The details
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Muffins are my personal take on a PSL, but make it dairy-free. Charlie recently figured out he has lactose intolerance (womp womp) so I’ve been on a bit of a mission to make more bakes dairy free so he can enjoy them without feeling yucky the next day. Trust me, you will not miss the dairy in these. They have a nice, dense, moist texture (think Starbucks pumpkin loaf, my beloved) and are perfectly spiced with a homemade pumpkin spice blend. Top that off with a kick of espresso to jump start your day and an optional espresso glaze. To boot, these are a no mixer recipe and come together in no time! Enjoy, PSL lovers.
Ingredient Notes
These muffins are so basic and come together quickly with many staples you already have, plus a lil pumpkin and coconut oil. A few notes on ingredients I use here and why they work:
- Refined (extra virgin) coconut oil: Coconut oil is THE BEST dairy-free butter substitute in muffin and bread recipes, and is pretty beloved in our house. It yields moist, slightly dense bakes every time. In recipes where I don’t want a strong coconut flavor, I opt for refined coconut oil (vs unrefined) which reduces the scent and flavor of coconut. If you’re cool with a coconut flavor or just happen to have unrefined coconut oil on hand, you can definitely use that instead.
- Canned pumpkin puree: Libby’s all the way, not sponsored. It’s the best, most consistent, and most flavorful canned pumpkin puree out there and I’ve tried them all. It’s what I use in all my pumpkin bakes. Another brand will also work, or even homemade pumpkin puree. If you like to make pumpkin puree from scratch, you’ll want to reduce it down to a thick consistency to mimic that of a store bought pumpkin puree in order to control water content in this recipe.
- Homemade pumpkin spice blend: I like to make my own pumpkin spice blend over using a pre-made blend. Though the Trader Joes pumpkin spice blend isn’t half bad. Here, this blend is cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. If you’re a cardamom fan you can throw a 1/4 tsp in here also!
- Eggs + egg yolk: Eggs give substance and lift, and an extra egg yolk imparts moisture, richness, and a little bit of density that I find yummy in my pumpkin muffins. For a lighter, cakier muffin, you can omit the extra egg yolk.
- Espresso powder: I love espresso powder for flavoring coffee bakes and adding to chocolate cakes for a deeper flavor. Here, it’s used in both the batter for PSL vibes and in the glaze. You can find espresso powder online.
More Pumpkin Spice & Fall Magic
- Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls (an instant classic and absolute fall fave! MUST TRY!)
- Apple Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Chai Coffee Cake
- Spooky Black Cocoa Cupcakes
- Cardamom Milk Bread
Bake to this music
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Muffins (Dairy Free)
This dairy-free AND no-mixer recipe comes together in minutes and tastes of all the fall goodness! Call it a DF take on the PSL. These pumpkin spice espresso muffins go quickly in our household.
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup refined (extra virgin) coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (can sub homemade puree)
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp espresso powder dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water, divided
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with non-stick liners or prep with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine melted coconut oil and sugars using a whisk. Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla and whisk vigorously until the mixture is homogeneous and slightly lightened in color. Whisk in pumpkin puree and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices). Add dry ingredients to sugar/egg/pumpkin mixture and fold with a spatula until the batter just comes together and no visible flour streaks remain. Add 1/2 of the espresso/hot water mixture (about 2 tbsp) and fold until incorporated.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, fill muffin cups with batter. You’ll want to have them almost full for a domed muffin top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Make your espresso glaze. In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining espresso/hot water mixture with 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk well until the glaze is completely smooth. Gently dip muffin tops into the glaze and allow it to set on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- All the espresso elements (adding espresso/water mixture to batter, and glaze) are completely optional. Without espresso, you have yourself a bomb dairy-free pumpkin spice muffin!
- Muffins can be stored at room temp for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. They are best stored un-glazed and glazed before enjoying.
- Category: muffins, breakfast