Vegan Kabocha Squash Muffins

These vegan kabocha squash muffins are perfect snacks for fall! Made from Japanese pumpkins and full of natural sweetness, you won't be able to resist them!

These vegan kabocha squash muffins are my favorite treats when kabocha squash is in season.

They are easy-to make, not-too-sweet, dairy-free (No butter or eggs are required), fluffy and moist!

Give these delicious muffins a try, and enjoy them for breakfast or as an afternoon snack!

This recipe is for you if:
• You love kabocha squash.
• You are looking for vegan kabocha squash reicpes.
• You want to make muffins with kaobcha squash.

Let me walk you through the ingredients and how to make them with step-by-step instructions.

Before getting to the recipe, I will also explain what kabocha is and how to pick a good one, and so on, so please check it out as well.

Jump to:

• About this recipe
• Kabocha Squash - Japanese Pumpkin
• How to cut Kabocha squash
• 📋 Ingredients
• 🔪Instructions
• Variations
• How to cook Kabocha Squash
• Thanks for Sopping By
• 📖 Recipe
• Vegan Kabocha Squash Muffins
• 💬 Comments

About this recipe

• Use Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha
• Vegan, easy, one bowl recipe
• Baking time : 25 minutes

Kabocha Squash - Japanese Pumpkin

If you are not familiar with Kabocha - Japanese pumpkin, let me introduce you to it.

The most of Kabocha we can find in Japan is something like the picture above. The taste is very starchy and sweet. We can find it all year round at a store but the main season is from fall to winter.

Kabocha is hard and heavy, you have to hold it in both hands. The skin is green and the inside is beautiful orange color.

Kabocha is a versatile vegetable. We cook it for many varieties of dishes such as tempura, miso soup, deep fry, salad, simmered dish, oven dish, desserts, and many more.

What are the health benefits

The Kabocha squash is a nutritious vegetable that offers many health benefits. It contains beta-carotene, vitamin E, as well as dietary fiber.In Japan, we have a custom of eating kabocha squash on the winter solstice in December. This tradition is our way of preparing for the cold weather.Because it benefits in fighting off bacteria and viruses that cause colds, the dry air in winter makes us more susceptible to catching infections, so eating it can help keep your immune system healthy.

How to Pick Good one

When you go to a grocery store, please check these points and find a delicious pumpkin.

If you buy a whole pumpkin, check the stem: If the stem looks like a cork, it is a sign that it has matured. And also hold it and check the skin. Good pumpkins are hard, heavy, and have glossy skin.

If you buy a cut pumpkin, check seeds and stringy pulp: If the seeds are full and stringy pulp is tightly packed, it is a sign that it has matured.

How to Store

If it is a whole kabocha, you can store it in a cool and dark place for 2-3 months.

If it is a cut kabocha, scoop the seeds out, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.

How to cut Kabocha squash

If you're unsure how to cut Kabocha squash, check out this complete guide!

I used to scare to cut a whole kabocha as the skin is hard and tough to cut but it's actually easy.

📋 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

• Kabocha squash: We use ⅛ Kabocha squash. Find the one already cut into a quarter size if you can. If whole kabocha squash is the only option, this post "How to cut Kabocha squash" would be helpful.
• Flour: I use cake flour but you can also use all-purpose flour or pastry flour (not bread flour).
• Baking powder: I use aluminum free baking powder.
• Oil: I use taihaku sesame oil (no smell and no color) but you can use other type of oil.
• Soy milk: I use unsweetened soy milk (no sugar or flavor added).
• Maple Syrup: I use Canadian maple syrup.
• Sugar: I use beet sugar. You can use any sugar of your choise.

*These links are from amazon.jp and as an amazon associate, Chef JA Cooks earn from qualifying purchases.

Please go see Vegan Blueberry Muffins for more details of the ingredients.

🔪Instructions

All right, you have all the ingredients now so let's make the muffins! Please check the video "how to make kabocha muffins" also!

First of all, preheat an oven to 180 C.

1. Prep: Cut the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces and steam them. Or you can boil or use a microwave oven. (I like to steam as the sweetness is richer than other methods)
2. Mash steamed kabocha: Remove the skin, put them in a mixing bowl and mash to make puree. (I don't want that green color in muffins so remove them but the skin contains plenty of vitamins so use them for a salad or miso soup instead of throwing away. )
3. Wet ingredients: Add soy milk, oil, sugar and maple syrup in the bowl.
4. Combine
5. Dry ingredients: Place a strainer on the bowl, add flour and baking powder, and shift them.
6. Combine
7. Bake: Pour the dough into a muffin pan and bake in preheated 180 C/356 F oven for 25 mins.

Here you go! Leave the pan on a cooling rack until cool. Once it cools down, remove them from the pan and enjoy!

If the muffin is stuck and hard to take it out, next time be sure to grease some oil on the inside or simply use a glassine cup.

Storage

If you don't eat right away, keep it in the fridge. It will last up to 3 days. When you eat it, warm it up in the microwave and it will be fluffy again.

You can also freeze it by wrapping it in plastic wrap. It will last up to one month.

Variations

These vegan kabocha squash muffins are delicious snacks! There are so many ways you can enjoy them - here are some other variations!

• Gluten-free: Replace all flour into rice flour.
• Healthier version: Replace half of flour into whole wheat flour
• Add toppings: Top with pumpkin seeds or chopped nuts, or mix chocolate chips in.

How to cook Kabocha Squash

If you are new to kabocha squash or looking for more recipes to spice up your fall menu, check out my all Kabocha recipe in this post!

Thanks for Sopping By

How did you like the recipe?

Seasonal kabocha is sweet and starchy so perfect for making desserts. I hope you will enjoy the recipe and have a fun break time with these easy homemade muffins!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe(or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

More Kabocha Squash Recipes You Might Like

• Kaobcha Squash Dango
• Lotus Root, Pumpkin and Hijiki Salad
• Kabocha Squash Miso Soup
• Kabocha salad with boiled egg
• How to cut Kabocha squash

📖 Recipe