Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Easy, healthy pumpkin muffins made with whole grains, natural sweetener (maple syrup) and real pumpkin! These muffins are fluffy and delicious.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
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We caught our first cool fall breeze this week. Do you know what that means? Itโs pumpkin muffin time.
I snapped some new photos of my favorite pumpkin muffin recipe as I satisfied my pumpkin craving. These pumpkin muffins are perfect for chilly fall mornings and afternoon snacks.
Theyโre healthier than most, since theyโre made with whole wheat flour and oats, sweetened with real maple syrup or honey, and call for coconut oil or olive oil instead of butter. Believe it or not, this healthy pumpkin muffin recipe yields light and fluffy muffins.
These pumpkin muffins wouldnโt be complete without plenty of warming spices, including cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Most โpumpkin spiceโ flavor comes from the spice, not the pumpkin!
I love these muffins with a spread of almond butter, peanut butter or pecan butter on top. Nut butter adds some extra protein, which means that Iโm not hungry before lunchtime. If youโre going pumpkin-crazy this time of year, enjoy your muffin with a homemade pumpkin chai latte.
These pumpkin treats have the magical power to convert โhealthy muffinโ skeptics into fans. Letโs make some!
The Best Pumpkin Muffins
Five reasons to love this pumpkin muffin recipe:
- These muffins are easy to make with basic ingredients. Only one bowl required!
- Theyโre made with 100% whole grains, yet theyโre fluffy and delicious. No one will know the difference.
- Theyโre also naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey, rather than loaded with refined sugar. The maple syrup (or honey) offers a touch of extra flavor, which I love.
- These muffins feature a few of your favorite warming spices so they taste like your favorite pumpkin latte.
- They freeze well for later, too. Just defrost individual muffins in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, or until gently warmed through. You donโt want to overdo it.
Healthy Pumpkin Muffin Notes & Tips
Change it up. Add nuts, chocolate chips or chopped fruit cranberries or crystallized ginger. See recipe notes for details.
Simplify the recipe. Substitute 2 teaspoons store-bought pumpkin spice blend for the individual spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice). Or, if your spice drawer is empty, simply use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and call it good.
Craving a sweet topping? Liz topped these muffins with my maple glaze from my pumpkin scones recipe, which sounds marvelous.
This muffin recipe is special diet-friendly. You can easily adjust this recipe to make it vegan, dairy free, egg free and/or gluten free. See the recipe notes for details.
Watch How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Baking Tips for Success
How to Measure Flour
How you measure your flour is important. Why? If you measure incorrectly, you could end up with up to 50 percent extra flour, which will make your muffins dense, dry and flavorless. Use the spoon and swoop method:
- Gently stir your flour to loosen any clumps.
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup with a big spoon or a flour scoop. Do not scoop up the flour directly into the measuring cup.
- Level off the top of the cup with a knife. Repeat as necessary.
Use Baking Soda, Not Baking Powder
They are not the same thing. Both are leaveners that help your baked goods rise (baking powder contains some baking soda, but thatโs a long story). For ideal results, always follow the recipe and measure carefully.
How to Stir Your Batter
This muffin batter is super simple to stir together by hand, and thatโs how I recommend making these muffins. Why? Whipping your batter will make the flourโs gluten protein too strong, yielding tough muffins.
I know it can be tempting to use a stand mixer or hand mixer when itโs within reach. Please donโt! Follow the instructions below and youโll end up with light, fluffy muffins.
More Pumpkin Treats & Fall Muffins
Craving more? Youโre going to love these recipes:
- Healthy Pumpkin Breadย (like these muffins, but in bread form)
- Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Healthy Apple Muffins
Please let me know how these pumpkin muffins turn out for you in the comments. I love hearing from you, and hope these pumpkin muffins become your new favorite.
P.s. That beautiful mug in the photos above and below? Thatโs handmade by my friend Margaret.
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Easy, one bowl, healthier pumpkin muffins made with whole wheat grains and naturally sweetened! These pumpkin muffins are as light, fluffy and delicious as their coffee shop counterparts. Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- โ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ยฝ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin purรฉe
- ยผ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger, ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ยผ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 ยพ cups whole wheat flour**
- โ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
- Optional: 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar for a sweet crunch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and didnโt require any grease).
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs, and beat well. Add the pumpkin purรฉe, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
- Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). If youโd like to add any additional mix-ins***, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with about a tablespoon of oats, followed by a light sprinkle of raw sugar and/or pumpkin spice blend if youโd like. Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.
- These muffins taste even better after they have rested for a couple of hours! Theyโll keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my healthy pumpkin bread.
*Oil options:ย I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if youโre into that (I tested with California Olive Ranchโs โEverydayโ variety and couldnโt even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**Flour alternatives: White whole wheat flour works great, if you can find it. Whole wheat pastry flour yields extra light and fluffy muffins that are delicate until cooled. All-purpose flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour blends work as well.
**Change it up: You could really go crazy with add-ins here. After stirring in the flour and oats, gently fold in up to ยพ cup chocolate chips, chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, and/or some chopped dried cranberries or crystallized ginger.
Serving suggestions: These muffins are great on their own, with a pat of butter, or spread with almond butter. They would also be fantastic with homemade pecan butter or coconut butter.
Make it egg free: Readers report that these muffins turn out well with flax eggs!
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup, flax eggs and non-dairy milk.
Make it dairy free: Simply use your non-dairy milk of choice.
Make it gluten free: Bobโs Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend works well instead of the whole wheat flour. You could use 2 ยฝ cups certified gluten-free oat flour instead or follow my recipe for almond flour-based pumpkin muffins.
Make it oat free: Simply omit the oats. No other changes necessary.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if youโre following a low-fat diet. Choosing olive oil instead of coconut oil will reduce the saturated fat content; total fat content will remain the same.
Update September 24, 2019: I removed white whole wheat flour as an option simply because I canโt find it in stores any more. I also upped the amount of spice from 1 ยฝ teaspoons to 2 teaspoons.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Am anxious to try your pumpkin oat muffins. I like to add chia and flax seed, to make them more nutritious for my husband. Maybe 1/4 c total ground. Will that ruin the muffins. My husband likes molasses, is it ok to switch some of maple syrup for molasses?
Appreciate your opinion.
Thanks
Brenda
Hi Brenda, I think this could potentially work, but it might take a few tries to get it just right. If you do plain flax seed, try adding it to the liquid and letting it sit for 30 minutes. This will help them evenly distribute in the batter. If you add flax seed meal that step is not necessary. Iโd reduce the flour by 10-20%, and replae it with the flax and chia seeds. It may result in a dryer muffin. Molasses has a very different flavor profile than maple syrup or honey, but usually complements fall flavors nicely, so it might work. I wouldnโt use blackstrap molasses, as it could turn out bitter. If you try these modifications, be sure to share how it turns out! Best of luck with your baking.
Brenda,
I substituted Grandmaโs molasses for the full 1/2 cup of maple syrup and the flavor was insane! If you and your husband are molasses lovers, go for it! The texture of the muffins was the same.
My fave banana oat bran muffin recipe includes 2 tbsp of molasses in it. Even at that small amount it really gives a yummy depth of flavour (even for muffins that donโt have fall-season spices like cinnamon, etc). Based on that, Iโd think itโd be great in these muffins too.
Absolutely perfect muffins!
Healthy and delicious !
Thank you heaps!
Thanks ever so much for the great recipe! Iโm trying to train my taste buds to like healthier pumpkin muffins rather than my high-sugar, white flour decadent favorites.
I made these twice within a week, using melted butter, no oats, half-&-half and white whole wheat flour.
Based on past experimentation with my regular pumpkin muffins recipe, I boosted the flavor with extra spices, using 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger and cloves.
I used amber pure maple syrup in the first batch and Grandmaโs molasses in the second batch. Oh my gosh, the molasses muffins exploded with flavor! I canโt stay out of them.
Next time Iโm going to try applesauce and skim milk. Baby steps โฆ
Really lovely the way it is but I always up the spice especially the gingerfor more of a kick. I also found a small bundt pan that the batter fits in perfectly. I bake at the written temp but longer until toothpick comes Out clean. Also play with adding pumpkin seeds and pecans for texture. Makes a really lovely centerpiece for a Brunch or gift.
Thank You ! โค๏ธ
Just made these, wow so yum! Hopefully my little man thinks the same. Otherwise Iโm not upset to have to eat them all
Just made these! Left over pumpkin after making a pie. Amazing! So light and fluffy. Added walnuts for a perfect touch of crunch! Thank you Kate for another great recipe!
These turned out perfect :) I used gluten free flour, maple syrup, tiger nut milk and olive oil.
It is now June of 2025 and I have made these muffins. They are excellent! The texture, the full flavor etc etc. Definitely a recipe I will keep and possibly adjust in ways you have offered for us. I used olive oil and all wheat flour and honestly for me, I wouldnโt change a thing!
Would the temperature be the same for mini muffins? What would be the adjusted bake time?
Hi Brianna, temperature would be the same, I would check them with the toothpick test at 10 minutes.
My family loved these muffins! They were very flavorful, soft and fluffy. Even my picky 3 year old old said, โ I love these muffins, we need to make them again!โ
Funny thing I noticed while assembling all the ingredientsโฆ. I believe this recipe calls for every single cup measurement and every single teaspoon measurement.
hi have you made a pumpkin muffin with pumpkin oil.
thanks, k
Hi Kelly, I havenโt, but would be interested to hear how it turns out if you try it.
Very grateful for this recipe! I have to eat very, very low fat due to a gallbladder issue, and so I was able to make these muffins with some of your suggested adjustments and it turned out great! I used oat milk, whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, flax eggs, added some craisins and upped some of the spices. From my calculations with the ww flour, oats, flax eggs and oat milk, it comes out to 1 gram of fat per muffin. So happy to have a baked good that I can eat! My kid loves them, too.
This will help me too!! Thank you!
I love these muffins! Iโve made double batches several times. I keep them in the freezer and pull them out for breakfast. Iโve also made Kateโs blueberry muffins โ also delicious, but I think the pumpkin muffins are my favorite. Take care not to overcook them. They are much better when they are moist.
How long would you bake using a mini muffin tin?
Did you try this? Iโm curious how long for mini as well.
Did anyone get a reply on the mini muffin time?
Hi Rose, I would check them with a toothpick at 10 minutes.
Your pumpkin muffins are delicious. With peanut butter they hit another high!
Your muffin recipes are the only ones I make. after having had some failures with other recipes. Recently I made blueberry, banana and today, pumpkin. I also find your soups perfect. I have made cauliflower, tomato, butternut squash and broccoli over the past couple of weeks. My daughter is coming soon for a month! My freezer is full.
I like your recipes because they are not complex, straight to the point. Your ingredients are ones I usually have on hand. I have never had a failure with any of
them. I have your book and I follow you on the web.
Thank you for your good work in making cooking or baking so easy.
Lynda
Hi Lynda, thank you so much for your kind words.
Itโs been my go-to muffin recipe for a few years now and I thought Iโd finally let you know. I usually use it with banane purรฉe but of course it works with any purรฉe, and any toppings. I sometimes even use oatmeal flour, and Iโve now been adding powdered TVP for more proteins (but then I add more soy milk as well).
Lovely muffin recipe. Thanks for the info on alternative ingredients. I used flax eggs, yacon syrup, soy milk and cold pressed rape seed oil as these were the ingredients I had. I will definitely make these again.
Perfect pumpkin muffins! I was searching for โhealthy pumpkin muffinsโ, and Iโm so glad I found this recipe! Just enough sweetness, full of fiber โ whatโs not to love. Check mark going on this recipe as one to repeat!
I have loved this recipe for YEARS! this year, I filled the muffin tins halfway, added a dollop of Philadelphia Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese to the center, then topped the upper half with the remaining batter (using a cookie scoop makes it so much easier to divide the batter). THEY WERE INCREDIBLE! My toddler and husband love them!
Delicious! Soft, fluffy, sweet without being overwhelmingly sweet. Whole family enjoyed! I substituted whole spelt flour, which came out perfectly, even though sometimes spelt needs different ratios. Here it was perfect. Will be enjoying these!
Hello, Iโm so glad your family enjoyed these. Thanks for sharing your experience with spelt flour.
Very delicious. I canโt stop eating them. I used maple syrup, flax โeggโ, olive oil, & topped with turbinado sugar. What I did definitely, for more of a muffin top was put the oven on 425 4-5 min. I smelled the smoke point at 4 min. Immediately dropped it 325 17-20 min without opening the oven. They are so pretty thank you so much โบ๏ธ
Hi Kaylen, so glad these worked for you! Thanks for sharing how adjusting the temperature worked for you.
This came out perfectly thank you! I mixed in some chocolate chips and it was a great addition!
Loved these muffins. No oatmeal, used agave instead of syrup. Super moist. Thank you Loretta
Hi! Love all of your recipes. In Canada our canned option of pure puree pumpkin comes in 796ml. Is this equivalent to the can you use in your recipe?
Hi Becky, a standard size can in the US is 14 ounces, so that would be a double size can.
I love these! Also, once the store was out of pumpkin so I figured Iโd try the recipe with canned sweet potato, and they were great that way too.
Is it ok to use whole wheat sprouted grain flour?
Hi Maureen, I understand that you can substitute sprouted grain flour at a 1:1 ratio for whole wheat, so it should work in this recipe. If you try it, please share how it turns out!
Canโt wait to try these- I need to make treats for breakfast meeting, 50 ppl. How long would you bake for mini muffins?
Hi Sandy, I would do the toothpick test at 10 minutes. I hope this helps.
My go-to fall muffin recipe! I always make it vegan and it turns out perfectly.