Gluten Free Vegan Brownie Muffins Recipe

In vegan cakes and brownies, banana or applesauce is generally preferred as an egg substitute. Banana is actually a substitute I frequently use and am very satisfied with its performance. However, for this recipe, I wanted to try something different. Pumpkin was once a vegetable I only used for making traditional pumpkin desserts, but in recent years, it has become a staple in my kitchen for other desserts, salads, and main dishes.

As a result, I always have sliced pumpkin ready in the fridge or freezer. For these muffins, I used a few slices of pumpkin that I had in the freezer. Of course, pumpkin alone wouldn't be enough as an egg substitute. To increase the binding effect, I added a tablespoon of psyllium husk. For those who are unfamiliar with psyllium husk, you can check out my gluten-free hamburger bun recipe. And for those asking whether psyllium husk is essential, let me clarify: it's not that the recipe will fail without it, but you will get a much better texture if you use it.

In fact, the gluten-free vegan cupcake recipe I shared earlier also fills a gap in the gluten-free vegan muffin category. However, while that one has a cake-like texture, these gluten-free vegan brownie muffins have the gooey, sticky texture of a real brownie.

I made a small mistake while preparing the recipe. My initial intention was to keep the muffins refined sugar-free, but by the end of the recipe, I forgot about that and sprinkled some chocolate chips on top. So, while I can’t label this recipe as sugar-free, if you don't add chocolate chips or use sugar-free chocolate, it will indeed be sugar-free.

The muffins are very easy to make. The hardest part is determining when to take them out of the oven. As you know, the baking time can vary greatly depending on the size of the muffins, the type of pan used, and the oven. Therefore, even if a recipe specifies a baking time, you should not rely solely on it and instead observe the signs of doneness. To avoid waste, I rarely provide a specific baking time, and I never look at the clock while baking. So, no matter how much you insist, I genuinely don’t know how long I baked them myself.

The baking process for these muffins goes like this: First, the muffins rise impressively and crack in some places. Even though they might look done at this point, don’t be fooled. Then, they slightly deflate and shrink. This is the point where you can start testing with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out with batter on it, they’re still raw inside. If it comes out clean, the batter texture is gone, and it’s starting to set, even if it’s still moist inside. If you don’t like your muffins too gooey, you can leave them in the oven for a bit longer. But be careful not to overbake, as this could dry out the edges. In fact, if you’re not a fan of sticky, gooey cakes, it might be better not to attempt these muffins in the first place.

Enjoy the recipe!