Gluten free vegan banana pumpkin muffins with almond flour are super soft, moist and mildly sweet. With no refined sugars and the perfect amount of warming spices, you'll be enjoying these any time of day.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These muffins are both moist and soft
- Made in one bowl, minimal washing!
- Stores great in the fridge
- Easy to make, with simple instructions and readily available ingredients
- Dietary friendly: healthy, vegan and gluten free, refined sugar-free, corn free, soy free* and nut free* (soy and nuts may be present in the type of milk you use)
Ingredients You'll Need
Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients, and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Gluten free all-purpose flour, you can select your preferred blend, which will be sifted into the batter. This will create a fluffier muffin.
Almond meal is the main ingredient to provide the body of the muffins. Please note this is not the same as almond flour. I have also used this ingredient in these vegan savory zucchini muffins.
Pumpkin puree I much prefer to use homemade pureed pumpkin which should be at room temperature. However, you can use canned pumpkin puree if you prefer.
If you are making your own pumpkin puree, I like to use Kent pumpkins (aka Jap pumpkin) as they are naturally sweet. You can also use butternut squash, which is mild in flavor. Just make sure your puree is cool or at room temperature.
Baking powder and baking soda, help these egg-free muffins rise and become fluffy.
Neutral oil, keeps the muffins moist and tender. Choose an oil like vegetable or sunflower.
100% pure maple syrup is my natural sweetener of choice, the amount used is enough for a mild sweetness when coupled with mashed ripe banana, which acts as the binder in this recipe.
Vanilla extract elevates all of the flavors.
Unsweetened dairy-free milk provides moisture, and will be initially combined with some vinegar to create a vegan buttermilk. I like using my homemade dairy-free milk.
The following spices have also been used to flavor these vegan gluten free muffins; nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. You can use a pumpkin spice blend (affiliate link) instead of all these singular spices.
An optional topping that I like to use is a spoonful of pepitas mixed with a small amount of maple syrup. See recipe card below for the instructions.
Tips
When baking, I always recommend measuring your ingredients using a kitchen scale (affiliate link), this will ensure that you achieve exact results every time.
Avoid splattering the batter over the sides of the muffin cups, they will be neater when they bake.
Kitchen Scale
I always use a kitchen scale when baking to get the same results every time.
How to Make Vegan Banana Pumpkin Muffins
Oven instructions and prepare a muffin pan. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease your 6-cup muffin pan with some neutral oil. I used a muffin pan with cups that measure 7cm x 3cm / 3in x 1in.
Create the vegan buttermilk by combining the dairy free milk and vinegar in a mixing bowl and then setting it aside for 5-10 minutes.
Whisk the wet ingredients and spices in with the vegan buttermilk, until well combined.
Creating the batter. Add the almond meal to the wet ingredients and sift the gluten free all purpose flour over the wet mixture. Whisk until all ingredients are combined well. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes.
Create the optional topping. In a small bowl combine the pepitas and maple syrup.
Fill your muffin pan. Evenly distribute the batter into 6 muffin cups. Then use the back of a wet spoon to gently flatten the batter, which I find helps to create a rounder dome once the muffins are baked. Evenly distribute the topping over each muffin.
Bake the muffins for approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tray for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Storage
Once these healthy banana pumpkin muffins have completely cooled down to room temperature, transfer them to an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
More Vegan and Gluten Free Treats
If you have a sweet tooth, but you're trying to be sugar conscience, try my vegan black sesame cookies or check out my raw chocolate date balls.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below and give me a ★★★★★ rating. If you love sharing your vegan food pics, join the PBF community group
Vegan Banana Pumpkin Muffins (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 80 g Gluten free all purpose flour
- 130 g Almond meal
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 135 g Banana mashed
- 55 g Pumpkin puree
- 60 ml Dairy free milk
- 40 ml Maple syrup
- 2 tbs Neutral oil e.g., sunflower or vegetable. + Extra for greasing muffin tin
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Vinegar
Optional Topping
- 1 tablespoon Pepitas
- ½ teaspoon Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease your 6-cup muffin pan with some neutral oil. I used a muffin pan with cups that measure 7cm x 3cm / 3in x 1in.
- Combine the dairy free milk and vinegar in a mixing bowl to create the vegan buttermilk. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes. Then whisk all other wet ingredients and spices until everything is combined.¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon Ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon Ground allspice, ⅛ teaspoon Ground nutmeg, 135 g Banana, 55 g Pumpkin puree, 60 ml Dairy free milk, 40 ml Maple syrup, 2 tbs Neutral oil, 1 teaspoon Vinegar, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Add the almond meal to the wet ingredients and sift the gluten free all purpose flour over the wet mixture. Whisk until all ingredients are combined. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes. You will notice the batter is a little aerated after 5 minutes.80 g Gluten free all purpose flour, 130 g Almond meal, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- While the batter sits, make the optional topping by combining the pepitas and maple syrup.1 tablespoon Pepitas, ½ teaspoon Maple Syrup
- Evenly distribute the batter into the greased muffin cups. Wet the back of a spoon and gently flatten the batter in each cup. Evenly distribute the topping across each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for approximately 18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tray for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
Sharon
The perfect way to use up a couple of browning bananas on the counter! These muffins were great for grabbing on our way out the door for some energy on the go. Really tasty.