The Best Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

These vegan pumpkin spice muffins look and taste like they're straight out of a fancy bakery, with a tender texture and gorgeous orange color. No one will be able to detect that they're made without eggs or dairy!

They're one of my favorite vegan fall baking recipes to make, together with vegan apple crisp and vegan cornbread. While they're easy enough to make every day, they'd also make a delicious breakfast treat for your vegan Thanksgiving.

This recipe has just the right amount of spice to complement the sweet flavor of the pumpkin puree, and it uses a full can of pumpkin puree so you won't have to figure out what to do with the leftovers. The pumpkin puree also does an excellent job of holding the muffins together, so you won't even need an egg replacer for this recipe.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

This recipe just requires some simple ingredients and 35 minutes, so you can make it as often as you want! In this section, you'll find more information about each ingredient, as well as whether you can substitute another ingredient in its place. If you have a question about an ingredient that's not answered here, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll respond as soon as I can!

all-purpose flour: I recommend all-purpose flour for the best texture. Cake flour is too light, and whole wheat flour is too dense. You may be able to make this recipe with a gluten-free flour mix like Bob's Red Mill, but I haven't tried it.

brown sugar: This adds sweetness and a rich flavor to the muffins. To keep this recipe vegan, look for organic brown sugar or brown sugar that's marked vegan. Other types of brown sugar may be processed using animal ingredients (if you're in the US). You could also use coconut sugar if you want to avoid processed sugar.

baking powder: This helps the muffin tops rise and creates a light, fluffy texture. Make sure you're using fresh baking powder that's still active.

pumpkin pie spice: A warm blend of spices that pairs perfectly with pumpkin. If you can't find pumpkin pie spice in your area, you can make your own. See the section below called, "How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice."

salt: This balances the sweetness of the muffins and enhances all the flavors. I used sea salt in this recipe, but you can also use table salt or pink salt.

pumpkin puree: If you're buying canned, be sure to get pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You can also make your own pumpkin puree with a sugar pumpkin (aka pie pumpkin) by cutting it and scooping out the seeds, roasting it in the oven, and pureeing the roasted pulp in a blender or food processor.

almond milk: Almost any non-dairy milk would work here, including soy, cashew, or oat. Just make sure it's plain and unsweetened.

sunflower oil: Most neutral oils would work, including canola, grapeseed, safflower, avocado, or light olive oil. Although some people suggest using applesauce to make muffin recipes oil-free, I have found the results to be less than ideal, with the texture suffering and the muffins falling apart and sticking to the liners.

apple cider vinegar: This creates a tender texture in the muffins. You can also use white vinegar.

vanilla extract: I always recommend using pure vanilla extract for the best flavor instead of imitation vanilla. If you bake often, check out Costco's vanilla extract, which is about 1/4 of the price per ounce of other vanilla extract brands.

optional add-ins: Although I love these vegan pumpkin streusel muffins just as they are, they are also great with add-ins like dairy-free chocolate chips, nuts, or dried cranberries. Mix your batter first, then fold in any add-ins gently.

For the Streusel Topping and Lemon Icing

vegan butter: Most vegan butters should work here, including my homemade vegan butter. If you're buying store-bought, I recommend Miyoko's or Earth Balance.

powdered sugar: This might also be labeled as icing sugar or confectioner's sugar. Make sure you sift your powdered sugar to get rid of any clumps. In the US, you'll want to look for organic or powdered sugar specifically labeled vegan, otherwise it may be processed using animal ingredients.

lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed for the best flavor. This gives the icing a tangy flavor that pairs well with pumpkin's sweetness. You could also use vanilla extract if you prefer a milder icing.

Tips for the Best Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Sift your dry ingredients: Especially if you live in a humid climate, your ingredients could be a bit lumpy, so it's always best to sift.

Measure flour correctly: For the most accurate measurement, switch to metric measurements and weigh your flour. If you don't have a kitchen scale, make sure you're not scooping flour directly into the cup, which will pack it in, resulting in too much flour. Instead, use a spoon to transfer flour to the cup, then level it off with the flat side of a butter knife.

Use fresh baking powder: Baking powder is critical for getting a light, fluffy texture and tall muffin tops. It can lose its effectiveness over time, so using fresh baking powder is important.

Don't overmix: As with any muffin recipe, you want to mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients. If you keep mixing beyond that point, the gluten will develop, resulting in tough, dense, muffins.

Measure the batter: To get approximately equal-sized muffins, the best method is to weigh your batter. Just place your bowl onto the scale and hit tare to set the weight to 0. Then measure out an equal amount of batter for each muffin (I used 90 grams per muffin).

Change the temperature after 5 minutes: We do this because the initial high temperature helps the muffin tops rise quickly. Reducing the temperature helps keep the muffins moist. Make sure you don't bake them too long, because that will also cause them to dry out.

Let them cool: Don't take them out of the muffin tins until about 20 minutes has passed. Then, let them cool completely on a wire rack. This is going to ensure that the muffins don't crumble or stick to the liners.

Drizzle the icing with a squeeze bottle: After the muffins are completely cooled, drizzle the icing on top (I recommend only icing the ones you'll eat immediately). For an easy and mess-free way to drizzle, I really like using a squeeze bottle.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

If you can't get pumpkin pie spice in your area, don't worry, it's super easy to make at home. Just mix these ingredients well and store in a small jar. (Makes about 3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice.)

• 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tbsp. ground ginger

• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 3/4 tsp. ground cloves

• 3/4 tsp. ground allspice

How to Store Leftover Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

These muffins will last 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or 1 week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.

Because of the moisture in the muffins, the streusel topping may begin to soften after a day or so. You can crisp it back up in the air fryer for a few minutes or in the oven. However, if you've already put icing on the muffins it will melt. So I recommend only icing the muffins you'll eat right away.

Your remaining icing can be kept in your squeeze bottle or in another container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You could also freeze it in a small freezer bag if you're freezing your muffins.

More Vegan Muffins and Sweet Breakfast Recipes

• Vegan Apple Muffins

• Vegan Blueberry Muffins

• Vegan Banana Muffins

• Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

• Vegan Cornbread Muffins

• Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

• Vegan Chocolate Frosted Donuts

• Vegan Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Pop Tarts

• Vegan French Toast