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Home By Meal Dessert

The Best Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

★★★★★ 95 Reviews Recipe Print
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By: Erin8/31/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

A cross between a dessert and a nutritious breakfast, these healthy pumpkin muffins are completely gluten-free! The fresh pumpkin puree and chocolate chips elevate these muffins to icon status.

bite into pumpkin muffin

Sweet healthy pumpkin muffins

These healthy pumpkin muffins are the perfect things to make for a fall snack, portable breakfast, or autumn brunch. They are sweet while not wreaking havoc on your blood sugar.

These muffins are never going to let you down. I mean, you will know they are going to be perfect right away because the pumpkin batter is fluffy and thick. You can tell that when you are pouring them into your muffin tin, these will be the softest pumpkin muffins you have ever had!

I think these pumpkin muffins rival the ones from Dunkin’ – while being better for you at the same time. These are perfectly soft, full of pumpkin spice, fluffy, and just so freaking good that you will want to eat them for breakfast every single day.

overhead best healthy pumpkin muffin in tray

Ingredients in these pumpkin oat muffins

The ingredients in these muffins are the best because they are simple and most likely ones that you already have on hand in your pantry. Baking can be really easy if you allow it to be!

I love to use recipes that don’t require fancy ingredients or anything that you wouldn’t already have at home. All you really need for these muffins:

  • Oat Flour– Oats are a heart-healthy whole grain. You’ll need 2 cups of oat flour.
  • Pumpkin Puree – Either use fresh pumpkin puree from your Jack-O-Lantern or add some from a can, but either way, use 1 cup.
  • Maple Syrup – Sweeten the muffins naturally with 1/3 a cup of real maple syrup.
  • Eggs – These are an emulsifier, so you’ll use 2 large eggs.
  • Coconut Oil – or Other Oil of Choice – Melt 1/2 a cup of your favorite type of healthy oil.
  • Baking Soda + Powder – Combine 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda for the fluffiest muffins.
  • Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract adds deeper and richer flavors to the muffins, use one teaspoon.
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice – Use some premade pumpkin pie spice to really make them taste amazing – about two teaspoons.
  • Chocolate Chips – These chocolate chips are optional. If you want to use them, add about one cup.
the best healthy pumpkin muffins

Kitchen tools required

You don’t need any fancy kitchen gadgets to make this simple pumpkin muffin recipe. Grab the following tools before you begin.

  • Muffin Tin
  • Muffin Liners
  • Large Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Small Bowl
  • Wooden Spoon

For measuring, you will need 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1 teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon.

half of pumpkin muffin

How to make the best pumpkin muffins

These best-ever healthy pumpkin muffins are so easy to make. You’ll want to start by making homemade oat flour which is way easier than it sounds. No fancy mills or grinding machines here, all you need is a blender!

Just throw some oats into a blender and pulse for 10 seconds or so until your oats are finely ground into flour.

Tip: Always measure the amount of oats you need after grinding your oats up because the measurement can change.

If you already have oat flour, you can skip this step and move directly to mixing the pumpkin muffin batter.

Put the oat flour aside and whisk together your eggs, oil, pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined.

Mix the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until completely combined. Then add in any mix-ins you want! I love adding chocolate chips or pecans to my pumpkin muffins. I even save some to put on top!

Pour batter into a lined and greased muffin tin, top with a little extra chocolate and crushed nuts if desired, and bake! Bake them until you insert a toothpick into the middle, and it comes out clean.

half of pumpkin muffin

Recipe Tips

Here are some questions people often ask about making pumpkin muffins. If you don’t see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.

What other ingredients can I add to these oat flour pumpkin muffins?

You could add some cocoa powder to the muffins to make chocolate pumpkin muffins. Instead of chocolate chips, use white chocolate chips.

Should I make my own homemade oat powder?

This is entirely up to you. Some people like to make their own oat powder by pureeing rolled oats because it is less processed. It could be cheaper to make your own oat powder, especially if you buy rolled oats in bulk.

Can I turn this into a loaf of quick bread?

Yes, you can easily place the batter into a prepared loaf pan and make healthy pumpkin bread. You will have to adjust the baking time because it will take longer for the bread to bake.

Are these pumpkin muffins keto-friendly?

No, these muffins are not good to eat on a low-carb diet. The oat flour makes them much too high in carbs. Plus, the maple syrup increase that number even more. I suggest looking for a muffin recipe that uses either almond flour or coconut flour and is sweetened with a sugar substitute.

Storing leftovers

Storing muffins is simple. We like to let our muffins sit at room temperature in a sealed Tupperware container for up to four days. After that, we will do one of two things to ensure that they are stored properly – store them in the freezer or the refrigerator.

Freeze the muffins

Once cooled, wrap them up individually in plastic wrap and place them in a gallon Ziploc bag. This makes it easier to pull them out individually. Store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you are ready to eat them again, just let them thaw naturally in the refrigerator overnight.

Refrigerate them

This will increase the shelf life to longer than four days. Just stick the sealed, airtight container right into your fridge, and you will be good to go! These muffins will last about a week in the refrigerator.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

  • Paleo Banana Bread Muffins
  • Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
  • Paleo Pumpkin Bread

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!

healthy pumpkin muffins
over head pumpkni muffins
★★★★★ 4.8 from 95 reviews

The Best Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Healthy pumpkin muffins are easy to make and made totally gluten free with certified gluten free oatmeal, fresh pumpkin puree, and a handful of chocolate chips! Toddlers, kids, teenagers, and adults all love these for a simple snack!

Prep: 10Cook: 20Total: 30 minutes
Yield 12 muffins 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups oat flour , loosely scooped, not packed. gluten-free if necessary. see notes for homemade.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • Optional: chocolate chips /chopped pecans – about 1 cup.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners and nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined.
  3. In a small bowl, mix oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until combined. Stir in any mix-ins.
  5. Scoop into muffin tin and bake for about 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  6. Enjoy!

Notes

Make homemade oat flour by grinding oatmeal until very fine in a blender, measuring after blended.

Author: ErinCategory: breakfast, gluten-freeMethod: oven
over head pumpkni muffins

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

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There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

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  1. shannon says

    Posted on 9/28 at 1:53 pm

    I made these for my family and it was slam dunk, among everyone, which is rare! I have a feeling these will be an ongoing staple and the best part is they are easy to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Lindsay says

    Posted on 9/28 at 12:33 pm

    They taste pretty good but the texture is odd and they look terrible. I’ve tried twice now and same results both times. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.

    Reply
  3. Alexa says

    Posted on 9/24 at 8:14 pm

    This rainy weather had me craving a fall treat. I found these on Erin’s website and made them with ingredients I already had on hand. They were amazing! So fresh and the texture is so good – soft and fluffy. Extra chocolate chips for me and they were perfect!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Britt says

    Posted on 9/23 at 9:12 am

    Odd texture… better with choc chips!

    ★★★

    Reply
  5. Jenny says

    Posted on 9/21 at 6:43 pm

    Made the mistake of using raisins instead of chocolate chips and these became a crumbly mess. Next time I’ll add 1/4 ground flax for more cohesion and less crumbs.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/22 at 8:40 pm

      Hi Jenny, oh no! Hope you can make them again!

      Reply
  6. Michaela says

    Posted on 9/20 at 7:56 am

    I’ve made these 4 times now and each time they’re amazing! My husband specifically requests these as soon as the weather starts to feel like fall and for good reason! I didn’t make any substitutions and they are perfect each time!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/20 at 10:24 am

      Hi Michaela, so happy you both loved them so much! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nicole says

    Posted on 9/19 at 4:27 pm

    Just made these with a couple substitutions due to multiple allergies. Used oat flour, applesauce for eggs and vegetable oil instead of coconut and they were delicious! The consistency was closer to actual pumpkin pie but still soo good!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/20 at 10:22 am

      Hi Nicole, so happy you loved them and made them your own!!

      Reply
  8. Kc says

    Posted on 9/17 at 10:29 am

    Do you have to use coconut oil?

    Reply
    • AC says

      Posted on 9/19 at 3:28 pm

      You can maybe try substituting the coconut oil with an extra 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, or any other oil of your choice. Pumpkin puree is often used as a substitute for oil in baking. I am going to make them like this, so I’ll try to update you when I do.

      Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/19 at 4:25 pm

      Hi, you can use melted butter instead! Let me know how they come out!

      Reply
  9. Ali says

    Posted on 9/10 at 7:20 pm

    LOVE these!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/13 at 1:49 pm

      Hi Ali, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  10. Stephanie says

    Posted on 9/9 at 12:52 pm

    I’m curious if anyone has made these with egg substitute (flax or applesauce, maybe?). My youngest is allergic to egg but this recipe sounds yummy! I love the idea of a healthy option.

    Reply
    • Jean says

      Posted on 9/11 at 6:38 pm

      stephanie, I read your comment and decided to give both a try. I made one batch with flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal with 5 tablespoons water) and one batch exactly as written (with eggs). The ones made with eggs were slightly fluffier and had a slightly more tender crumb; however the difference was not significant. Definitely worth making for your family, both were delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written. My 2 cups of oat flour (homemade from rolled oats) weighted 210 grams. My family likes a bit more sweetness and mouth feel so next time I will try adding some mini chocolate chips or maybe some raisins or pecans.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Erin says

        Posted on 9/13 at 1:51 pm

        Hi Jean, thanks so much for sharing!!

  11. Noelle says

    Posted on 8/29 at 5:37 am

    These are amazing. I baked them for my boyfriends family and they were gone within a day. Everyone said they were amazing and 10/10! I loved them. They’re so moist and perfectly sweet. Also love that they’re high in fiber

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 9/1 at 8:50 am

      Hi Noelle, so happy everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂

      Reply
  12. lacey says

    Posted on 8/7 at 1:47 pm

    I have a question, could you use regular flour? Or almond flour?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/7 at 3:14 pm

      Hi Lacey, I haven’t tested with that specific flour, and most flours work on a totally different absorption rate. You can definitely give it a try with either, but check the ratio first and you’d likely have to adjust the amount you use. Let me know how your muffins come out!

      Reply
  13. Leah says

    Posted on 8/3 at 9:22 pm

    I use almond flour and the middle will not cook no matter the time. Any idea why? I try to cook them longer and all but the outside burns and the inside is uncooked.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/7 at 3:09 pm

      Hi Leah, it sounds as though your oven must be registering too hot – try checking that out!

      Reply
  14. Ann says

    Posted on 4/27 at 2:09 pm

    Do you know what the weight watchers points for this recipe is? Great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 5/2 at 8:17 pm

      Hi Ann, so sorry I don’t. Feel free to go off the nutrition facts at the bottom of the recipe or input the recipe into the weight watchers app if possible.

      Reply
  15. Holly says

    Posted on 2/19 at 8:18 am

    Delicious! This is such a great recipe! If we don’t have pumpkin, I substitute bananas. And they’re great with fresh cranberries or blueberries added. We have these every week. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 2/19 at 2:10 pm

      Hi Holly, so glad you loved them and made them your own!!

      Reply
  16. Shareya says

    Posted on 1/12 at 11:36 pm

    These are an absolute favorite in my family! (We often substitute salted butter for the coconut oil and call them “semi-healthy”)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/17 at 8:41 pm

      Hi Shareya, so glad you loved them!! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Kelli says

    Posted on 1/12 at 12:37 pm

    We make these all the time!! So delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/17 at 5:19 pm

      Hi Kelli, so glad you loved them! 🙂

      Reply
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I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

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