Uh oh. Itโs happening again. More pumpkin! I let the lid off last week with Pumpkin Granola, and Iโm back today with these supremely moist, fantastically fluffy, and harvest spice-y Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips.
In the cosmos of pumpkin recipes, it arguably doesnโt get more basic than a chocolate chip pumpkin muffin. Or more delicious.
Iโm also willing to argue that these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins should be one of the first treats you bake this fall.
Even if you think you are set with your go-to pumpkin recipes.
Even if you arenโt actually vegan.
Even if you, like my crazy husband, donโt think chocolate chips and pumpkin belong together (WHAT?). Even if you leave the chocolate chips out, these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins still taste heavenly. That is how good they are.
How to Make the Best Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
As basic as a pumpkin muffin can be, they are also tricky to get right.
If youโve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I consider muffins Very Serious Business. Remember when I celebrated my 5-year blogiversary with Chocolate Zucchini Muffins instead of cake? THAT is how much I love a good muffin.
And Iโm a little, er, particular. (It took me multiple tries to get these Healthy Pumpkin Muffins exactly right, and it was SO worth it.)
A good muffin must be:
- Sweet but not too sweet.
- Full of healthy ingredients without actually tasting like health food.
- Fluffy. They must be fluffy. (Example: Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins and Raspberry Muffins.)
- Fast. The batter needs to take no more than 15 minutes to prep. Iโm not sure about you, but typically when I want a muffin, I wanted it five minutes ago.
The requirements are out, and the results are in: these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are very, very good.
They meet my every muffin requirement and may have even usurped my favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread for my go-to pumpkin breakfast recipe!
If youโve been looking for a healthy pumpkin muffin recipe that still tastes great, these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are it.
The recipe is 100% whole grain, contains no sugar (the refined kindโthank you maple syrup!), and for those with dietary restrictions, this is a recipe for pumpkin muffins without eggs or dairy.
In place of the egg, I used a flax egg, which is a trendy way of saying that I stirred together ground flaxseed and water, let the mix hang out for five minutes to thicken, then added it to the batter.
This โflax eggโ acts like a regular egg to bind the muffins and help them rise.
The flaxseed swap wonโt work in every recipe (the pumpkin muffins only need 2 eggs, so itโs a small portion of the batter), but it was ultra successful in these now egg-free pumpkin muffins.
Bonus: flax is filled with nutrients, so it gives the Vegan Pumpkin Muffins an extra healthy boost. If you donโt need the muffins to be vegan, you can certainly use a regular egg instead.
If you are in the market for easy breakfast recipes you can prep in advance for busy school mornings, work mornings, or, letโs be honest, life mornings (or in the unlikely event of leftovers), these Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are freezer friendly.
How to Store and Freeze These Muffins
- To Store. Store muffins according to this guide for How to Store Muffins.
- To Freeze. I like to wrap mine individually and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months, then any time I need a quick boost, reheat one gently in the microwave. Overnight thawing is ideal, but when a lady needs her pumpkin muffin, a lady needs her pumpkin muffin. My fellow muffin lovers, I know you understand.
More Pumpkin Treats
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Paleo Pumpkin Bread
- Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread
- Check out my full list of healthy pumpkin recipes.
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoonsย flaxseed meal
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup melted cooled coconut oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips mini or regularโI used mini; dairy free if you’d like the muffins to be vegan
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir the flaxseed meal together with 5 tablespoons water. Set aside for 5 minutes to thicken (this creates 2 โflax eggs.โ) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and lightly coat 10 cups in a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- In the bowl of a standard mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup and coconut oil until well blended. Add the thickened flaxseed mixture and beat until fully combined. On low speed, beat in the pumpkin puree, almond milk, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the white whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients. By hand, stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, just until the flour disappears. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle over the top if desired.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. For the tallest, fluffiest muffins, I like to use a scoop likeย this one, which ensures even portions and helps the muffins rise. Fill each cup almost to the top. (My pan yielded 10 muffins. Yours may be a little more or less.) Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. With a fork or dull knife, very gently remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling (do not let them sit in the pan for too long or the heat let off by the muffins expanding will be trapped in the pan and cause the edges to become soggy). Enjoy!
Notes
- If you do not need the pumpkin muffins to be vegan, you can replace the flax eggs (2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons water) with 2 large eggs at room temperature (omit the water).
- No pumpkin pie spice? Use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.
- If youโd like the muffins to be vegan, be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- I haven’t yet experimented with making these muffins gluten free. If you’d like to try, I would recommend starting with a 1:1 baking blend likeย this one.
- Store muffins according to this guide forย How to Store Muffins.
Nutrition
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This recipe is a taste from heaven! I used 2 of those 6 muffin XL pans and doubled all the ingredients! Used gluten-free flour (I think from Bob’s), and used Ripple Unflavored “milk”. I subbed the chocolate chips with chunky semi-sweet chocolate chunks and added walnuts! I cooked for it for 31 minutes or so (checking the batch with a toothpick) and let it sit for 20 minutes once the toothpick came out doughless ? . Oh my goodness, your recipe…SOOO MOIST. SO YUMMY, and all of it gluten-free AND vegan? You have blessed my family’s Thanksgiving! Thank you so much!
This MADE my day! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Dee! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
I just made these muffins. They are very moist and delicious and they rose beautifully.
I made three small changes – I used stevia instead of maple syrup; for the oil, I used a combination of yogurt and olive oil; also, I used walnuts instead of chocolate chips (family members have dietary restrictions). Great recipe.
Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Fareeda! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
These look amazing! Do you think I could use a neutral tasting oil with good results as a substitute to the coconut oil?
Hi Joy! Yes, you can swap for a different oil or melted butter. I hope you love the recipe!
I love anything pumpkin so I was looking for an easy and yummy pumpkin muffin recipe, and gave this one a shot. They are SO good!! So pumpkiny and moist. I did try using 1:1 gluten free flour with this recipe and had no issues! I used the same ratio of flour as your recipe listed.ย
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Megan! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I just made these, but no matter how long I cooked them, they came out really mushy, and seem raw. Is there too much pumpkin purรฉe? Also I used a GF flour instead, could that have been the problem?ย
Hi Paige, I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with these muffins. It’s so hard to say what might’ve happened without being in the kitchen with you. I haven’t tested these with gluten free flour myself, but it should work fine. I hope you were still able to enjoy them!
I just doubled this muffin recipe and wow! These are absolutely delicious. Thank you so very much for sharing, my family and I are really enjoying these!ย
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Natalia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These are fantastic! They rose beautifully and have a perfect muffin texture. The flavor is also great. Will definitely make these again! Thank you!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Stacey! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
So goood!!! I made them gluten free as well at altitude and they were perfect!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Bonnie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Boy are these delicious- wonderful flavor, wonderful texture! I used raisins instead of the chips, because my mom used to make pumpkin raisin muffins when I was little. Dare I say these were better than hers? I’m allergic the coconut, so I subbed in vegetable oil, and that worked perfectly!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Lori! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These were delicious! They quickly disappeared in our house, with not only my vegan child eating them but the whole family enjoying them! Will make again.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Karen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Followed the recipe exactly. The muffins never cooked inside. They were gooey in the inside. No matter how long I cooked them. They even started to crust hard on the outside but remained uncooked inside. Very disappointed. I was looking to serve these in the morning but for now they will serve the trash. Iโve never had this happen before.
I’m sorry to hear that the muffins didn’t turn out perfectly for you, Zara. Itโs so hard to say what mightโve happened without being in the kitchen with you. I (and other readers) have really enjoyed these, so I wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
Hi Erin,
I’ve started making these muffins and I will leave a rating after I have actually made them and tasted them. I’m looking at comments for helpful tips and bummed out that many people have left 5 star ratings without even making them. That’s not helpful, and kind of defeats the point of the rating system. People can be encouraging that a recipe looks good without rating it. Just had to crab about that for a minute. I know it isn’t your fault.
I hope you enjoy the muffins, Kelly! Many people who made them have left reviews as well (and loved them!), so I hope those can be helpful for you.
These were very good! Made them as the recipe called for, except I subbed a few tablespoons of oil for a few tablespoons of mashed bananas. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
I’m so happy that they were a hit, Kelly! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These are the best vegan muffins Iโve made in a long time! I didnโt have flax, used chia instead; also decreased the maple syrup amount. They turned out delicious, and my daughter agrees. Perfect muffins, and I love that this recipe calls for a full cup of pumpkin. Thank You!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Patricia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’ve made these two more times, and used a mix of GF + buckwheat flours; this time I used a combination of maple syrup + blackstrap molasses to total 1/3 c sweetener. Still my favorite muffin recipe, and an appreciated treat for my daughter. Fantastic to have with a bit of oatmeal for breakfast. Thanks again! (^_^)
I am so so happy to hear that Patricia! Thanks for taking time to leave this review.
Wasnโt a fan. Very chewy and elastic. I ended up throwing them all away.
I’m sorry to hear that these muffins weren’t a hit for you, Amber. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed them, so I truly wish you would’ve too!
I’ve made these muffins like 5 times in the past 4 months (quarantine baking!) I love them so much. My family was a little weary of the idea of flax eggs, but these muffins sold them.
So pleased to hear that Lori, thank you for sharing!!
Really delicious. I was surprised at how moist they were. Whole wheat flour muffins have a tendency to be dense, but these were really good! I almost felt like I was cheating on my healthy diet and the smell in my kitchen was amazing.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Kim! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These are hands down the best muffins I have ever made! They are so soft and the pumpkin flavor is perfect! During the fall time I make these almost every week (and sometimes in the summer too lol). I have tried these muffins with and without chocolate chips and theyโre delicious both ways! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi Madison! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!