autumn

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

October 25, 2023 By Courtney West 1 Comment

The perfect autumnal treat, these gluten free pumpkin muffins are packed with warm spices and pumpkin flavor. I highly recommend enjoying them alongside a mug of coffee or tea!

Pumpkins are one of my favorite things so it’s probably not shocking that pumpkin baked goods are ranked pretty high up there as well! It doesn’t feel right to let an autumn pass without sharing a couple of pumpkin-y recipes here with you. Last year it was these dark chocolate pumpkin bonbons and this year, I shared my absolute favorite spiced pumpkin pecan granola. Today, we’re focusing on a classic: the pumpkin muffin.

It’s super common to see decked out pumpkin muffins this time of year with crumble toppings or chocolate chips, or swirls of cream cheese. Personally, I like to keep it classic without any add-ins and a simple sprinkle of sugar on top. To keep the ingredient list on the smaller side, I use my homemade pumpkin pie spice in these which gives them that lovely, cozy autumnal flavor.

You Only Need 10 Ingredients to Make these Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour: rather than combining several different gluten free flours, we’re keeping it easy with a good ready-made baking blend! This is the only one I use in my kitchen.
Baking Powder: helps the muffins rise.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: this spice blend adds all of the delicious autumnal flavor to these muffins. If you can’t find this seasonal spice blend, you can either make it or use a combination of a few different spices for similar results (see recipe notes).
Sea Salt: balances all of the flavors.
Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: sweetens the muffins. If you prefer, you can use all granulated sugar if you don’t keep brown sugar on hand.
Pumpkin Puree: gives the muffins their lovely pumpkin flavor while also keeping them moist. You can use homemade pumpkin puree, just make sure it’s not too watery!
Melted Vegan Butter: keeps the muffins from having a rubbery texture. You can also use an equal amount of melted coconut oil if you prefer!
Eggs: provide structure which is incredibly important in a gluten free recipe. I haven’t tried this specific recipe with a vegan equivalent so if you do, let me know how it goes!
Vanilla Extract: enhances all of the flavors.

How to Make these Muffins

Start by grabbing all of your ingredients. This recipe (and most gluten free recipes that I develop) works best when the majority of the ingredients are measured by weight so you’ll need a kitchen scale. In one bowl, measure out all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, spices, sugars) then whisk them together. In another bowl, measure out the wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, vanilla) and whisk until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin to mix. You’ll probably want to switch to a wooden spoon or spatula for this. Mix until you have a thick batter and cannot see any streaks of flour remaining. You don’t need to worry about overmixing the batter since we’re using gluten free flour!

Place muffin liners in your pan, then fill the liners all the way to the top with the batter. You should have enough batter to completely fill all 12. If you want, you can sprinkle some granulated sugar onto the top of each muffin.

Bake the muffins until a tester comes out clean, about 26-28 minutes. These take slightly longer to bake due to the gluten free flour. Allow your muffins to cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. You can enjoy them warm or at room temperature.

Tips for Storing Your Muffins

As with most gluten free baked goods, these don’t have as long of a shelf life! The best way to store them is to keep them on a plate or platter on your counter and cover them with a kitchen towel. Plan to enjoy them within a couple of days. You can also keep them in the fridge but I recommend warming them up in a toaster before eating them if you go that route. You can also easily half the recipe if you’d like to make less!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 43 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

The perfect autumnal treat, these gluten free pumpkin muffins are packed with warm spices and pumpkin flavor. I highly recommend enjoying them alongside a mug of coffee or tea!

Ingredients

Units Scale

250 grams 1:1 gluten-free baking flour mix (I like this one)
100 grams granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
75 grams brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
heaped 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
330 grams pumpkin puree
50 grams melted vegan butter or melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with a 12 muffin capacity with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Using a spoon or spatula, mix until you have a thick batter without any streaks of flour remaining.

Fill the liners all the way to the top with the batter. You should have enough batter to completely fill all 12. If you want, you can sprinkle some granulated sugar onto the top of each muffin.

Bake the muffins for 26-28 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 20 minutes before eating them.

Notes

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp ground cloves or nutmeg instead.
These muffins store best kept on a plate or platter on your counter covered with a kitchen towel. Make sure to enjoy them within a couple of days.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 26-28 minutes
Category: dessert

Roasted Honeynut Squash with Roselle Leaf Pesto

October 13, 2023 By Courtney West Leave a Comment

Tender wedges of roasted honeynut squash are topped with a tangy roselle leaf pesto for an easy and flavorful side dish. This vegan and gluten free recipe is perfect for the autumn season and comes together with just 8 ingredients.

This is the third year I’ve grown roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in my garden yet it’s the first time I finally got around to making pesto with its lovely, tangy leaves! The great thing about roselle is that is provides two different edible parts: the leaves and the pods (calyces). You might have noticed roselle pods in a couple of past recipes here. Just like the pods, the leaves have a similar tangy flavor. In order to make more of an autumnal dish, the tangy pesto is filled with caramelized garlic and paired with roasted honeynut squashes. While it might look rather simple, it’s an incredibly flavorful side dish!

8 Ingredients in this Roasted Honeynut Squash with Roselle Leaf Pesto

Honeynut Squash — you’ll need 2-3 honeynut squashes to enjoy with your pesto. Honeynut squashes are like a miniature butternut with a more concentrated flavor. If you can’t find them, feel free to use 1 butternut instead!
Garlic — along with the squash, you’ll roast an entire bulb of garlic. Once roasted, the garlic mellows and take on a sweet, caramelized flavor which adds a lovely depth to the pesto.
Roselle Leaves — these tangy leaves form the base of our pesto and give it a lovely lemony flavor. Since these are hard to come by, you can use an equal amount of sorrel. Or, use baby spinach leaves in addition to the zest of 1-2 lemons.
Olive Oil — helps roast the squash and provides the necessary liquid for the pesto to blend.
Toasted Cashews — these bulk up the pesto and give it a lovely nutty flavor.
Maple Syrup or Honey — just a touch helps balance out the lemony flavor of the roselle leaves.
Nutritional Yeast – adds a bit of umami to the pesto. If you eat dairy, feel free to substitute some Parmesan instead.
Sea Salt – seasons and balances the flavor of both the squash and the pesto.

Where to Find Roselle Leaf and Substitutions

Roselle is commonly grown down here in Houston so it’s fairly easy to source at farmers markets this time of the year. Since it is more commonly used in various Asian cuisines, you might be able to find it at Asian or Indian grocery stores. If you don’t have access to roselle, you can easily substitute an equal amount of sorrel. Or, an equal amount of baby spinach leaves plus the zest of 1-2 lemons.

Assembling this Recipe

The first step is to prepare your honeynut squashes. Using a sharp knife, you’ll carefully cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out all of the pulp and seeds, then cut them in half lengthwise once again. Arrange the cut squash on a parchment lined sheet and drizzle with some olive oil and add a sprinkle of sea salt. Add your whole bulb of garlic to the pan as well (no need to do anything to it!). Roast until the squash is tender and just beginning to caramelize around the edges.

Once the squash and garlic are finished roasting, you can start on the pesto. You’ll add the roselle leaves, the roasted garlic cloves, toasted cashews, nutritional yeast, maple syrup or honey, olive oil, and salt to a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get a somewhat chunky pesto. Once the pesto is ready, you can add a big dollop to each piece of squash. All that’s left is to serve and enjoy!

Winter Squash Recipes to Enjoy this Season