Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
on Aug 22, 2024
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Healthy Pumpkin Muffins made with oats, real maple syrup and whole wheat flour are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or a dinner side!
I always love finding ways to make my favorite treats a little healthier, and these pumpkin muffins do not disappoint! The pumpkin adds natural sweetness and moisture, making these muffins not only delicious but also packed with nutrients.
These muffins are made entirely from scratch but only take about 30 minutes to make, which is perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. You can enjoy them on their own, spread with a little almond butter, or paired with a warm cup of tea.
Serve these healthy pumpkin muffins with a recovery smoothie, eggs, or a spread of nut butter for a balanced and satisfying meal.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The texture is soft and moist.
- The pumpkin and spices add a rich, warm flavor that’s perfect for fall.
- They’re super easy to make and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
Recipe Ingredients
Salt—Enhances the other flavors in the muffins.
Whole Wheat Flour—Adds a bit of heartiness and extra fiber to the muffins.
Pumpkin Puree—Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Eggs—Help bind the muffins together and add a bit of protein.
Maple Syrup—Provides natural sweetness and complements the pumpkin flavor.
Coconut Oil—Adds moisture and a hint of coconut flavor.
Baking Soda—Ensure that the muffins rise well and are light and fluffy.
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger—These warm spices are essential for that classic pumpkin spice flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Step #1. In a medium bowl, add the melted coconut oil, pure maple syrup, egg, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine well. In a large bowl, add the soda, salt, cinnamon, flour, and oats. Stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix here.
Step #2. Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with additional oats. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
If you prefer using fresh pumpkin, simply roast it and puree it until smooth. Keep in mind that fresh pumpkin may have a slightly different moisture content, so you might need to adjust the amount of flour slightly.
Yes! Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins like chopped nuts, dried cranberries, or dark chocolate chips. Just be sure not to add too much, as it could affect the baking time and texture.
How to Serve and Store Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
These pumpkin muffins are a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Enjoy them warm with a little nut butter or simply on their own. They’re also perfect for meal prepping and can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze these muffins. Simply place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months. To enjoy, just thaw at room temperature or warm them up in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- You can substitute half of the whole wheat flour with oat flour for a different texture and added flavor.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter; stir until just combined to keep the muffins tender.
- For an extra touch of sweetness, sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of the muffins before baking.
- If you prefer a more robust spice flavor, increase the amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger to your taste.
More Muffin Recipes To Consider
Breakfast Recipes
Pineapple Zucchini Muffins
Muffin Recipes
Maple Sweetened Healthy Banana Muffins
Muffin Recipes
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Charcuterie Board
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Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup milk of choice, I used almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the melted coconut oil, pure maple syrup, egg, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine well. In a large bowl, add the soda, salt, cinnamon, flour, and oats. Stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix here.
- Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with additional oats. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
If I made these in a mini muffin tin, how would I adjust the bake time?
I’d start checking for doneness around 10 minutes
Very nice healthy pumpkin muffin recipe. Very moist and flavourful as the maple syrup does not mask the flavours like regular sugar. Did some adjustments……no coconut oil on hand so replaced with butter, used half whole wheat and half unbleached white (didn’t have the recommended whole wheat pastry flour and find regular whole wheat too dense), added 1/4 tsp baking powder, chopped dates and walnuts which blended wonderfully with the pumpkin flavour, and some ginger and nutmeg to some of the batch to give it a little more bling. Hubby loved these commenting how wholesome they tasted rather than empty regular muffins. Definitely a keeper recipe and would highly recommend to anyone. Definitely try the dates and walnuts for the added health benefits.
Ohhhh I love dates and walnuts, I’ll be trying that as soon as I make them again. Thank you for the tips and suggestions!
I made these for Thanksgiving today and we think they’re delicious. I did add some raisins as well as semi sweet chocolate chips since they were taking the place of pie this year. Not vegan but fine for vegetarians (me)and old fashioned carnivores (my husband).
Awesome! I was looking for a cupcake recipe for my daughter’s 1 year birthday in October, and thought pumpkin would be cool, and found this! Cannot WAIT to try it !!!
These will be perfect for a little one on their birthday! Congratulations!
Hello Melissa
Just thought you and your readers may wish to know that dates can be used to sweeten recipes instead of sugar. This recipe sounds really good and will try it soon.
I was pleasantly surprised by all the pumpkin recipes for ripe pumpkins, but my dilemma is that I have 11 pumpkins that were “gifted” to us by some stray pumpkin pips in the compost! Anyway, they were unable to ripen due to our weather turning rather foul with rain and threatening frost so they are sitting on my kitchen counter. I have not cooked any yet, but mentioned to hubby that as the stalks had dried on some that we would be having steamed pumpkin for dinner tonight…
That’s so fun! I hope that you find a way to use your volunteer pumpkins! I bet they’re fine, just less sweet.
My husband loves these! The flavor is good but very dense. Next time I would put 1 1/2 tsp baking soda to have a little rise and maybe another egg and a little more pumpkin pie spices. But they are great for my 1st thing-in-the-morning food with my Chai tea!
These were really good. I added 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips. Very moist, but not squishy, just the right amount of sweetness. The oats give great texture. I used muffin liners and they pulled off perfectly. I’ll be keeping this recipe for sure!
I’m so glad that you liked them. I have another recipe on my site for healthy pumpkin muffins you make in the BLENDER! It’s a fun one to make with kids. Also delicious if you liked this one! Thank you for the great review, they are so welcome and helpful.
https://www.blessthismessplease.com/healthy-pumpkin-blender-muffins/
These were great! Nice and moist, with great flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
I added chocolate chips and substituted half the cinnamon for pumpkin spice and they came out amazing!
Sounds perfect!
Hi! I love reading your blog! I want to make these muffins – they sound great! I just have a couple of questions….the recipe directions don’t say when to add the vanilla extract or cinnamon. Am I just missing that? Also, 235 degrees seems like a weird temp to set the oven, Should that be 325? I’ve just never baked at that low a temp before, but maybe that’s what’s needed for these muffins? Thanks so much!
Gah, good thing you said something! It is indeed 325 and I have added where you add the cinnamon and vanilla. Mistakes are fixed. Enjoy the muffins and thanks for helping me out!
These look wonderful and I’m going to make them today! Do want to mention that these muffins are not vegan as they contain eggs – may want to make a fix. Doesn’t matter to me as we aren’t vegan anyway!
All fixed, thank you! I’m not sure how I missed that… definitely not vegan!