Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe with Oat Streusel
These gluten-free pumpkin muffins are made with oat and almond flour, naturally sweetened with applesauce, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Topped with a quick oat streusel, these light and fluffy muffins are packed with fall flavors and perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, with half the sugar of traditional muffins.
These gluten-free pumpkin muffins are light, fluffy, and packed with the flavors of fall, without compromising on taste or appearance. Using a simple blend of oat and almond flour, these muffins come together effortlessly and have become a favorite in my kitchen. They’re naturally sweetened with applesauce, maple syrup, and coconut sugar, so you can enjoy all the cozy pumpkin spice flavors without the extra refined sugars.
One of the best parts of this recipe is the quick oat streusel topping—it adds a beautiful texture and rich color to the muffin tops, making them even more irresistible. These muffins have just the right amount of sweetness, with half the sugar of a traditional muffin, making them perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert. You’ll love how simple this recipe is to make, and how it brings all the warmth and flavor of pumpkin season into every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
- Light and Fluffy: These gluten-free muffins have a perfect texture without compromising on flavor.
- Naturally Sweetened: Made with applesauce, maple syrup, and coconut sugar for a balanced sweetness.
- Perfect for Fall: Packed with pumpkin spice flavors, these muffins are a seasonal favorite.
- Versatile Treat: Enjoy them as a breakfast, snack, or dessert—anytime pumpkin cravings strike.
Ingredient Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting pumpkin muffin recipe with oat streusel:
Pumpkin Puree: You can use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree as a substitute for pumpkin puree.*
Applesauce: Unsweetened mashed banana or Greek yogurt can be used instead of applesauce.*
Maple Syrup: Honey or agave nectar can replace maple syrup. If using honey, use a bit less than 1/2 cup, as it’s sweeter than maple syrup.*
Eggs: For each egg, you can substitute with a flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water) for a vegan option.*
Light Olive Oil: You can use melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter as an alternative to olive oil.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Lemon juice or white vinegar can be used instead of apple cider vinegar.
Vanilla Extract: Try using almond extract or any other extract you prefer for a different flavor profile.*
Oat Flour: If you need a gluten-free option, make sure your oat flour is certified gluten-free. Alternatively, you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour or a blend of rice flour and tapioca flour.*
Almond Flour: Replace almond flour with additional oat flour or another nut flour like hazelnut or walnut flour.*
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: If you’re out of one of these, you can use 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder as a substitute for both. If you need to replace just one, use 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for baking soda.*
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Make your own by combining cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in the proportions you prefer. Typically, it’s a mix of 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. You will have perfectly spiced muffins.
Salt: You can reduce or omit the salt if you’re on a low-sodium diet.*
Coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar: Use granulated white sugar, maple sugar, or a sugar substitute like erythritol or stevia for a lower-sugar option.*
Cinnamon: You can use ground nutmeg or allspice instead of cinnamon for a different flavor twist. For a stronger cinnamon flavor in the crumble you can increase it to 1 tsp cinnamon.
Salt: Reduce or omit the salt if desired.
Serving suggestions: You can sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the muffins before they bake. You can make jumbo muffins by using a larger muffin pan and increasing the bake time until they are lightly brown on the edges.
*I have not tested this substitution.
How to Make My Gluten-Free Easy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Prepare the Crumb Topping
Combine the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl for the crumb topping. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Mix the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, large eggs (or flax/chia eggs for a vegan option), light olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well combined.
In the same bowl, add the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until just combined. You can also use a mixer at medium speed. Be careful not to overmix; it’s okay if there are a few lumps.
Step 2: Make the Batter
Add your wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including eggs, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, coconut oil, cottage cheese, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients, including oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Whisk until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of cranberries.
Step 5: Bake and Enjoy!
Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Keep an eye on them, as baking times can vary based on your oven.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the muffins are cool, enjoy them as a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, in the refrigerator for longer freshness, or freeze for later enjoyment.
Easy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Notes
Sweetener Adjustment: Adjust the sweeteners to your taste. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, you can add a bit more maple syrup or sugar. Conversely, if you’re looking to reduce sugar content, you can decrease the amount of sweeteners.
Streusel Topping Texture: The crumb topping should have a crumbly texture. If it’s too wet, add more oat flour; if it’s too dry, add a bit more oil until you achieve the desired consistency.
Delicious Serving Suggestions
- Warm with butter: Serve warm with a pat of butter for an extra touch of richness.
- Paired with coffee or tea: These muffins pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or your favorite tea.
- Topped with cream cheese: Add a dollop of cream cheese for a decadent snack or dessert.
- As a grab-and-go snack: Pack one in your bag for a quick, wholesome snack on the go.
Do you love pumpkin? Check out more of my easy and nutritious sweet pumpkin recipes:
- Easy Gluten-Free Maple Pumpkin Pie with Almond Flour
- Healthier Gluten Free Olive Garden Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Fluffy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes Recipe with Cottage Cheese
- BEST Pumpkin Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin Recipe with Oat Streusel
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons oil (light olive oil is my fave)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Crumb Topping:
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well to prevent sticking.
- Combine the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl for the crumb topping. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, large eggs (or flax/chia eggs for a vegan option), light olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well combined.In the same bowl, add the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until just combined. You can also use a mixer at medium speed. Be careful not to overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps.
- Divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop for convenience, filling each about 3/4 full. The batter will be fairly thick, so you can use a spoon to help shape it so it has a mound in the center. This will help them bake with a higher dome top.Sprinkle the prepared crumb topping evenly over the muffin batter in each cup, pressing it gently to adhere.
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Keep an eye on them, as baking times can vary based on your oven.Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.Once the muffins are cool, enjoy them as a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, in the refrigerator for longer freshness, or freeze for later enjoyment.
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We have a favorite pumpkin bread/muffin family recipe, but it’s loaded with ingredients I’d rather not use as much of these days. Been looking for a healthier upgrade, and we think this is it!
Hi Jennie, thank you so much for the review! I’m so glad this recipe better serves your family 🙂
I had this recipe saved to try and was hoping to make them this morning. I was gathering the ingredients and realized the recipe is incomplete. It calls for a little oat flour and I thought that was odd so I looked through the recipe and it calls for oat flour twice (but no measurements for either) and for almond flour, which is not in the ingredient list at all. I was very bummed, until I scrolled down to the comment section and realized the recipe was repeated again, but correct this time.
Thank you so much for letting me know! I recently redid my website and it looks like this recipe went a little wonky in the transition. It’s all fixed now! Thank you again. I hope you enjoy making these 🙂 They are delicious!!
I use oat and almond flour all of the time and my recipes come out dry. I made these for breakfast and they are like store bought so soft and moist. My husband is not a fan of pumpkin and even he liked them. I have never had muffin from starch that were so soft and flavorful. Will definitely make these again.
Thank you so much for sharing this! These muffins are one of my favorites and I’m thrilled your family loves them too 🙂