Fall is in the air, so that means “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice!” This Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe is whole food plant based – no added oil or refined sugar. It has the perfect amount of spices & sweetness and they are very moist! This recipe is quick and easy to – only 1 bowl & 30 minutes!
My kitchen smells sooo good right now with the smell of pumpkin spice! Have I mentioned this is one of my favorite flavors & smells???
Well if you love pumpkin spice as much as I do, then you may also want to try the Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes or Vegan Panera Autumn Squash Soup.
How to make Pumpkin Spice Muffins Sweet without Sugar
Most all the vegan pumpkin muffin recipes I looked up had both oil & refined sugar added. Boooo.
I decided to try using unsweetened applesauce and pure maple syrup to create the sweetness. They have just enough sweetness!
The true test is whenever my kids try them. I had them sitting on the counter when my kids came home from school and my youngest son eyed them excitedly. He ended up eating 4…. I guess that’s a good sign. 🙂
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Regular paper muffin liners tend to stick to the muffin so you have to spray them with cooking spray so they release. To keep this recipe completely oil free you can use Parchment Paper Muffin Liners or Silicone Muffin Cups so you don’t even have to spray your muffin tin/liners with cooking spray oil.
Make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins in only 30 minutes
This recipe is super easy and quick and only takes 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a muffin tin with liners (parchment paper liners are best so they won’t stick).
- Combine whole wheat flour, spices, baking powder, & salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, applesauce, & vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, careful not to over mix.
- Divide the batter among the 12 molds until about 2/3 of the way full.(To not make a mess, pour batter into a gallon storage bag and snip a bottom corner with scissors so you can evenly distribute the batter.)
- Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing.
To make this recipe gluten free, use oat flour instead.
What about coconut sugar as a WFPB sweetener?
Whole Food Plant Based eating does have some gray area for some people depending on which doctor or eating plan you follow and how strict you are. Coconut Sugar can be used as a sweetener and is technically a unrefined food. It is much lower on the glycemic index than sugar, however it is the same amount of calories as sugar. It is also not nutrient dense. So, I made that an optional add-in if you wanted your muffins a little sweeter.
I will say, I did not add in the coconut sugar and my kids (especially my youngest) loved them.
Can I add Vegan Chocolate Chips?
Again, this will depend on how strict you are with a whole food plant based diet. While the vegan chocolate chips are dairy free, they do contain sugar & cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is the oil pressed out of cocoa beans, so the name “butter” is misleading as it is no dairy based. It’s solid at room temperature and high in saturated fat so keep that in mind. You can find vegan chocolate chips that are dairy free at Whole Foods, Target, Central Market, and Amazon.
If you try this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think!
More WFPB Recipes you might like:
- The Best Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Dr. Fuhrman’s Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake
- Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Vegan Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Learn How to Make Delicious Plant Based Recipes that are Quick, Easy, & Cheap!
Are new to a whole food plant based diet and a little overwhelmed? Not sure what you should and shouldn’t eat? Need help transitioning slowly with delicious & simple recipes your whole family will love that take 30 minutes or less? Let me help you with my Quick & Easy Plant Based Power Pack! I’ll give you the WFPB basics in simple to understand terms and tips on transitioning in a way that works for you. Learn more about my Quick & Easy Plant Based Power Pack HERE
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or date sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or date syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a muffin tin with liners (parchment paper liners are best so they won't stick).
- Combine whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, spices, baking powder, & salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, applesauce, & vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, careful not to over mix. If using vegan chocolate chips, fold them in.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 molds.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing.
Notes
Nutrition
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I am celiac, can I substitute a GF flour for the whole wheat pastry flour??
Absolutely!
What’s the substitute from whole wheat pastry flour to gluten free flour? Can that be work?
You can use oat flour or almond flour! Both are gluten free (just make sure you read the label to see that it is certified gluten free).
I don’t like pumpkin, can I substitute sweet potato?
The recipe looks yummy! Are the muffins fluffy or dense?
They are pretty fluffy and delicious!
OMG. Delicious. Thank you!!
You’re welcome-hope you enjoy as much as my family & I do!