Enjoy seasonal baked goods while sticking with your healthy eating goals. These Vegan GF Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are a spicy-savory spin on traditional cornbread muffins to give you what you crave without all the guilt.
One of my favorite parts about fall is that it inspires me to make delicious, healthy versions of classic comfort food recipes I grew up loving and eating. Being southern, cornbread was a staple food in our kitchen that my mom made at least once per week. There was always a batch of mom’s cornbread muffins on hand for nights we had chili for dinner. We always enjoyed a batch of them on Halloween night when she made her famous vegetable soup. I still love that soup and the memories it brings, but now that I’m older, I turn to healthier alternatives to fuel my cravings. These Vegan GF Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are a healthier classic I can feel good about while I’m enjoying down-home comfort food!
I set out on a mission to create my own version of cornbread muffins that was made without eggs, butter, or milk. After testing several batches, I finally conquered the vegan cornbread task by developing a gluten-free, even an oil-free, version. These Vegan GF Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are made without refined sugar too. Soft, slightly sweet, almost buttery in texture and flavor, and slightly crumbly to the touch. That’s cornbread done right, with no tough crumbs or weird textures involved!
Sometimes, though, I love to turn my plant-based version of a classic cornbread muffin recipe into something a little more special, which is exactly how this recipe for Vegan GF Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins came about. This recipe is perfect for fall because it’s a beautiful orange color that’s quite festive, yet it still has that classic cornbread flavor everyone loves with just an extra touch of savory meets spicy.
Vegan GF Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
The pumpkin used in this recipe gives the muffins a slight sweetness with a moist, creamy texture. It eliminates the need for milk, butter, or eggs. To add a nice, spicy touch that provides a bold pop of flavor, I’ve also added real jalapeño pepper pieces into the muffins and a touch of coarse black pepper.
This recipe comes together in a jiffy thanks to the use of a gluten-free cornbread mix. Not to mention a can of kernel corn, a can of pumpkin, some non-dairy milk, and chopped pepper pieces. I also like to sprinkle the tops of the muffins with just a touch of coconut sugar; just enough to caramelize the tops and also add a slightly sweet flavor. Vegan Spicy Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are easy to make, they’re perfect to enjoy anytime during the fall season, and they pair especially nice with a warm bowl of vegan chili or veggie soup. Oh, and don’t forget to include a dollop of vegan butter on top! Do you have a fun twist on cornbread you like to make?
Spicy Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are a savory, slightly spicy twist on the classic cornbread muffin and are even gluten-free and vegan!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of gluten-free cornbread mix (or regular cornbread mix if not gluten-free)
- 1 15-ounce can of no-salt-added plain corn kernels (not creamed corn)
- 1 15-ounce can of plain pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cups unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (plain almond, soy, or cashew milk)
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp white distilled or apple cider vinegar
- Coconut sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with muffin tin paper liners. Set pan aside.
- In a large bowl, add cornbread mix, coarse ground black pepper, baking powder, and diced jalapeño pepper. Stir this mixture and sift to combine. Set bowl aside.
- Drain the can of corn to remove any liquid. Add the can of corn, pumpkin, non-dairy milk, and applesauce to a blender.
- Pulse just enough to combine without completely blending so the kernels of corn stay whole. Keep blending until liquified if you want a smoother texture.
- Add the blended mixture into the bowl with the prepared dry ingredients and stir with a spatula.
- Add in the vinegar. It will react with the baking powder and help the mixture rise just like eggs, the vinegar flavor cooks off.
- Stir all of the ingredients together until you have a muffin batter consistency. If you need to add a touch more water to get it to this stage, feel free but only add a 1/4 cup at a time.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups filling them to the top. They will rise but won't overflow.
- Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of coconut sugar for golden tops and to add a slightly sweeter flavor if desired.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown in color and firm to the touch.
- Remove, let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: For a brighter color and a more savory flavor, add 1 tsp of turmeric to the recipe. Top with vegan (non-dairy) butter for a classic cornbread topping, perfect with your favorite soup or stew.
We hope you love this Vegan GF Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Heather from The Soulful Spoon, as much as we do. If you like this recipe, be sure to stop by our Dinner section for even more gluten-free side dish recipes you’ll love. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss a single recipe, and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest for even more fabulous recipes. Enjoy!
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