Gluten-free pumpkin muffins are a good way to start off the day. Pumpkin muffins are a type of gluten-free bread and go great with many, many foods… especially breakfast “fixin’s.”

And, even better, this recipe is easy to make. They can be ready in about 30 minutes and will reward you and your family with their delicate aroma and delicious pumpkin-y flavor.

Unfortunately, they won’t last very long. So, be sure to make plenty… I turned my husband loose on the muffins you see in the picture above and they all vanished in about 15 minutes… And, he’s not a magician!

He says that they are fabulous with a pat of rich, creamery butter melted into each piece.

These wonderful mealtime treats should be made with coconut palm sugar or honey to keep them refined sugar-free. The pumpkin in them is high in Vitamins A, C, E and K, and manganese. They also include rolled oats, which is a very good source of manganese as well as phosphorus and selenium.

Both pumpkin and oats are excellent sources of healthful dietary fiber.

These muffins can easily be dairy-free if you use almond milk. If you want your creation to be nut-free, try substituting rice milk for the almond. I haven’t actually used rice milk in the recipe but I think it should work.

The best part is that they taste good for breakfast or to tuck in a lunch or just for a snack.

Tip: I want to mention a small but noticeable difference to remember when you work with gluten-free flours. Gluten-free flours produce a better texture when they are mixed or beaten very well. This is the opposite of working with gluten-y flours, especially for muffins.

Normally you would only stir a gluten-y muffin batter until just combined. However, with gluten-free flours it is important to beat the batter well and then beat a little more for good luck. When making gluten-y muffins I used to use a fork to stir the batter to avoid over beating them. But now, when I make gluten-free muffins, I use a whisk and stir until the batter looks completely smooth.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins Made with Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Cup Gluten-Free Baking Mix, like King Arthur Flour’s (159 g.) (OR 100 g. Garbanzo Flour + 40 g. Sweet Rice Flour + 10 g. Potato Starch)

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill GF Rolled Oats (80 g.) – the old-fashioned, chewy kind

1 Teaspoon Gluten-Free Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon or Nutmeg (or both!), more or less to taste

½ Cup Coconut Palm Sugar (or you can use ¼ Cup Honey, but if you use this, stir it together with the wet ingredients)

½ Cup Buttermilk (or you can sour some milk by using 1-1/2 Teaspoon Vinegar in a measuring cup and adding Milk — Dairy or Almond or your favorite alternative — to equal ½ Cup)

½ Cup Pumpkin Puree (canned or homemade)

½ Cup Oil (I used Coconut Oil)

2 Eggs

1/3 Cup Raisins or Chopped Dates (50 g.), optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Measure the buttermilk or, if using sour milk, put 1-1/2 teaspoon vinegar in a measuring cup and add milk — dairy or almond or your favorite alternative — to equal ½ cup; then let sit for several minutes.

Grease muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, measure the dry ingredients. Whisk together thoroughly.

Combine the wet ingredients; mix well.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is completely combined and as smooth as you can make it. This is the opposite of working with gluten-y flours because you would stir those only until just combined, but with gluten-free flours it is important to beat well, and then beat some more.

Stir in the raisins or dates if you are using them.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.

Bake about 25 minutes or until muffins are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes about 12 muffins.

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Linked to:

The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures’ Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Tessa, The Domestic Diva’s Allergy Friendly Wednesdays

Real Food, Allergy Free’s Allergy Friendly Wednesdays

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday

Vegetarian Mamma’s Gluten-Free Fridays

Rattlebridge Farm’s Foodie Friday

Simply Sweet Home’s Friday Favorites

Homegrown & Healthy’s Mostly Homemade Mondays