I made these dairy-free Maple Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins a few years ago while selling at a local Farmers’ Market. Pumpkin is one of those foods that I used to think I wouldn’t like. I mean, it looks odd and the orange colour wasn’t the most appealing to me. To be honest I never understood why people would get all excited over pumpkin baked goods, but these muffins and my semi-raw pumpkin pie have changed my mind big time. These muffins are amazing! I’ve made several other batches since, and even ventured out into creating different recipes like these Pumpkin Smoothie Pancakes. YUM!!! So good!

Dairy-Free Maple Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

I made these muffins using low-gluten flours and eggs, but they can very easily be made vegan with a healthy egg replacement: chia seeds. I’ve also provided a gluten-free option because these muffins are prime candidates for it! Anything that uses a thick binding ingredients like banana, applesauce and pumpkin purée usually works really well for gluten-free baked goods.

Pumpkin Benefits

Pumpkins are great to add to your diet because they contain fibre and essential vitamins and minerals. They get their orange colour from beta-carotene, an antioxidant that transforms into vitamin A in the body. This important antioxidant helps to battle the oxidation that occurs in the body and is helpful in improving our cardiovascular health. The best part? Because this vitamin comes from food, our body recognizes it and absorbs it much more easily than supplements! Eat food from all colours!

For this recipe, you’ll need to bake a small pumpkin ahead of time (learn how to bake a pumpkin, it’s really easy). You’ll also need some apple sauce. If you don’t have any already made, you can simply peel 2 apples, core and slices them, put in a pot over medium heat, add a teaspoon of sugar, cover, bring to a boil, reduce temperature, simmer (covered) for a few minutes. Remove from heat and mash with a fork. It’s that simple.

Bon appétit!

ECP xo

Print Maple Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins | Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Vegan + Gluten-Free Options Healthy pumpkin muffins with maple and cranberry. Dairy-free, whole grain, refined sugar-free and 2 options are provided: vegan or gluten-free. Ingredients 1/2 cups rye flour For GF option, see below in notes

1.5 cup spelt flour For GF option, see Notes below

1.5 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

1 tsp pumpkin-pie spices or spice cake spices (a mix of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and clove)

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 organic free-range eggs For vegan option, see below in notes

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup organic applesauce

1 cup baked pumpkin mashed (or you can use canned pumpkin)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1.5 cup fresh cranberries or frozen

2 Tbsp raw unsalted pumpkin seeds chopped (optional)

3 Tbsp dried cranberries chopped (optional) Instructions Preheat oven to 375 F. Put liners in muffin cups. Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Set aside. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, then add in the oil, then the applesauce, and then add the mashed pumpkin, until smooth. Mix wet mixture in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in cranberries with a rubber spatula. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be very full), then sprinkle the chopped pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries on top of each muffin (optional). Bake until puffy and golden brown, and a clean knife comes out clean, approx. 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins to cooling rack to cool completely. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Option: For a decadent treat, mix 1/4 cup icing sugar with 1 Tbsp water until completely dissolved. Drizzle over the muffins. Recipe Notes The pumpkin needs to be baked ahead of time. For vegan option: mix 2 Tbsp of chia seeds with 1/3 cup water, wait 5-10 min before using instead of eggs. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions as normal. For gluten-free option: replace the flours with 1.5 cup brown rice flour and 1/2 cup tapioca starch. Add 1 tsp to the wet mix as well. Follow the rest of the instructions as normal.

Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving

Calories: 213kcal | Fat: 8g | Saturated fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 193mg | Carbohydrates: 31g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Protein: 4g | Vitamin A: 3225% | Vitamin C: 2.6% | Calcium: 54% | Iron: 1.6%