Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins | Vegan & Gluten-Free

by Caitlin Shoemaker

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GFGluten Free

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These Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are tender & fluffy! Full of fall flavor & perfectly sweet, they make a delicious side or breakfast. Oil-Free.

These Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are an upgrade to the (already ideal) buttery and fluffy cornbread we all know and love. A bit of pumpkin puree adds some extra moisture and fall flavor, and maple syrup gives these cornbread muffins just a touch of sweetness!

Tender, fluffy, and perfectly spiced for fall, these muffins are the perfect dinner side, but are equally as delicious for breakfast or brunch. Plus they’re vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free!

napkin-lined basket full of pumpkin muffins

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN CORNBREAD MUFFINS

ingredients for pumpkin muffins in small white bowls on marble background

These muffins are made from simple, whole food ingredients that you likely have on hand already! And if you must make a quick run to the store, each ingredient is budget-friendly and easily accessible at nearly any grocery store.

  • Cornmeal: Medium-grit cornmeal gives these muffins their hearty texture and sweet corn flavor.
  • Flour: I used a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, but you could use regular all-purpose flour as well.
  • Pumpkin Puree gives these muffins some extra moisture along with their yummy pumpkin flavor!
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend adds lots of warm fall flavor — a bit of sweet, a bit of spice
  • Soy Milk & Apple Cider Vinegar combine to make the perfect vegan “buttermilk” that helps make these muffins moist and tender.
  • Maple Syrup adds a touch of sweetness that brings these cornbread muffins to the next level. If you’re looking for an unsweetened cornbread recipe, check out my Easy Vegan Cornbread.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CORNBREAD MUFFINS

photo of muffin tin with unbaked muffin batter next to muffin tin full of baked muffins

You’ll only need 30 minutes to whip up a warm batch of tender, fluffy Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins! Just 10 minutes of prep plus 20 minutes in the oven and these moist and hearty muffins are all yours ????

  1. Preheat oven. Grease or line muffin tin and set aside.
  2. Whisk flaxseed with water and set aside to thicken. Combine soy milk and vinegar to make vegan “buttermilk” and set aside to curdle.
  3. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and form a well in the center.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the flax eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup and mix until well-combined.
  5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a thick batter forms. Divide the batter among the muffin tins and bake.
  6. Let cool and serve!

sliced pumpkin muffin topped with melted vegan butter on white plate with speckles

I love making these Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins as a dinner side, but I’d never say no to a warm batch of these for breakfast or brunch! I recommend topping these with vegan butter, or you can slather on a bit of whipped maple butter for an unforgettably sweet experience (which I highly recommend ????)

These muffins are best served the day they are made, but you can keep them in a container with a loose-fitting lid at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you’d like to keep a batch ready for easy meal-prep, you can also freeze these muffins for up to two months.

pumpkin cornbread muffin topped with vegan butter next to plate of vegan butter and bowl of more muffins

If you’re looking for more ways to use pumpkin, you’ll also love these Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes, these One Bowl Pumpkin Muffins, and this Vegan Pumpkin Bread!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

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Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

sliced pumpkin muffin topped with vegan butter on white plate next to bowl of pumpkin muffins on marble countertop
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

These Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are moist, tender, and oh-so fluffy! Full of fall flavor and perfectly sweet, they make a delicious dinner side or breakfast treat. Oil-Free.

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Muffins 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened soy milk
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup (160 g) medium-grit cornmeal*
  • 1 cup (130 g) gluten free all purpose flour blend
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend*
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (235 g) pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) grade A maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375F and grease or line a 12-muffin tin; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the flax seed with 5 tablespoons of water; set aside to thicken. In a separate cup, combine the milk and vinegar to form a vegan “buttermilk”; let both of these mixtures sit for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl, then form a well in the center of the bowl.
  3. Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flax “eggs”, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup. Mix until well combined, then pour the wet ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the wet into the dry, until a thick batter forms.
  4. Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, then bake in the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the muffins sit in the pan for 3-5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
  5. Storage: serve as desired; leftovers will keep at room temperature, in a container with a loose fitting lid, for up to 5 days. These muffins can also be frozen for up to two months and defrosted as necessary.

Notes

  • Substitutions: I recommend using soy milk for this recipe as its high protein content forms the best “buttermilk”, but you can substitute another non-dairy milk if you choose. Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice. This recipe should work with most gluten-free flours or flour blends (except coconut flour), but keep in mind that each flour absorbs a different amount of liquid, so you may need to adjust the milk amount.
  • If you do not have pumpkin pie spice in your pantry, use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves and nutmeg instead

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About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  2. This is a winning recipe. I could eat one every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hard to believe there is no added fat in the recipe. I’ve always liked the group of recipes from FMM that don’t include added oil/fat. This one is a keeper. Thank you!



    Reply

  3. These are great!!! I just made them for my whole family who are not vegan or gluten free, and they loved them. Great recipe 🎉



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  5. Caitlin made these muffins A few times love them unfortunately we can’t get pumpkin Enough for awhile do you think sweet potato purée fresh would work in place of pumpkin we are playing at that. thanks



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  6. These little clouds are perfection! They are so moist, fluffy and soft. I don’t know how you did it with gf flour but they are going to be my staples in the cold months ahead. I have used a combination of Trader Joe’s gf flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gf flour as well as a combination of medium grit and regular cornmeal. They are not too sweet and the pumpkin flavor is very subtle. A great recipe for winter mornings with a cup of coffee. Thank you!



    Reply

      1. Superb! My husband loves the texture and moistness, easy to swallow. These are delicious, better than regular ol’ cornbread muffins. Thx!



  9. Great recipe, thank you! Made these this morning, and we enjoyed them warm from the oven with nice oat milk lattes. I’ve been wanting to make both corn and pumpkin muffins, and was excited to see this recipe – would have never thought to try combining them!



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    2. Made these w the gf flour
      I forgot the pumpkin spice
      But they are still FANTASTIC
      Just taste like a moist corn muffin
      Next time I’ll def add it
      Love the gf And oil free recipes !



      Reply