Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
With over 15 years of experience in gluten-free baking (I’ve been gluten-free myself since 2006), I’ve meticulously tested this gluten-free pumpkin muffin recipe that I’m thrilled to share with you. These muffins boast beautifully domed, bakery-style tops that make it impossible to tell they’re gluten-free.
Servings: 12 muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups gluten free all purpose flour 270 grams
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 can 15 oz 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
If adding chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
If adding crumb topping
- 1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose flour 180 grams
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) melted
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir with a spoon to combine and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl combine the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir to combine with a spatula or mixer on low for 30 seconds.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients (and 1 cup chocolate chips if using), mixing by hand or with a mixer on low just until combined. The batter will be very thick! Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffins liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other well allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. Fill the liners to the top with batter. Yes – to the top! You might think there is no way to fit all the batter in 12 liners, but keep dividing the batter among the cups and fill the liners FULL! Use a butter knife to smooth the tops of the muffins if lumpy. If you are choosing to add chocolate chips and skip the crumb topping, press the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the muffins.
- Begin to generously pile the crumb topping on each muffin. I found it easiest to squeeze some of the crumb in my hands, forming a ball, then break off smaller pieces, lightly pressing the crumb into the batter. Ideally you want substantial pieces of crumb.
- Bake at 425ºF for 7 minutes, then after those initial 7 minutes, remove the muffins from the oven and quickly press the crumb topping back into the batter. You’ll notice that some of the crumbs are falling off the sides. The goal here is to get those crumbs back on the muffins while the batter is still wet.
- Return the muffins to the oven, then drop the temperature to 350ºF for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to bump the temperature back up to 425ºF.
Notes
Why rest the batter for 15 minutes? During the resting period, starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter, causing them to swell and giving the batter a thicker consistency.
Nutrition information calculated for muffins with crumb topping, not chocolate chips.
From this recipe you can choose to make plain gluten free pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffins with crumb topping, or pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
Nutrition
Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 5797IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg