Dense, gummy gluten-free muffins are the worst, but my GF pumpkin muffins recipe fixes that for good. Adding cream cheese into the batter keeps them extra moist, without without the need for excess oil. Cooking down the canned pumpkin puree draws out excess moisture so a light, fluffy texture shines through. It’s all finished with a crumb topping and cream cheese glaze for epic bakery-style vibes.
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Simply, The Fluffiest, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
First, let me tell you what these homemade gluten-free pumpkin muffins are not. Dense and compressed with a heavy, almost wet crumb. I know from creating loads of no-fail gluten-free muffin recipes, that a subpar stand-in should never be what we settle for.
When I set out to create my pumpkin streusel muffins I knew I wanted it to emulate the same surprisingly light, fluffy texture as wholesome gluten-free morning glory muffins. These also contain a lot of moisture-rich ingredients, but manages to bake up soft and fluffy.
When making pumpkin muffins with gluten-free flour the combination of canned pumpkin and oil can be problematic. Both add a lot of liquid, which GF flour has a harder time absorbing. That is where you get those typical dense, heavy, and disappointing results.
What’s the fix? First I tried using the fluffy almond flour pumpkin bread technique – blotting the canned pumpkin with paper towels first. But that didn’t go far enough. Instead, cooking down the pumpkin draws out excess moisture, but leaves behind an intense pumpkin spice flavor.
Secondly, I reduced the amount of added oil, but swapped in cream cheese to replace the moisture. This coats the GF starches for a soft, never gritty, texture and makes the pumpkin crumb muffins exceptionally soft. Since I never like to waste ingredients, the rest of the cream cheese goes into a gooey creamy glaze on top!
Amazing! Hard to believe they are gluten and dairy free and taste so yummy! I doubled the recipe and everyone loved them!
—Devri
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Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Cook down canned pumpkin
Grab a larger saucepan because everything will be mixed together in here. Add the canned pumpkin along with the seasonings. I really recommend using Libby’s brand, especially for gluten-free baking recipes because it has a thicker, not watery, consistency. Cook for about 7-8 minutes over medium heat so the mixture reduces and liquid evaporates.
Remove it from the heat and whisk in the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil.
Stir in dry ingredients
In that same pan stir in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and baking soda. I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour brand because it has the softest texture with the most neutral taste.
Avoid a dry and sandy gluten-free crumb topping
For the streusel topping I do things a little differently. A simple mixture of GF flour, sugar, and melted butter gives a really unpleasant gritty texture. I add an egg yolk to add moisture and act as an extra binder. It clumps the streusel together into soft, yet crunchy, pockets. We don’t want to ruin a perfectly moist muffin with a bad finish!
Divide batter between the 12 muffin tins about ⅔ full and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the crumb topping on and bake in a 375℉ oven for about 20 minutes.
Dreamy cream cheese glaze
For another level of overall goodness we finish it all off with a cream cheese glaze. The muffins only use 2 ounces cream cheese, so we the rest is put into good use for the frosting.
Mix together softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. The frosting will be thicker than traditional glaze, due to the cream cheese, but can be thinned out with additional milk if desired.
Talk To Me About Options
Not feeling a crumb topping or glaze? Heard – just leave them off. Sometimes I finish the muffins off with a little sprinkle of coarse sugar or a cinnamon and sugar combo.
Feel free to stir in any desired mix-ins after the batter is mixed together. Some great additions to GF pumpkin spice muffins are miniature chocolate chips, nuts, dried cranberries, pepitas, or coconut.
If you’d like to use the whole can of pumpkin, just double the recipe. Or use half the can for the muffins and the rest in another essential fall treat – the chewiest gluten-free pumpkin cookies.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Never-Dense Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 cup (244 g) canned pumpkin puree, Libby's brand preferred
- ¾ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup (117 g) packed brown sugar
- 2 ounces (56 g) cream cheese, softened and chopped into pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (55 g) oil, any preferred
- 2 tablespoons (31 g) milk or non-dairy milk
- 1 ¼ cups (193 g) gluten free all purpose flour, (I use and recommend Cup4Cup brand)
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup (78 g) gluten free all purpose flour, (I use and recommend Cup4Cup brand)
- ⅓ cup (74 g) packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg yolk
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 ounces (56 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (61 g) milk or non-dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Liberally grease a muffin pan or use paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan (all the ingredients will be added to the saucepan, so make sure it is big enough) combine the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. The mixture will reduce as the liquid from the pumpkin evaporates.1 cup canned pumpkin puree, ¾ teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, pinch teaspoon ground cloves
- Remove from heat and add sugar, brown sugar, and cream cheese. Whisk vigorously until cream cheese melts and smoothly combines in the mixture.½ cup sugar, ½ cup packed brown sugar, 2 ounces cream cheese
- Add eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil. Whisk to combine.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ cup oil, 2 tablespoons milk or non-dairy milk
- To the pumpkin mixture add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir until well combined and no flour pockets remain.1 ¼ cups gluten free all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Divide batter between the 12 muffin tins about ⅔ full and smooth tops. Set aside so the GF starches soften and hydrate while the crumb topping is prepared.
- For the crumb topping, in a medium bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter and egg yolk until well combined.½ cup gluten free all purpose flour, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 egg yolk
- Break off chunks of crumb topping until evenly divided on top, pressing down slightly. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before lifting out of pan to cool completely on wire rack.
- While muffins are cooling, prepare glaze. Place all the cream cheese glaze ingredients in a medium bowl and use a hand mixer to blend on low speed.2 ounces cream cheese, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¾ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk or non-dairy milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once the ingredients are combined, increase speed to medium high and beat until glaze is very smooth. It should be a pourable consistency. Add additional milk or powdered sugar to thin or thicken. Place a large sheet of waxed paper under cooling rack to catch drips then use a small spoon to drizzle over crumb topping.
Notes
Suggested Mix-Ins
Add up to 1 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds), chocolate chips, coconut, dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates after all the other ingredients have been added to the batter.Dairy-Free Adaptation
For the milk and cream cheese, swap out with your favorite non-dairy substitutes. For the topping, either use a simple cinnamon sugar mixture or omit it entirely. Alternatively use melted coconut oil or vegan butter stick in place of the butter for the crumb topping.Storing and Freezing
The cream cheese glaze does not harden like regular powdered sugar glazes, so you’ll need to take some extra precautions when storing and freezing to keep the keep the tops from sticking. Store in a single layer in an airtight container up to 2 days at room temperature. Gluten free baked goods do not have the shelf life like regular ones, so I usually freeze leftovers right away. After the muffins have completely cooled place a square of waxed paper loosely on top of the glaze, wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap and store in a single layer in a ziplock freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months. Adapted from Gluten Free Pumpkin BreadThis post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Amazing! Hard to believe they are gluten and dairy free and taste so yummy! I doubled the recipe and everyone loved them!
Thanks for sharing, Devri. I really appreciate you taking the time!
Best,
Melissa
I followed this recipe to the tee with homemade pumpkin puree that had been frozen. Just thawed pumpkin and put paper towel on top to soak up a little of the watery liquid on top. They turned out delicious!!!!
Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear they work well with homemade pumpkin puree as well. Thanks for the trick about the paper towel!
Best,
Melissa
I’m assuming your can use fresh pumpkin in lieu of canned?
Hi Patty,
I haven’t tested the recipe with fresh, but I don’t see why it would be a problem! It might contain slightly more moisture, so you may have to cook it an additional minute or two on the stove. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa