Let’s make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins! These light, fluffy pumpkin cornbread muffins are an all-time favorite. The perfect cozy side dish for chili, soup, salad, and more! (Gluten & Dairy Free)
Hi. I’m Emily, and I’m sort of in love with cornbread.
We’ve made so many versions over the years I can’t count them, but this gluten-free pumpkin cornbread muffins recipe is one of our all-time favorites, especially this time of year!
- They’re Moist! The pumpkin does wonders for the texture, and it’s amazing how flavorful and fluffy they get with almost no added fat!
- They’re Easy. Made in just one bowl with simple, straightforward ingredients!
- They Taste & Smell Amazing. Your entire house will smell so cozy as these muffins bake.
- They’re Perfect With Soup or A Hearty Bowl of Chili. These pumpkin cornbread muffins were MADE for soup & chili season!
Ready to make a batch? Great! The ingredient list is really straightforward–most of what you’ll need is simple pantry staples, which means it’s easy to whip these up last minute or on nights where you don’t have much in the fridge. Let’s take a look…
Simple Ingredients To Start
- Gluten-Free Yellow Cornmeal. Make sure you buy certified gluten-free cornmeal. Cornmeal doesn’t contain gluten, but unless it’s certified gluten-free, you run the risk of cross-contamination with wheat through processing practices. Best to be safe! We prefer Arrowhead Mills gluten-free cornmeal or Herbaila brand. Bob’s Red Mill is another safe choice, though it’s a bit more coarse.
- Gluten-Free Flour. I most often use King Arthur Baking Measure-For-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. If you use another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum or the muffins won’t have the right texture.
- Baking Powder + Salt + Cinnamon. These simple staples help the muffins puff and gently flavor the gluten-free pumpkin cornbead muffins.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree. Pumpkin does wonders for these muffins’ tender texture and keeps them moist without the need for much added fat. It’s kind of like magic. (Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
- Milk + Eggs. I usually use almond milk in my gluten-free pumpkin cornbread muffins, but you can use whatever milk your family drinks and enjoys. Then, some eggs will bind everything together and keep these muffins from getting dry.
- Pure Maple Syrup (or Honey). A little sweetness makes these lovely. I tried not to make them overly sweet, but you can feel free to add more or less, to taste.
- Oil or Butter. Thanks to the pumpkin, we only need a little oil. I usually use avocado oil for its neutral flavor, but melted butter or vegan butter works as a great substitute if you like!
How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment paper liners or lightly grease the pan.
- Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, gluten-free flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add The Wet Ingredients. Next, whisk in the pumpkin, milk, eggs, syrup, and oil. Stir until just combined and no dry clumps remain.
- Scoop & Bake. Then, spoon batter into the muffin pan. Bake in preheated oven 17-20 minutes, or until just cooked through. (A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs.)
- Serve & Store. Allow to cool slightly, then serve warm! Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days, or freeze in freezer-safe bags up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions & Tips
Now that we know HOW to make pumpkin cornbread muffins, let’s talk about the best ways to eat them!
- With Honey Butter. If you tolerate dairy, I can’t recommend this classic honey butter recipe enough. It’s light and lovely on warm pumpkin corn muffins!
- With Whipped Cinnamon Butter. This cinnamon honey butter is another DELICIOUS option. (It’s a dupe for the famous Texas Roadhouse honey butter!)
- With Soup & Chili. This is a GREAT recipe for serving with your favorite chili recipes and hearty soup recipes. We love it with classic gluten-free chili, Buffalo Chicken Chili, and our Prize-Winning Pumpkin Chili, but almost any pot of chili will do!
- With A Big Salad. Keep things light by pairing these
- With Thanksgiving Dinner! These easy pumpkin cornbread muffins are a great gluten-free alternative to rolls at Thanksgiving. They’re fluffy, delicious, and beautiful–the perfect side dish for a meal like this!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MUFFIN PAN? Lately, I’ve been favoring this muffin pan. The light color helps the muffins cook more evenly, which means beautifully golden pumpkin cornbread muffins every time!
THE BEST MUFFIN LINERS EVER. I hate when my muffins stick to the pan, don’t you? These parchment muffin liners are THE BEST. Your muffins won’t stick even a little bit with these!
WANT MORE PUMPKIN SPICE FLAVOR? You can increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and add a pinch or two of nutmeg.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups gluten-free cornmeal (175 grams)
- 1 cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (120 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup milk (we usually use almond milk)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment paper liners or lightly grease the pan.
- Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, gluten-free flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add The Wet Ingredients. Next, whisk in the pumpkin, milk, eggs, syrup, and oil. Stir until just combined and no dry clumps remain.
- Scoop & Bake. Then, scoop the muffin batter into the muffin pan. Bake in preheated oven 17-20 minutes, or until just cooked through. (A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs.)
- Serve & Store. Allow to cool slightly, then serve warm! Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature 2-3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Cornmeal. Keep in mind that the finer ground the cornmeal is, the better the texture of your muffins will be. We prefer Arrowhead Mills gluten-free cornmeal or Herbaila brand (Amazon). Bob’s Red Mill is another safe choice, though it’s a bit more coarse in texture.
- Gluten-Free Flour. I most often use King Arthur Baking Measure-For-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. If you use another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum or the muffins won’t have the right texture. (Coconut flour, almond flour, etc. won’t work well here.)
- Cinnamon. For a stronger cinnamon flavor, feel free to add up to 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Originally published September 2017. Updated September 2021. Updated and republished September 2024.
These turned out perfectly.
YAY! So glad to hear you loved them!
Also, can shredded cheese and jalapenos be added? Pumpkin, cheese, jalapenos, and black pepper is a nice combination, but I don’t know if that would throw off the ratios a tad too much.
Hi Jamie! I haven’t tried this one with any mix-ins yet, but you could totally give it a try!
Can I use buttermilk or add a teaspoon of vinegar to this recipe without ill effect?
Have you made the recipe as-written yet? I recommend making it through once before making any changes, that way you get a feel for taste, texture, etc.
These are so good! In my opinion, these are a must have at any chili cook off
Would this be possible to make in an 8 x 8 baking dish?
I’m sure it could! I’d recommend starting at a bake time similar to this cornbread.
These very good and moist. I used king Arthur gluten-free flour and coconut milk. I usually don’t add a lot of salt, butI think they need extra salt if you do this. Probably 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of salt. Otherwise amazing
I’m so glad you liked them, Denise! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Made them with my 4 year old. the recipe was fool proof. He and I loved them!
That’s fantastic! My kids love these, too! 🙂
I replaced the honey/maple syrup with 1/4th cup sugarfree simple syrup by using 1 tbs baking stevia and 3 tbs truvia brown sugar so there’s only 12 grams of added sugar vs. the near 64 from the honey/maple syrup. I also removed the salt and baking powder because I was using Pamela’s almond meal baking mix which has a primary ingredients of almond meal flour. I also added pumpkin spice (1 tsp) and used 2 tbs of unsalted butter. It came out FANTASTIC even with all of my alterations. So something about the ratio is really fool proof. Thank you for experimenting so much to come up with a good corn meal to flour substitute ratio!
To clarify, the baking mix already has baking powder, xanthan gum and sea salt in it. So too much would have been bad juju (and possibly a weird irish soda bread! lol).
Wow! Yours sound like a great solution! Thanks for sharing!
They make keto maple syrup which is made with natural monk fruit sugar substitute – low glycemic.
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
Brought these to Thanksgiving. Emily, I received compliments from gluten-free eaters and those without dietary restrictions alike! Thanks for the great recipe.
Oh, I’m SO, SO happy to hear that!!!! Hooray!
delicious. used cup4cup gf flour. buttermilk(oldshool). I love cornbread. I had 1 cup of pumpkin already measured so I used it all. Perfectly moist. Thank you!! I’ll have another.
Margie – I’m SO glad you enjoyed them! They are our favorite kind of cornbread. We’re making a double batch tonight!
These look scrumptious, Emily! Perfect to go with fall soups. 🙂
Thank you so much! I just LOVE them!
My father in law is GF and he said he hasn’t had cornbread in years. I can’t wait to try these for him!
This one is AMAZING!
These muffins look amazing! I so can’t wait until we have our own kitchen soon!