Go Back
–+ servings

Pumpkin “Bran” Muffins (a gluten- and dairy-free adaptation of an FAK favorite)

When using melted coconut oil or butter, it is helpful to bring the ingredients to room temperature prior to mixing. This will prevent the oil or butter from solidifying again.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Yield 12 muffins

Ingredients
 

  • 1 15-ounce can 100% pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 1½ cups gluten-free multi-grain flake cereal* (see notes for specifics), lightly crushed
  • ¾ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup melted butter (or coconut oil for dairy-free)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¾ cup buttermilk (or 2¼ teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar plus milk of choice－dairy-free if needed－to make ¾ cup; allow to sit a few minutes before stirring into batter)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free baking flour (I tested these muffins with Bob's Red Mill's 1-to-1 and my Homemade Blend
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts; ½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened according to preference); coarse sugar for sprinkling or optional Speedy Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe in notes section)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375℉, and grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin. (If using paper liners, I recommend spraying them with cooking spray so the paper doesn't stick to the muffin. This is somewhat common with gluten-free flours.)
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, crushed cereal, raisins, butter or melted coconut oil, and sugars. Stir in the eggs and the buttermilk.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. (Stir in the optional nuts and/or coconut at this point.) Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. I like to use a large ice cream scoop. The cups will be rather full but they will not overflow.
  5. Sprinkle the tops with a little coarse sugar or shredded coconut, if desired.  (The muffins will still be delicious if omitted.) Then bake for 23-28 minutes or until the muffins pass the toothpick test and do not feel mushy in the center when the top of the muffins are gently pressed. (Check a little early as all ovens vary.)
  6. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
  7. Once cool, frost with the maple cream cheese frosting, if using. Store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

*For the cereal, I use Mesa Sunrise by Nature's Path. This cereal is a wholesome combination of organic corn, flax, quinoa and amaranth.  (It also tastes great by the handful as a quick crunchy snack or mixed with dried fruit and nuts for an easy snack mix.) One Degree offers a similar cereal, although I have not tested it in this recipe.
For a slightly decadent 2-ingredient frosting, stir approximately 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup into a quarter cup of regular/block cream cheese (the mixture will be creamier if the cream cheese is softened first; if not, just keep stirring until smooth). This amount will frost about 6 muffins. Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup up or down to your liking and double the recipe if you’d like to frost all the muffins. Note that light, fat-free, tub, and whipped cream cheeses have more water and can result in a runny frosting. 
Tried this recipe?Click here to rate and comment.