Pumpkin Crumble Muffins (Vegan)

Measure everything first and line the muffin tin so the batter can go straight in once mixed. Start the buttermilk before anything else so the almond milk and vinegar have time to thicken while you mix the dry ingredients.

Salt: Can be reduced to 1/4 tsp, but the muffins will taste flatter. Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the cinnamon and pumpkin.

Sugar: Sugar adds moisture, tenderness, and browning, so cutting it by more than about a quarter gives drier, paler muffins. Coconut sugar can replace the brown sugar, and maple sugar can replace the granulated sugar.

Oil: The melted vegan butter adds richness and a tender crumb. Refined coconut oil or a neutral oil can replace it 1:1. To cut the fat, replace half with 60 g (1/4 cup) unsweetened applesauce.

Flour: This recipe was written with all-purpose flour. Whole-wheat pastry flour can replace up to half of it; swapping more makes the muffins denser.

Common Mistakes: Overmixing the batter, which makes the muffins tough and dense. Stir only until the flour disappears and a few small lumps are fine. Skipping the 5-minute blast at 220°C (425°F), which is what gives the muffins their high, domed tops.

Notes: Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. The almond milk and vinegar will curdle slightly, which is exactly what you want from a vegan buttermilk.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature or warm for 20-30 seconds in the microwave.

Swaps: Soy or oat milk can replace the almond milk, and lemon juice can replace the apple cider vinegar in the same amount. Pumpkin puree can be swapped for mashed sweet potato or butternut squash puree.

Tips: Fill the liners nearly to the top for bakery-style domes. Rotate the pan once during the lower-temperature bake if your oven has hot spots.

Almond milk and apple cider vinegar — together they make a vegan buttermilk. The acid reacts with the baking soda for lift and gives a tender, tangy crumb.

All-purpose flour — provides the structure of the muffins.

Light brown sugar and granulated sugar — the brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel note, while the granulated sugar sweetens and helps the tops brown.

Baking powder and baking soda — work together to make the muffins rise tall and fluffy.

Ground cinnamon — adds warm spice that pairs naturally with pumpkin.

Salt — balances the sweetness and sharpens the spice flavors.

Melted vegan butter — adds richness and keeps the crumb soft and moist.

Vanilla extract — rounds out the flavor and deepens the sweetness.

Pumpkin puree — gives the muffins their moisture, color, and gentle earthy sweetness, with no eggs needed.