Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins

Soft, fluffy, and moist gluten-free pumpkin muffins. These muffins are packed with spices and have a hint of orange flavor. Having these muffins for breakfast is one of my favorite things to do. 

The Science Behind the Ingredients

Gluten-Free Flour Mix: To make these gluten-free pumpkin muffins, the flours needed are white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, and brown rice flour. These gluten-free flours combined will provide the gluten-free flour mix required for this recipe to succeed. The ratio of each flour was well studied and developed to achieve a muffin with a moist crumb and chewy texture. When buying rice flour, I highly suggest purchasing superfine ones.  

Flavor: The flavor of this pumpkin muffin is bought to life using cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Moreover, I added a little bit of orange zest that compliments the flavor of the pumpkin very well. I highly recommend the addition of orange zest to these gluten-free pumpkin muffins! 

Texture: Muffins are known for their moist crumbs, chewy texture, and round top. This recipe delivers on all three. The brown sugar used in this recipe makes the muffins moist, while the tapioca flour provides the muffins with chewiness. In addition, muffins are usually denser than cupcakes, and to achieve that, the batter is not overmixed, and minimum air is beaten into it. 

Rise: Muffins are known to be big and tall. Achieving a good rise is difficult in gluten-free baking. Therefore, the use of both baking soda and baking powder will help achieve a good rise. The eggs will also work to provide the muffins with structure and help with the leavening. 

The Process of Making Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins 

The process of making these gluten-free pumpkin muffins is simple and easy. These muffins can literally be done in half an hour. Here is how simple it is to make these muffins. 

• Mix the dry ingredients: You want to start by mixing the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt together. Make sure to whisk the ingredients well

• Mix the wet ingredients: Using a separate bowl, add the oil, milk, white sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and orange zest. Using a whisk combine the ingredients until they are well incorporated. 

• Creating the muffin batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The folding technique minimizes the amount of air that gets incorporated into the batter. It helps achieve a dense muffin. 

• Time to Bake: Align a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Then fill each liner all the way through with pumpkin muffin batter. Filling the liners to the top helps achieve the big and tall muffin look we want. Meanwhile, to prevent the batter from overflowing, bake the muffins at 200°C (395°F) for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C (356 °F) and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the muffin comes out clean. 

Dairy-free Option 

The beauty of these gluten-free pumpkin muffins is that you can easily make them dairy-free. Instead of using full-fat milk to make these muffins, you can substitute it with your choice of non-dairy milk. 

Check Other Seasonal Recipes!

• Gluten-free Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie
• Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls
• Top 12 Gluten-free Thanksgiving Recipes

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5 from 15 votes

Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins

Soft, fluffy, and moist gluten-free pumpkin muffins. These muffins are packed with spices and have a hint of orange flavor.

Prep Time10 mins

Active Time17 mins

Total Time27 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten free pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffins

Yield: 12 Muffins

Calories: 241kcal

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

• ▢ 110 grams of White Rice Flour (Sifted)
• ▢ 44 grams of Tapioca Flour (Sifted)
• ▢ 22 grams of Corn Starch (Sifted)
• ▢ 44 grams of Brown Rice Flour (Sifted)
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Ground Clove
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon of Ground Ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Salt
• ▢ 120 ml of Vegetable Oil
• ▢ 60 ml of Full Fat Milk
• ▢ 150 grams of Granulated White Sugar
• ▢ 50 grams of Brown Sugar
• ▢ 340 grams of Pumpkin Puree
• ▢ 2 Large Eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Orange Zest

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (approx 395 °F).
• Add the white rice flour, tapioca flour, corset, starch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and all the ground spices in a bowl. Whisk the ingredients together to combine.
• In a separate bowl, add the vegetable oil, granulated white sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and orange zest. Whisk the ingredients until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients in step 1 to the wet ingredients in step two and gently fold the two together using a spatula. Keep folding until the muffin batter has formed. Ensure that you don’t overmix the batter.
• Align a muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill each liner with pumpkin muffin batter to the top.
• Bake the muffins for 10 minutes at 200°C (395°F), then bake them for another 7-10 minutes at 180°C (356 °F) or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Notes

• Baking Tips: When combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, try not to overmix the batter. Overmixing the muffin batter will yield dense and thick muffins.
• Dairy-Free Option: To make this gluten-free pumpkin muffin dairy-free, substitute the full-fat milk with non-dairy milk such as almond milk or coconut milk.
• Freezing and Storage: The baked muffin can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to five days. Before serving, bring the muffin back to room temperature or heat it for 20 seconds in the microwave. Moreover, you can wrap each baked muffin with plastic wrap and store them in a sealed bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 Muffin)

Calories 241 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 28mg9%

Sodium 248mg11%

Potassium 102mg3%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 4459IU89%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

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