Happy Autumn everyone! I’ve been quiet as I managed to get quite ill while on holidays and spent the past week in bed. Finally, I am well again so I’m kicking things off with a spot of baking. I made a tray of vegan pumpkin muffins with pecan streusel topping and I have no regrets. Not only do they fill your kitchen with the most divine scent of warming spices that is reminiscent of this time of the year, they are also delicious!
These vegan pumpkin muffins are a doddle to make, especially if you live somewhere where canned pumpkin purée is a thing. Sadly it is not a thing over here – I mean it is possible to get but with great difficulty – so I tend to make my own as it’s really easy.
I simply buy a nice eating pumpkin (or a butternut squash), cube it and steam it until soft and then whack it into a food processor or blender to turn it into a velvety purée. Pumpkin purée great in cakes, pies, pancakes, pastas and soups so none of it goes to waste.
Once you have your pumpkin purée, these vegan pumpkin muffins could not be easier to make – they are one bowl kind of recipe. If you want them to be more indulgent, top them with a delicious pecan streusel topping and you won’t look back. I hope you’ll enjoy these!
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
PUMPKIN PURÉE: Pumpkin purée is what keeps these vegan pumpkin muffins moist and what contributes to their autumn-inspired flavour. It’s hard to (although not impossible) to get in the UK so I tend to make my own, but canned shop-bought pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) works just as well. To make it, simply peel and steam a good eating pumpkin then whizz it in a food processor until velvety smooth. If you want to use a blender you can, but it will require some moisture so use a portion of liquid this recipe calls for to blend your pumpkin.
OIL: This recipe benefits from a little oil. I used mild cooking olive oil (as opposed to extra virgin) this time, but I often use grapeseed oil. You can use coconut oil too, but if you do make sure you melt it gently and cool beforehand.
VEGAN BUTTER: To make the streusel topping, I replaced traditionally used butter with vegan butter (from Naturli). Coconut oil would work well too, but I would recommend using unscented variety (refined) for best results.
SUGAR: I sweetened these vegan pumpkin muffins with a mixture of demerara sugar and some dark muscovado for better flavour. I use used a mixture of these sugars in the pecan streusel.
PLANT MILK: I used oat milk to make the batter but any plant milk will work just fine.
PECANS: I studded these muffins with pecan pieces for texture and added some finely chopped pecans to the simple streusel topping too. Alternatively, you could use walnuts or hazelnuts instead of pecans.
FLOUR: I used plain flour for the regular version and a combination of a good gluten-free flour mix and a touch of xanthan gum for the gluten-free version.
SPICES: I spied these vegan pumpkin muffins with a combination of warming winter spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom and nutmeg, but you can simply use your favourite pumpkin pie spice mix instead.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) PREPARE PECAN STREUSEL
Prepare pecan streusel topping first, you can skip it if you wish, of course. To make it, combine all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and well chopped pecans – in a mixing bowl. Melt vegan butter (coconut oil works too) gently and let it cool down completely. Stir cooled butter into the dry ingredients, use your hands to make sure melted butter is distributed evenly. Set aside.
2) COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS
Start making the muffins by combining all of the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. That’s pumpkin purée, oil, plant milk, lemon juice and sugar – yes, sugar does count as a wet ingredient when it comes to baking.
3) ADD DRY INGREDIENTS
Once the wet ingredients well mixed together, it’s time to add dry ingredients. I suggest sifting the flour in, in two batches, and incorporating the flour using small circles technique, which minimizes the risk of lumps. Once the first portion of flour is in, make small circles with your spatula in the middle of the bowl making them progressively larger. With every circle your spatula incorporates a bit more flour into the wet ingredients. Once all the flour is incorporated, add the second batch and carry on in exactly the same manner until there are no more flour streaks left – don’t overdo it though as overmixing will spoil the texture. Finally, stir in pecans and you are done.
4) DIVIDE THE BATTER & BAKE
Divide the batter evenly between 10 muffin liners. This amount of batter could stretch to 11 or 12 muffins at a push, but 10 is better as they come out taller. Sprinkle all of the muffins (I left some for frosting, but then changed my mind) with a generous amount of pecan streusel topping and bake until a skewer comes out clean, about 21-22 minutes in my oven – yours may need a little less or a little longer.
- 55 g / ¼ cup vegan butter or coconut oil
- 60 g / ½ cup plain flour
- 75 g / heaped 1/3 cup sugar (I used 50% demerara and 50% dark muscovado)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- 50 g / ½ cup pecans, chopped small
WET INGREDIENTS
- 300 g / 10.5 oz (approx. 1¼ cup) pumpkin purée*
- 120 ml / ½ cup plant milk (I used oat)
- 60 ml / ¼ cup mild tasting oil (if using coconut oil, melted)
- 175 g / ¾ cup + 2 tbsp sugar (I used 50% demerara and 50% dark muscovado)
- 10 ml / 2 tsp lemon / lime juice
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 220 g / 1¾ cups all purpose white flour or GF flour mix
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- SPICES: 1½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, ½ tsp allspice, ½ tsp cardamom, ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp xanthan gum (recommended only if using GF flour mix)
- 55 g / 2 oz pecans, chopped roughly
- Melt vegan butter and allow it to cool down compeletely.
- Mix all the remaining streusel ingredients in a bowl.
- Pour cooled butter into dry ingredients while mixing with a spoon. Next, use your hands to distribute melted butter evenly.
VEGAN PUMPKIN MUFFINS
- Heat up the oven to 180° C / 355° F and line a standard 12 hole muffin tray with 10 paper liners – the batter can stretch to 12 muffins but they will be lower (and require shorter baking time).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin purée with plant milk, sugar, oil and lemon juice. Mix very well.
- Place a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in half of the flour, both baking agents, dry spices and salt. If using GF flour mix that does not contain xanthan gum, I recommend adding it too.
- Using a spatula, start incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet ones by making small circles in the middle of the bowl first (to minimise lumps), gradually extending the circles to incorporate more and more flour. Be slow and gentle.
- Next, sift in the other half of the flour and proceed as per the previous step. Mix until there is no flour streaks left, but do not overmix (that’s only important if you are using a flour containing gluten)!
- Gently fold in roughly pecans.
- Divide the batter between 10 muffin holes. Top each muffin with pecan streusel if using. Bake for about 21-22 minutes – until a toothpick comes out clean.