradually whisking in the melted coconut oil until the streusel has small lumps the size of pebbles in it.

Can you make gluten-free pumpkin bread with this recipe?

Yes, you can make gluten-free pumpkin bread with this recipe! It's super simple -- make the recipe as directed and pour the batter into a greased 8 x 4" loaf pan (instead of a muffin tin).

Next, sprinkle the batter with the streusel and bake for 50-65 minutes, or until the bread is baked through and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Can you make this recipe with 1-to-1 gluten-free flour?

I haven't personally done it yet, so proceed with caution, but you should be able to substitute in 2 ¼ cups (or 270 grams) of a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.

If you use gluten-free flour blend, you don't need to mix the extra ½ cup any old fashioned oats into the blender after blending the batter up, either.

I do plan on testing this recipe out with the gluten-free flour blend. When I do I will update this section of the post. Also, if you test this out please let me know how it went in the comments below!

What can you do with leftover pumpkin puree?

There are so many uses for leftover pumpkin puree, thankfully. Make some of my pumpkin sausage soup; make a homemade pumpkin pie; or top your bowl of oatmeal with it, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, and maple syrup! The options are pretty endless with canned pumpkin, thankfully, so have fun experimenting!

How do you make these gluten-free muffins?

Here's how you make my favorite fall treat:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray 10 muffin cups in a muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray or line them with muffin liners.
2. In a high-speed blender, add the oil, almond milk, vanilla extract, eggs, pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, salt, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, and 1 ¾ cup old fashioned oats in the order listed.
3. Blend the batter on medium or high speed for 1-1.5 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and creamy.
4. Remove the blender pitcher from the blending stand. Mix in the additional ½ cups old fashioned oats with a silicone scraper until just combined.
5. Pour about ⅔ cup batter into each of the muffin cups, filling in all 10 muffin cups evenly.
6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the additional dark brown sugar, pumpkin spice blend, gluten-free flour blend, and old fashioned oats until combined. Slowly pour the coconut oil over the mixture, while continuing to whisk, or until you have formed small streusel "pebbles."
7. Sprinkle each muffin with 2 teaspoons of streusel and bake for 24-26 minutes, or until the muffins are baked through and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

A note about letting the muffins cool:

To prevent your muffins from getting soggy bottoms (we all know what Mary Berry would say about that!!), you will want to cool these muffins mostly out of the muffin pan.

To keep from burning yourself, let them cool on a wire rack in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then turn the muffins out directly onto the wire rack and let them cool the rest of the way.

Can you make this recipe without a blender?

Yes, you can make this recipe without a blender, but you will need 1 ¾ cup pre-ground oat flour to do so. Here's how to do it:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, salt, and dark brown sugar until combined.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin spice blend, 1 ¾ pre-ground oat flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the oat flour mixture to the pumpkin puree mixture and whisk until just combined.
4. Add the ½ cup old fashioned oats and gently fold in until the oats are evenly distributed.
5. Scoop the muffins into lined muffin tins or tins sprayed with non-stick spray and baked according to the recipe directions.

Can you freeze leftover pumpkin muffins?

Yes, you can freeze leftover pumpkin muffins in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.

How many muffins does this recipe make?

This recipe makes 10-11 traditional-sized muffins!

What can you do with leftover canned pumpkin?

This recipe only calls for one 1 cup of canned pumpkin. Given that most cans of pumpkin are 14 or 15 oz. or larger, you'll most likely have some left over. Here are my favorite ways to use it up:

• Stir it into oats with maple syrup, pumpkin spice blend, and pecans
• Blend it into a smoothie
• Make pumpkin soup
• Cook it down with spices and brown sugar to make pumpkin butter
• Make some pumpkin dog treats for your pup!

What can you mix into these pumpkin muffins?

There are so many goodies you can mix into these gluten-free beauties. Just mix in ½ cup of any of my favorites

• Chocolate chips
• Chopped pecans or walnuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chopped almonds
• Dried cranberries
• Dried chopped cherries

Tools needed to make these muffins:

• Vitamix or other high-speed blender
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Silicone spatula or scraper
• Small mixing bowl
• Muffin tray
• Muffin liners

Other Fall Baking Recipes:

• Banana Pumpkin Muffins
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
• Gluten-Free Iced Pumpkin Cookies
• Gluten-Free Banana Oatmeal Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Fudgy Date Brownies
• Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
• Gluten-Free Apple Blender Cake
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread
• Oat Protein Breakfast Cookies
• Coconut Quinoa Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

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