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Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Muffins

Whip up the fluffiest Vegan Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Muffins in just 30 minutes! With whole wheat flour, they are great for breakfast or for a midday treat with a cup of coffee. They’re not too sweet and perfect for fall snacking.

a side view of a basket of vegan pumpkin muffins next to fall leaves

Ingredients Details & Possible Substitutions for Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Muffins

Chia seeds mixed with water provide a vegan “egg” to help bind this recipe. Ground flax can also be used!

A neutral oil such as avocado also helps bind the flour in this recipe – refined coconut oil or canola oil are easy swaps.

This recipe uses an entire can (15 oz) of pumpkin puree – nothing leftover! Pumpkin is a natural binding agent, making it a great player in plant-based baking (which of course does not rely on eggs).

Turbinado sugar plays two parts: it lends a subtle crunch and sweetness to the base of the muffins while also providing a pretty sparkle for their tops.

All purpose flour and whole wheat flour provide most of the structure here, but can be substituted for one another as needed. Keep in mind that whole wheat flour absorbs more water, so it’s not a direct cup-for-cup swap.

A combination of baking soda and baking powder provides structure and lift.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt invokes traditional fall flavors – perfectly cozy and delicious.

overhead shot of vegan pumpkin muffins in a basket next to a tree

How to Get Vegan Muffins to Rise

As mentioned above, pumpkin acts as a natural binding agent in this recipe, without eggs. To keep things from being too dense, baking soda and baking powder both help with rising.

A trick that is more of a cheat than anything is to overfill the muffin tin itself (or at least add more batter than you normally would. In this recipe I suggest only using 9 of the 12 tins on a standard muffin pan – this ensure bakery-level rise from each muffin.

More Easy Muffin Recipes to Try

Bakery-Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Vegan English Muffins

a close up of cinnamon swirl pumpkin muffins in a basket

Love pumpkin? Try these other baked goods next!

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Cinnamon Frosting

Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes (not really a baked good, but sort of)

Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bark

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Print
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a side view of a basket of vegan pumpkin muffins next to fall leaves

Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Muffins


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Emily
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 9 muffins 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Whip up the fluffiest Vegan Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Muffins in just 30 minutes! With whole wheat flour, they are great for breakfast or for a midday treat with a cup of coffee. They’re not too sweet and perfect for fall snacking.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 TBS chia seeds (or 2 TBS ground flaxseeds) + 5 TBS water, set aside
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil, like avocado
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 2/3 cup raw turbinado sugar
  • 1 TBS molasses, or one TBS brown sugar, optional
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (or 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries, optional
  • For topping: 1 TBS turbinado sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and oil a muffin tin. In a small bowl, combine chia “egg,” neutral oil, pumpkin, turbinado sugar, and optional molasses/brown sugar. Mix to combine and set aside. 
  2. In a larger bowl, mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle in dried cranberries if using. 
  3. Carefully pour wet mixture into dry, mixing until there are no dry spots (do not mix too much though, as this will develop gluten in the flour which will make the muffins tough). Spoon muffin batter into 9 of the tins.
  4. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mix on top of all muffins and bake for 18-22 minutes, until a knife stuck in the center comes out dry. Let muffins cool slightly in the pan, then remove to cool completely. Store in a sealed container on the counter for 3 days (they will soften a bit as they sit, but remain moist).
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 296.5 calories
  • Sugar: 18.4 grams
  • Sodium: 199.8 milligrams
  • Fat: 13.5 grams
  • Saturated Fat: 1.9 grams
  • Unsaturated Fat: 11.6 grams
  • Trans Fat: 0 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 41.4 grams
  • Fiber: 3.8 grams
  • Protein: 4 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
a sliced vegan pumpkin muffin in a woven basket
Portrait of Emily Meyers, founder of Garlic Head

About the Author

Emily (Frigon) Meyers is the founder of Garlic Head, a plant-based recipe website for all eaters who want to easily, affordably, and sustainably incorporate more vegetables into their diets while saving time and money. She is a lifelong vegetarian and 10+ year vegan. Garlic Head does not focus on labels - it focuses on creating food that everyone can enjoy.

Emily earned a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University along with degrees in Economics, Spanish, and Global Sustainability from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been featured on numerous podcasts and websites including The Food Institute, VegNews, Buzzfeed, and the Boston Globe.

Meet Emily here.

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Comments

  1. Sue0523 says

    So delicious and so simple. Maybe its my tin, but the recipe as written made 12 nice sized muffins – perfect breakfast for the week!






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