Easy oil-free vegan pumpkin muffins are moist, fluffy and full of fall spices. Made with whole wheat flour these muffins are healthy and delicious!
This morning when I was doing my grocery shopping I couldn’t help but notice that the fall flavors, pumpkin in particular, were taking over the shelves. When the fall season hits I’m ready for ALL the vegan pumpkin recipes!
There’s no need to grab a packaged muffin mix.
These are truly the best vegan pumpkin muffins! Next time I make them, I’m adding some vegan chocolate chips!They are sure to satisfy your fall craving! With 10 minutes of prep and easy clean-up you’ll feel good about using healthier ingredients and have moist and fluffy vegan muffins to bite into.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Healthy Whole Food Ingredients
- Whole Grain
- Reduced Sugar
- Vegan (Dairy and Egg Free)
- Gluten-Free Option
- Simple to Make – Only 10 minutes of prep time.
- Satisfying Snack or Breakfast
- Comforting Fall Flavors
- Bold Pumpkin Flavor
Ingredients and Notes
- White Whole Wheat Flour – Whole wheat pastry flour is a great alternative to all purpose flour. It’s packed with fiber, and whole food approved!
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – To help leaven the muffins.
- Spices – A combination of warm cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger gives these muffins an aromatic fall flavor. You can also use 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you do not have the other spices.
- Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar – I like to use organic brown sugar in this recipe. However, if you’re looking for a unrefined sugar option, I recommend coconut sugar or muscovado sugar.
- Pureed Bananas – This is an essential ingredient that not only adds natural sweetness, but makes these muffins moist, light and fluffy. Puree your bananas in a food processor until a smooth liquid forms.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – Used in place of coconut oil, applesauce brings moisture and helps to bind the ingredients together.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk (or other unsweetened dairy free milk) – For added moisture.
- Organic Pumpkin Purée – Make sure you get pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. You can make your own pumpkin puree of use canned. Since these muffins call for pumpkin puree and banana, you don’t need an additional flax egg to bind the ingredients.
Scroll to the bottom of this post to the recipe card for complete measurements and instructions.
Tools and Equipment
I’ve been trying to get away from teflon non-stick bakeware because of the potential risks of the teflon coating. If you’re moving towards stainless cookware, I recommend these reasonably priced stainless muffin tins.
I also find these muffin cups to be perfect for vegan and oil-free baking. They’re made with parchment paper which makes them easily peel away from the muffins without sticking!
Instructions
Preheat Oven: Before you get started pre-heat your oven to 350 F.
Step 1: Place two ripe bananas in a food processor or blender. I find a food processor works best.
Step 2: Blend until completely smooth.
Step 3: Add applesauce, almond milk, and pumpkin puree.
Step 4: Blend until smooth.
Step 5: Whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and brown sugar in separate bowl.
Step 6: Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together until just combined. Don’t over mix.
Step 7: Stir to combine. At this time you can add ½ cup of nuts or chocolate chips.
Step 8: Line your muffin pan with muffin cups. Using a measuring cup scoop ¼ cup of mix into each cup about ¾ of the way full.
Step 9: Place in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in muffin tins. Remove and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
FAQS
This recipe includes sugar but it’s reduced compared to the typical muffin recipe. They are oil-free which complies with many plant-based vegans that do not include oil in their diets. They’re also much healthier than a box mix you’ll find in the store because these are made with whole wheat flour and natural pumpkin puree.
My kids were playing with their legos while I was making these muffins, and the smell from the oven brought them running into the kitchen offering their services as my taste testers.
They love these muffins as an after school snack, and a quick breakfast in the morning. My husband who’s not a big fan of sweets in the morning likes to bring one with him to work as a snack between meetings.
How to Store and Keep
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you’d like to freeze these muffins, transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Label with the contents and date. They will keep frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to defrost, transfer to the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
Variations and Substitutions
Add Chocolate Chips or Nuts: Add ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts, or pecans.
Refined Sugar Free: To make these refined sugar free, simply sub the brown sugar for coconut, maple syrup, or muscovado sugar. Muscavado sugar is a date sugar, with added molasses to make it moist, similar to brown sugar.
Gluten-Free: If you’d like to make these gluten free you can sub the whole wheat flour with a gluten-free flour blend. This one is my favorite! Another alternative is to use oat flour.
More vegan pumpkin recipes!
- Vegan French Toast Casserole with Pumpkin Spice
- Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Risotto
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
If you’ve tried this healthy pumpkin muffins recipe, please rate it and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar for refined sugar free
- 2 whole bananas
- 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Blend two large bananas in a blender or food processor until completely smooth.
- Add applesauce, pumpkin, and almond milk. Blend until combined.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger together in a large bowl.
- Whisk in brown sugar and set aside.
- Pour wet ingredients until bowl with dry ingredients.
- Stir until just combined. Do not over stir.
- If you'd like, you can fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips, or chopped nuts.
- Using a measuring cup scoop ¼ cup of batter into muffin cups filling ¾ of the way full.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Cool in muffin trays for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely on metal cooling rack. Store at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- You’ll want 2 cups of blended bananas. You can measure this out to be sure your bananas blend to 2 cups. If you’re a little short you can add a bit more applesauce or almond milk.
- Don’t over mix your dry ingredients with your wet ingredient to avoid tough muffins.
- You can choose to spray the inside of the muffin cups with cooking spray so the muffins easily peel away from the paper or use parchment paper muffin cups.
- Muffins will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Oh yum, I love the idea of pumpkin in a muffin! These look fabulous and I can’t wait to try them. Cheers
I’m always amazed at vegan recipes that are wonderful and so much healthier! These look and sound fabulous! They’re definitely going into my make-now recipe board! Thanks for sharing.
Healthy muffins are so welcome! 🙂 Can’t wait to make a big batch of these – just about enough for the whole week. And they look so fluffy!
These vegan pumpkin muffins have me excited about fall which means cooler weather and pumpkin spice everything.
They look so good and I am happy to see a oil free recipe. Definitely trying this soon.
OOooo these look so goooood!! I’m going to have to try find pumpkin for them, but could really do with one right now with a cup of tea hahaha. Thanks for sharing
We aren’t vegan, but these muffins are a favorite! We love that they are made with whole wheat flour and less sugar!
Omgosh this recipe is going into my staple vegan cake collection! Can’t wait for everyone to try it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes! Pumpkin season is here, and I’m all in! Love this recipe, it was definitely a hit at our house 🙂
These muffins look so good! Love that you used applesauce, I love that substitute!
I think these are the ones you made for us, and they were delicious! I also love how the muffins are sweetened with apples and bananas!
Perfect! I used the coconut sugar and these were nice and moist, not dry at all!
I’m so happy to hear that!
I’m allergic to bananas. Can I swap out for additional pumpkin or apple sauce? Would that require more sweetener?
Hi Lala,
I would recommend adding additional pumpkin. I don’t think you’ll need additional sweetener. I haven’t made the muffins using this method, so you’ll have to let me know how they turn out!
Could you use almond flour in place of the whole wheat flour?
I would not recommend using almond flour. It will not turn out the same. However, if you’re looking for a gluten-free option I would recommend a gluten-free flour blend.
Hi Alison, These muffins were absolutely delicious! I used about 1/4 and 2 tbsp of brown sugar, rather than the whole 3/4 cup. I would like to try to eliminate the sugar, though. Have you, by chance, tried this recipe using maple syrup as your sweetener?
Hi Brenda!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these pumpkin muffins! I’m glad you were able to reduce the sugar, and they still came out delicious. As far as eliminating the sugar all together, or using a natural sweetener, I would recommend trying muscadvado sugar. It is partially refined, but not as much so as brown sugar. I have not tried using maple syrup only. If you do decide to use maple syrup I would recommend 1/4 cup. Since brown sugar and maple syrup have different consistencies, I’m not sure how that may alter the end result.
Made these this morning and they were perfect and delicious! Other vegan muffin recipes tend to be too dense and wet. These were fluffy and perfect! I am glad I stumbled across your website. I am making your curried lentil soup for dinner and can’t wait to try your other recipes. I am a vegan dietitian, R.D.
Hi Julie! Thanks for the rave review of my pumpkin muffins!. They are certainly one of my favorite recipes during the fall season. I hope you find some other recipes you want to try!
I made this with an AP gluten free flour blend and they turned out absolutely delicious. I used about 1/2 cup of brown sugar instead- since I do not like a lot of sweetener and they turned out incredibly delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lindsay! You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear the recipe turned out well with the gluten-free flour! Enjoy!
These are fantastic!! I added raisins and walnuts! So good, thank you!
Hi Margaret! Aren’t these amazing! I’m making another batch this weekend! I can’t get enough pumpkin this time of year!
Would live to try this. What could I replace tge apple sauce fir, please?
You could use coconut oil as a substitute for the applesauce.
I was so excited about these but sadly something wrong happened! I measured the bananas like you recommended- 2 cups which was 4 medium bananas. Very goo like in the center and I kept cooking them till very brown top and bottom and still like thick liquid in center. I followed the recipe exactly. Any ideas? I am so bummed!
I just figured out what went wrong! I put one can not 1cup pumpkin purée!!! Will make again and am sure they will turn out right!!!
I’m glad you figured out the problem! I hope they turn out next time!
Can you taste the banana in this recipe? I have used bananas before in other recipes and have found that the banana is overpowering. Thank you
I do not find the banana flavor overwhelming. It helps to add natural sweetness to the muffins, and also helps them to bake up light and fluffy without the need for oil.
These are the best muffins! Sooooo yummy. I used 1/2 the sugar and accidentally put in the whole can of pumpkin. Oops!! So moist and the blend of spices is perfect. Thank you for a great recipe!!!
I’m glad they turned out well! That extra pumpkin probably made them super moist! Yum!
OMGosh! My 2 year old (who will not eat anything!) ate 3 of these muffins today! She’s in the middle of a stomach virus and I wanted something that was gentle on her stomach. We live at high altitude so I added 2 tbsp of water and baked them for 25 min. at 375. They turned out perfect. My equally picky 7 year old loved them too! Love that they are healthy and low sugar.
So happy to hear your picky eaters loved this recipe!