Easy dairy-free pumpkin muffins are made from a simple recipe for a delicious and moist dessert with the warm and cozy flavor of autumn. Made without milk or butter.
Easy dairy-free pumpkin muffins bring you the delicious flavors that are unique to autumn, and there is nothing quite like the smell of warm spices of freshly baked goods filling your home on crisp mornings.
Or you can make these cozy muffins ahead so they'll be ready to have with your morning coffee or later as a comforting, delicious treat at the end of a long, busy day.
They're simple to make. Have them plain or top them with delicious streusel or glaze. Or both!
This recipe is budget-friendly and quick to make with canned pumpkin. Or you can make your own pumpkin puree because this recipe is a terrific way to use up your pumpkin from Halloween!
Plus, these muffins are made with oil, so there is no milk, butter, or margarine in the ingredients.
A little about pumpkins
"Pumpkin" is another term for winter squash. It is low in calories but has nutritional benefits, such as vitamin A and beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant.
Pumpkins are used to make soups, salads, baked goods, desserts, and more. Some people even use it as a substitute for butter or margarine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about dairy-free pumpkin muffins
Can I freeze dairy-free pumpkin muffins?
Yes, these muffins freeze wonderfully! Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave before serving.
How do I keep dairy-free muffins moist without butter?
Pumpkin puree acts as a natural binder and adds incredible moisture, meaning you don't need butter or oil in large amounts. Using the right balance of wet ingredients keeps the crumb soft, fluffy, and tender.
Can I add chocolate chips or nuts?
Absolutely. Fold in dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or walnuts right before scooping the batter into your muffin tin for extra texture and flavor.
Can I use store-bought pumpkin pie spice?
Of course. Having ready-made ingredients often shortens the prep time of recipes. Or you can make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice and keep it in your cupboard for future use.
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned?
Yes, homemade pumpkin puree works great in this recipe. Just make sure your fresh puree is well-drained and not overly watery so it doesn't alter the texture of the cake. It's a great way to use up your leftover pumpkin from Halloween.
General FAQs and information about baking:
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
Some types of salt in baking:
Kosher salt-called "kosher" because it is used in the process of making meat kosher for observant Jewish consumption. The grains are large.
Table salt-this is what we use to flavor our food at the table. The grains are much smaller than those of kosher salt.*
Sea salt-like table salt, but processed differently.*
Flaky salt-flakes of salt that are used for decoration and add a salty taste to the already-baked good.
*A lot of recipes call specifically for sea salt. There is no difference in the baking process or taste between sea salt and table salt, and both contain approximately 40% sodium.
However, while table salt is usually mined from underground salt deposits, is heavily processed, and often contains the nutrient iodine, sea salt is made by evaporating water from the ocean, sea, or lakes with saltwater and may contain very small amounts of some minerals.
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you're completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice-once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it's not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don't ruin it.
What do eggs do in baking?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter "creams" better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼, and from margarine or butter to oil, the ratio is typically 1 to ¾.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it's not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
What kind of equipment is good to make baking simpler?
- a stand mixer, which I use mostly for dough and sometimes for whipping
- a hand mixer (for things that aren't dough, and I don't want to mix manually)
- a kitchen scale
- different sizes and shapes of baking pans, including loaf pans
- mixing bowls (or just large bowls-I have plastic, glass, and metal)
- cookie sheets
- pie dishes
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisks
- rubber spatulas (really good for when you don't want to leave anything in the bowl)
- rolling pins
- a baking mat for rolling out dough
- baking strips
- a good supply of baking (or parchment) paper (also round for layer cakes)
What kind of ingredients are good to keep in my kitchen for last-minute baking?
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark-I usually keep dark)
- confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
- various toppings
- whipping cream
- packaged pie dough or ready-made pie crusts
- puff pastry dough
Love pumpkin?
Try
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Loaf Cake
Easy Dairy-Free Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Delicious and moist pumpkin muffins made without milk, butter, or margarine.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin pie*
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup oil
- ¼ cup water
Streusel
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar**
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed**
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup oil (add a little more if streusel is too dry)
Icing
- ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup or vanilla flavoring (vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract)
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add pumpkin puree (or butternut squash puree), eggs, oil, and water and mix thoroughly so there are no clumps.
- Divide the batter equally into 12 wells of a muffin/cupcake tin.
- Make the streusel by gently mixing the flour, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl using a fork for form little clumps.
- Pour the streusel generously over the batter.
- Place in an oven that has been preheated to 350°F.***
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for around 15 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, place the powdered sugar, maple syrup or vanilla flavoring, and water in a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Drizzle icing over streusel as you wish.
Notes
* You can also use 15 ounces of fresh pureed pumpkin or butternut squash, drained of excess water.
**Or ½ cup brown sugar if preferred.
***If you don't plan on topping with streusel, skip steps 4 and 5. And then if you prefer a domed muffin, bake first for 5 minutes or so at 425°F and then lower the heat to 350°F to finish baking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 2gSugar: 33gProtein: 5g
