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Hold up - were you looking for seriously boring, basic vegan pumpkin muffins that are not going to blow your darned mind? Click off this recipe right this minute if you aren’t looking for supremely moist, heavenly aromatic, perfectly spiced muffins that also look unbelievably gorgeous even if you suck at decorating baked goods.
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You’ve landed on the ultimate vegan pumpkin muffin recipe that is NOT some humdrum BS that brings a tear of boredom to your eye. No mommy, these aren’t canned pumpkin pie filling crap with pre-made pumpkin spice added in for low-level charm!
Like my the rosewater pistachio version of my vegan apple cider donuts, featured by the New York Times, these muffins have a few special tweaks that make them the quintessential autumn breakfast banger. Who knows? They might even upstage the vegan apple fritters and blue corn pancakes you serve alongside them.
Ready to bake? Let's get started and jam your kitchen to the dang brim with the aromas of their spiced fall-time magic.
Jump to:
- 🥰Why you'll adore these vegan pumpkin muffins
- 🎃 Ingredients for vegan pumpkin muffins
- 🤯Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- 📖 How to make vegan pumpkin muffins
- 💡Serving Suggestions
- 👉Tips for perfect vegan pumpkin muffins
- 🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
- ✌️Serve these with vegan pumpkin muffins:
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Pistachio Streusel and Rosewater Cardamom Glaze
🥰Why you'll adore these vegan pumpkin muffins
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan breakfast recipes, this one is made without a single animal product. I live with a whole bunch of rescued doggos, though (and a rescued wallaby named Doyle), and let’s just say this recipe has been “tested on animals.”
🧑🍳 Moist and Tender as Heck: Using both pumpkin puree and plant-based yogurt ensures these muffins are heavenly moist and tender. And then ya’ know what? The cardamom glaze you drizzle on adds a whole other level of juicy goodness that will make you put all other pumpkin muffins in your recipe collection through a gosh-darned paper shredder once and for all.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: After perfecting this recipe, I shared it with a massive team of recipe testers globally, ensuring it works flawlessly in various kitchens. All the vegan recipes I share go through this final testing process to ensure anything you make on my site comes out amazingly.
🎃 Ingredients for vegan pumpkin muffins
Pumpkin Puree
If you can't get plain unflavored canned pumpkin puree, sweet potato or butternut squash puree are good substitutes. If you make your own at home, here’s the process I recommend to get the right consistency:
Cut a sugar pumpkin in half, remove seeds (save and roast those separately with homemade baharat or curry powder and a little olive oil as a snack), and roast the pumpkin flesh at 375°F (190°C) for 45-60 minutes until tender. Scoop out the flesh, discard and compost the skin, and blend in a food processor for a few minutes until completely smooth. Strain excess water in a fine mesh strainer use 1 ¾ cups of pumpkin puree to equal a 15 oz. (425 g.) can.
Brown Sugar
Light brown sugar contains molasses, which adds a deep, caramel-like flavor and moisture to baked goods. You can use coconut sugar or palm sugar (my fave for Southeast Asian recipes like Filipino tupig, Malaysian bubur cha cha, and Indonesian klepon) for a similar flavor, with less processing.
Cardamom
Making this recipe with quality cardamom, such as the cloud forest cardamom from Burlap and Barrel makes a noticeable difference in the flavor and aroma of the baked muffins. The Burlap and Barrel cardamom taught me what it was like to be a real human boy with working arms and legs! For real, I use it in everything from vegan shawarma and veg biryani to sweets like my Persian vegan baklava.
Dry Ginger
I know I am starting to sound like a real shill for Burlap and Barrel, but I promise I am only recommending their stuff because I legitimately think it’s insanely good. Their buffalo ginger is the only dried ginger I have ever had that straight-up blew my mind. Freshly grated ginger can be used instead , which is a nice touch if you want a more intense ginger flavor.
Screw pumpkin pie spice! Using these individual seasonings to craft more dialed-in vegan pumpkin spice muffins is the secret to intense, craveable flavor!
Powdered Sugar
If you are going to make the optional glaze (you are kinda nuts if you don’t), you really need to use powdered sugar. But, not all powdered sugars are vegan as many are made using a bone char filtration process. So use this one, or you can make the lemongrass glaze from my Turon recipe instead for these muffins.
Vegan Cream Cheese
I am a bit biased, but I love my fermented vegan cream cheese recipe the most. You can use a store-bought brand of your choice, such as Toffuti, Treeline or Kite Hill. If you have a whole bunch left after making this recipe (since it doesn’t use much), you should use the rest to make my vegan carrot cake, or vegan pound cake next!
Rosewater
Rosewater gives the glaze a subtle floral aroma and alarmingly delicious flavor. It's the same reason I add it to my blackberry-topped coconut panna cotta recipe. If that sounds like it would make you mad or something, you can 100% swap it out for half the amount of vanilla extract instead.
Dried Rose Petals
I love keeping these on hand as a garnish to turn anything pretty. In 2023, I served a menu all vegan Middle Eastern food from my Galactic MegaStallion weekly pop-ups. And I used these bad boys all the time to make everything from mutabal to various styles of ezme and vegan labneh look instantly photo-ready. Trust me, rose petals are the secret you have been waiting for to make everything you cook look glamorous…
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adding a handful of vegan chocolate chips turns out to be the answer to most of life's problems. I encourage people to add 'em to my vegan oatmeal cookies, too, of course. I would suggest a half cup for this recipe.
📖 How to make vegan pumpkin muffins
Nail these heavenly lil’ pummers on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Your whole family will rejoice and exclaim, “Pum Pum!” and raise a glass of hot cider to your triumph in the kitchen. Just want to print the recipe without photos? Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Ready, Set, Bake!
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
✅ If you don’t have paper liners, you can lightly grease the inside of your muffin tins with a little melted vegan butter, or a plant-based oil of your choice, and bake directly in them.
Step Two
That Juice Moose is Loose:
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla extract, vegan yogurt, and canola oil, stirring until the mixture is smooth and the oil is fully incorporated.
Step Three
Twisted Sifter:
Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ground cloves, nutmeg, dry ginger, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix.
Step Four
Optional (but super good) Pistachio Magic:
For the pistachio topping, mix the all-purpose flour, chopped raw pistachios, olive oil, brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl until it forms a crumbly texture.
Step Five
Prince Fill Up:
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. If using the pistachio streusel, sprinkle it evenly over the top of each muffin.
Step Six
Get Baked:
Bake in the preheated oven for 22-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step Seven
Glazey Suzan:
For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese, rosewater, unsweetened plant-based milk, and cardamom until smooth.
Step Eight
Final Touches:
Drizzle over the cooled muffins and garnish with sifted powdered sugar and dried rose petals.
✅ If you want these to be even more decadent, you can pipe some vegan cream cheese frosting into the center of them using a bizmarck tip.
💡Serving Suggestions
These vegan pumpkin muffins are essential in your tea-time arsenal.
My two favorite teas to serve these with are vegan Thai tea and Bandrek, a lightly spiced herbal tea from Indonesia.
👉Tips for perfect vegan pumpkin muffins
- Can’t you do the Can Can? To make homemade pumpkin puree, cut a sugar pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, and roast at 375°F until tender (about 45-60 minutes). Scoop out the flesh and blend until smooth. To match the consistency of canned puree, strain excess water. Measure 1 ¾ cups of the cooked pumpkin to equal a 15 oz. can.
- Don't Overmix: Mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet mixture. Overmixing will lead to tough muffins due to the development of gluten.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure that your ingredients, especially the plant-based yogurt and any liquids, are at room temperature before mixing. One tester tried to mix everything cold, and her muffins looked wonky…
- Proper Cooling: Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps set their structure, makes it easier to pull them out of the papers, and prevents them from becoming soggy on the bottom.
- Fresh Baking Soda and Powder: Despite what you might think (my grandma was a total culprit), these leavening agents eventually lose their power over time. Old or expired leavening agents can result in flat, dense muffins.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Store the vegan pumpkin muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Yes, you can freeze them by placing them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave for about a minute before enjoying.
Yes, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make these muffins gluten-free.
Yes, replace the oil with an equal amount of applesauce to make the muffins oil-free. This will maintain the moisture and texture. Keep in mind that they may have a greater likelihood of sticking to the muffin liners without fat in them.
Dense muffins can result from overmixing the batter or using expired baking powder and baking soda. Mix the ingredients just until combined and ensure your leavening agents are fresh. This issue is especially pronounced if you use overmixed batter to make vegan pumpkin bread instead of muffins.
As I do when I make whole wheat kuboos bread, I suggest using equal parts all-purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour to give these a little more fiber while preventing them from being dry or heavy.
Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full and rotate the muffin tin halfway through baking. This ensures even heat distribution and uniform muffin size.
✌️Serve these with vegan pumpkin muffins:
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Get your hands on seriously crowd-pleasing vegan Thanksgiving menus, including detailed video guidance from Chef Adam Sobel.
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Pistachio Streusel and Rosewater Cardamom Glaze
Ingredients
- 15 oz. pumpkin puree
- 1 cup brown sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt
- ½ cup canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Pistachio Streusel Topping:
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup raw shelled pistachios chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Optional Rosewater Cardamom Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons rosewater
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened plant-based milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Optional garnishes:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla extract, vegan yogurt and oil, stirring until the oil is no longer separately visible.
- Sift in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ground cloves, nutmeg, dry ginger, and salt. Stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- If using the optional pistachio streusel topping, in a separate small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, chopped raw pistachios, olive oil, brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until the mixture forms a crumbly texture.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. If using the pistachio streusel, sprinkle it evenly over the top of each muffin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If using the optional rosewater cardamom glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese, rosewater, unsweetened plant-based milk, and cardamom until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins. Garnish lightly with sifted powdered sugar and dried rose petals before serving.
Notes
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Colleen S. says
Seriously delicious muffins!
What I love most about this recipe is that it was easy to sub some of the ingredients for what I had on hand. I made them gluten-free and used walnuts in the streusel topping. I’m definitely going to be making them again and cant wait to make the rosewater glaze.
Nancy says
These are easy to make and even easier to eat. They are delicious ! They will definitely be on my Thanksgiving table. Heck they will be on my table all year round.
Sarah says
SO GOOD!!!! Cardamom, rose water, pumpkinny dreamy mouth rainbow explosions! Can’t wait to make these again with the added rose petals!
Adam Sobel says
Super-glad to hear you loved 'em Sarah ❤️
Katie says
I love pumpkin in any form, but these pumpkin muffins take the cake, no pun intended. The little rose petals are so beautiful on top of the rosewater cardamom drizzle & pistachio streusel. They taste as lovely as they look!
Heva says
Delicious vegan muffin recipe, packed with flavour and easy to make. The pistachio streusel is the highlight.
Heather says
I was lucky to test this recipe. It came out perfect and DH was delighted with the muffins. Definitely a great recipe for pumpkin spice muffins that you don' t need to wait for fall to bake. Thank you Adam great recipe.
Lindy says
Oh my days these are awesome! I love cardamom, love streusel and love rosewater so this was a match made in heaven ❤️ turned out perfectly 💖