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    You are here: Home / Dessert / Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

    LAST UPDATED: August 20, 2019 • FIRST PUBLISHED: November 3, 2018

    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

    These vegan pumpkin muffins are rich, moist, and packed with spices. Top them off with rich cashew cream cheese frosting for an indulgent fall treat!

    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting with a Striped Napkin

    I know, I know. SO much pumpkin is happening on the blog this year. And I'm not done yet. To say I'm excited about fall would be a bit of an understatement.

    I've seriously been accumulating a list of fall recipes since, like, about the time the first buds started sprouting on the trees in March.

    This particular recipe is one that I first posted back in the early days of this blog and have been meaning to update for a while now. Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting are a favorite, so this was one recipe I was quite happy to work on this year.

    In addition to giving the photos a makeover, I tweaked the recipe a bit. The original muffins were a bit on the smallish side. I don't get to eat pumpkin muffins that often, and I like 'em big when I do. If you made the original version and were happy with the size, just cut down on the recipe by a third, or make 18 muffins instead of 12, and cut the bake time down to 16 to 18 minutes.

    Hand Reaching for a Vegan Pumpkin Muffin on a Table

    The other issue was the frosting. Cashew cream cheese frosting was a new thing to me back then, and it turned out as more of a glaze. Since first making these muffins I've made a few batches of cashew cream cheese frosting for doughnuts and carrot cake, among other things. The new version is much thicker and creamier, but if you were in love with the old frosting just scroll down to the bottom of the recipe — I've included it in the notes.

    To make these muffins, start by mixing all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the two. Stir just until everything is mixed — don't overdo it.

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting: Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients Separately, Combine the Two, and Stir Just Until Blended

    Drop the batter into paper-lined muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes.

    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins in a Tin Just Out of the Oven

    Make the frosting while the muffins bake. Preferably soak your cashews in water for 4 to 8 hours, then blend them up in the food processor with some maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla. Give it a taste — it should be creamy, delicious and just sweet enough.

    Food Processor Bowl Filled With Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting Just After Blending

    The muffins cool before loading them up with frosting.

    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting with Teacup, Spoon and Napkin in the Background

    Tips for Making Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

    • Don't overmix the batter. Doing so can overwork the gluten in the flour as well as causing your baking soda and powder to fizzle out prematurely. This is important any time you're making muffins.
    • These muffins will keep at room temperature in a sealed bag for about 3 days, and the frosting will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
    • You can also freeze the frosting and the muffins separately.
    • Stir-ins like nuts and chocolate chips work great with these muffins.
    • Did you forget to soak your cashews? Boiling them for 15 minutes works in a pinch, although soaking usually yields the best results for me.
    • You can also freeze soaked cashews for later. Just leave them in their soaking water and seal them up in a freezer-friendly storage container. Then thaw by placing the container in a hot water bath or microwaving for a few minutes. I like to keep a stash in the freezer at all times for recipes like this.

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting with a Striped Napkin
    4.8 from 5 votes
    Print

    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

    These vegan pumpkin muffins are rich, moist, and packed with spices. Top them off with rich cashew cream cheese frosting for an indulgent fall treat!

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Soak time 4 hours
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 287 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    For the Muffins

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
    • ¾ cup organic granulated sugar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree
    • ¾ cup unflavored soy or almond milk
    • ⅓ cup canola oil, or your favorite baking oil
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

    For the Frosting

    • 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • 2-4 tablespoons unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    To Make the Muffins

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

    2. Line 12 muffin cups with papers.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
    4. In a separate, smaller bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, milk, oil and vanilla.
    5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until blended.

    6. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups.

    7. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the tops spring up when touched lightly.

    8. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

    To Make the Frosting

    1. While the muffins cool, place the cashews, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of milk, lemon juice, vanilla and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.

    2. Blend until smooth, adding additional milk to thin the mixture to the desired consistency.

    Frost the Muffins

    1. When the muffins are cool, remove them from the tins and spread with frosting. Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

    2. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    This post was updated in 2018 to include a new (and improved) frosting recipe and to make larger muffins. If you prefer smaller muffins, cut down on the recipe by ⅓ (or make 18 muffins instead of 12) and only bake them for 16 to 18 minutes. The old frosting recipe called for 1 cup of soaked raw cashews, juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 4 cups of powdered sugar and about ¼ cup of non-dairy milk (as needed to get the right consistency).

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Pumpkin Muffins Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
    Amount Per Serving (1 muffin with frosting)
    Calories 287 Calories from Fat 131
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 14.5g22%
    Saturated Fat 2.1g11%
    Sodium 342mg14%
    Potassium 201mg6%
    Carbohydrates 36.7g12%
    Fiber 1.7g7%
    Sugar 18g20%
    Protein 4.5g9%
    Calcium 70mg7%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    « Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent says

      September 05, 2014 at 11:39 am

      Dude. DUUUUUDE. I need these in my life. Like, yesterday. I will be making these to celebrate the (eventual) arrival of fall! Yay! :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:36 pm

        Haha! Yeah, they were really good....I think everyone needs these in their lives. I hope you get to try them :)

        Reply
    2. Kelli M. says

      September 05, 2014 at 12:15 pm

      Heck. Yes.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:36 pm

        Yes, indeed :)

        Reply
    3. Bianca says

      September 05, 2014 at 1:32 pm

      WHAAAT. These are so freaking cute, they need to get in my belly!!

      Thx for sharing the recipe! xx Bianca

      http://thefriendlyfig.com/

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:37 pm

        I hadn't noticed, but yeah, they were pretty darn cute! Thanks Bianca!

        Reply
    4. Deryn @ Running on Real Food says

      September 05, 2014 at 2:31 pm

      Everything about this...get in ma bellay!! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:43 pm

        Thanks so much Deryn!!!

        Reply
    5. Shannon says

      September 05, 2014 at 3:53 pm

      These look amazing! Definitely going to try my hand at a gluten-free version. : )

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:45 pm

        Ohhh...please let me know how they turn out if you do! I always get questions on gluten free adaptations and don't always have time to experiment :)

        Reply
    6. kendy says

      September 05, 2014 at 11:36 pm

      oh-my-goodness! those look so amazing!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:45 pm

        They were pretty amazing. Thanks Kendy!!

        Reply
    7. Jill says

      September 05, 2014 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      LOVE THESE! I want them right now!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 06, 2014 at 9:45 pm

        Awesome! Thanks Jill!!

        Reply
    8. Kelly G. says

      September 09, 2014 at 6:54 pm

      Your banner is epic and so are these muffins!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2014 at 9:44 pm

        Thanks Kelly! I designed both the banner and the muffins myself, so hearing that makes me happy. :)

        Reply
    9. Megan D. says

      September 14, 2014 at 9:41 am

      I used King Arthur Flour's GF all purpose baking mix for the gf version. They came out great! I also substituted 1tbsp of maple syrup for the nondairy milk in the frosting. Win Win!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 14, 2014 at 11:13 am

        Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing and for letting me know the gluten free mix worked! I get questions all the time of gluten free subs and it's good to have a blend to recommend that I know works with a particular recipe.

        Reply
    10. mojo says

      September 18, 2014 at 8:51 pm

      Hi! These muffins sound amazing. Is there a delicious vegan alternative for white powdered sugar that i can use for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 19, 2014 at 12:51 pm

        Thank you! Look for an organic powdered sugar - most (if not all) are vegan. Wholesome Sweeteners is one organic brand that's available in lots of stores and on Amazon.

        Reply
    11. MARCIA WELCH says

      September 19, 2014 at 2:18 pm

      The recipe states "...stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a seperate bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, mlk, oil and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir untli blended." My question is, does the sugar go in with the dry or with the wet ingredients? These look AMAZING and I can't wait to make them!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 19, 2014 at 9:42 pm

        Oh! Thanks for asking - sugar goes with the dry. I updated the post to clarify. I hope you enjoy these! :)

        Reply
        • MARCIA WELCH says

          September 20, 2014 at 12:32 pm

          Thanks!! I'm making them right now!!

          Reply
      • Zoe says

        September 23, 2014 at 3:30 am

        Hi, it does actually say sugar right after flour, so in with the dry. :)

        Reply
    12. Sarah says

      September 22, 2014 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      They look delicious!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 22, 2014 at 10:00 pm

        Thanks Sarah!!!

        Reply
    13. Amy Jessen says

      September 22, 2014 at 3:22 pm

      When it comes to Pumpkin, I am all about fresh baked puree. Would you still recommend just the 1 cup? Canned puree is packed so tight, wasn't sure if I needed to increase the amount.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 22, 2014 at 9:58 pm

        Yup! Canned for fresh puree is generally a 1 to 1 swap, so you should be fine - just pack it tight into the measuring cup!

        Reply
    14. dana says

      September 22, 2014 at 3:55 pm

      What the what? These look AMAZING! Bravo, friend!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 22, 2014 at 10:00 pm

        Thanks so much Dana!!

        Reply
    15. Michelle says

      September 23, 2014 at 7:11 pm

      Can't' wait to try looks so good!!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 24, 2014 at 10:02 pm

        Thanks Michelle! Enjoy!

        Reply
    16. Laura Beth Slitt says

      September 24, 2014 at 8:30 am

      How does one make larger batches of these baked items? I do food events for 20-75 pple and screwed up vegan corn bread by multiplying recipe x 4. It came out dry.

      On Oct 18th, I am making snacks for 25 pple at an HSUS legislative forum at the Conway Area Humane Society and need recipes for making veg baked goods for 25. Any suggestions. Want to WOW THEM!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 24, 2014 at 10:08 pm

        I could see how cornbread might be easy to mess up, especially if you made one larger loaf instead of multiplying the number of loaves, which could result in uneven baking.

        Things like muffins are cookies should be easier to make in large batches, as the size of each cookie or muffin stays the same when you increase the batch size. It's also possible you forgot to multiply one of the ingredients or over-multiplied something - I've done that myself a bunch of times, and the best way to avoid it is just being careful or writing down the amount as multiplied before getting started.

        I hope that helps - best of luck!

        Reply
    17. Shari says

      September 24, 2014 at 4:26 pm

      Oh, boy, I cannot wait to make these - thanks for sharing!! :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 24, 2014 at 10:08 pm

        You're welcome and enjoy!

        Reply
    18. cass says

      September 25, 2014 at 12:36 am

      I'm diabetic. .watching fat and carbs..can y tell me the fat and carbs per serving??

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 25, 2014 at 10:01 pm

        Hi Cass! I analyzed the recipe on this page, and the muffins alone have 7.2 grams of fat and 18.5 grams of carbs per serving. With the frosting it would totally depend on how much you use (the recipe makes more than needed for a dozen muffins), but with cashews and powdered sugar I wouldn't expect it to be low in carbs or fat. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    19. Edna says

      September 25, 2014 at 7:39 am

      Hola, que rico las voy ha hacer, Ya estoy haciendo tortillas sin huevos, Sabrosas

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 25, 2014 at 10:03 pm

        Grasias, Edna!

        Reply
    20. Maria says

      September 26, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      How are they without the icing?
      I'm not a big fan of extra sweet stuff and most of the pumpkin desert out there are just loaded with sweeteners.
      This one looks really good and i really like to low amount of sugar in them.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 26, 2014 at 4:08 pm

        I'm sure they'd be good without the icing, and if you're not into stuff that's too sweet, I'd definitely say skip it. They were very moist and flavorful, so I'm sure they'd be good on their own. :)

        Reply
    21. Sara says

      September 27, 2014 at 1:13 pm

      4 stars
      Oh dear. Mine went soooo wrong. I used baked pumpkin and I think it was too wet. They imploded as soon as they came out of the oven. And I didn't soak the cashews long enough so the icing was a miserable failure too... They were like sad little tubs of collapsed goo topped with a lumpy coulis of failure.

      I will try again though! And this time I will find canned pumpkin from somewhere so as to avoid any mishaps, and I will soak my nuts adequately. I'm still going to rate the recipe 4 stars because I could still tell from the sad goo and sauce disaster that it has great potential.

      Love your blog btw. Super excited to make the coconut bacon as soon as I can find liquid smoke!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 27, 2014 at 9:40 pm

        On no! I'm sorry they didn't work out and I hope you give them another try! One thing I can say is that if you forget to start soaking your cashews early enough in advance, you should be able to accelerate the process by using hot water. I haven't tried this myself, but I know a bunch of people swear by it. :)

        Reply
    22. Chad says

      December 04, 2014 at 8:07 am

      I made these with the "sub all purpose" option for the flour and they came out mushy. I even baked them longer to see if they'd firm up a little bit. When you say "sub all purpose", do you mean regular all purpose flour? Could I have used plain whole wheat flour instead of the whole wheat pastry flour?

      Aside from the consistency, they were tasty. I was pleasantly surprised to find a muffin recipe that wasn't off the charts in the sweetness category.

      I didn't make the frosting, so I can't comment on that.

      Reply
      • Chad says

        December 04, 2014 at 11:32 am

        Just an update. After letting the muffins cool for a bit they firmed up. I guess we were too anxious :)

        Good stuff.

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          December 04, 2014 at 9:13 pm

          Thanks for the update! Glad to hear they worked out in the end. Also, good to know that they need to cool completely - I had to let mine cool so I could frost them, but I went ahead and updated the recipe to add a cooling step, just in case anyone else doesn't make the frosting and is anxious as well. I appreciate the feedback! :)

          Reply
    23. Kate says

      October 01, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      Haha I also accumulate recipe,mostly seasonal, which I wasn't able to do on time :) I'm also a Winter person,so I know what you mean! Even though Fall feels a bit like a beautiful Christmas Eve to me! I just can't wait to start wearing my scarves, thick socks and just sit on the couch with hot tea!
      And your muffins look simply amazing!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 02, 2016 at 11:43 am

        Oh my gosh, this year I accumulated so many fall and winter dishes! I've got a huge backlog of stews and curries that I made throughout the summer. Glad it's not just me. :)

        Reply
    24. Kathryn says

      October 26, 2016 at 4:12 pm

      OOooo these look so goooood!! I'm going to have to try find pumpkin for them, but could really do with one right now with a cup of tea hahaha. Thanks for sharing

      Kathryn

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 30, 2016 at 5:28 pm

        Thanks Kathryn! :)

        Reply
    25. Dora says

      November 04, 2017 at 12:57 pm

      What role does oil play in the recipe. If I omitted the oil and used maple syrup in place of sugar would that work?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 05, 2017 at 10:07 am

        The oil adds moisture, so leaving it out and using maple syrup might work, but I can't say for sure without trying it. I'd love to hear how it works if you do!

        Reply
    26. CheyAnne L says

      January 22, 2018 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I've made my version of these countless times!!! I normally double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan. I replace the oil with applesauce, add a flax egg, and about an additional 1/4th cup flour (white wheat flour is what I use). And I've never made the cream cheese icing. This recipe is delicious and thank you so much Alissa!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 24, 2018 at 4:26 pm

        I love the idea of baking it in a big pan! Glad you're enjoying it! Thanks CheyAnne!

        Reply
    27. Bella Marin says

      November 19, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      the cashew cream cheese frosting is absolutely to die for! My girl ate it right out of the bowl!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 20, 2018 at 4:55 pm

        Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that!!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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