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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners and nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined.
- In a small bowl, mix oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until combined. Stir in any mix-ins.
- Scoop into muffin tin and bake for about 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Make homemade oat flour by grinding oatmeal until very fine in a blender, measuring after blended.
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 🙂
Kelly Smith says
Delicious easy recipe! I used raisins instead of chocolate chips, so good! Thanks Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kelly, so glad you liked them and made them your own!!
Andrea DiCocco says
These are so easy to make and so moist and delicious!! Will definitely be baking these muffins again and again! 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Andrea, I am so glad you loved the muffins!!
Lyndi says
10/10! Absolutely loved these! I love the texture of the oat flour. It was kind of a last minute decision to make these….woke up to a very rainy, fall morning and wanted some pumpkin muffins. I had to make a few substitutions because of what I had on hand, but they still turned out amazing! I used 1/2 c melted butter instead of coconut oil. I only had 1/4 cup of maple syrup so I filled the rest of the 1/3 with honey. I also only had 1 1/3 cups of oat flour so I filled the rest with all purpose. haha I dealt with what I had and they still turned out fabulous! This will be my new go-to recipe for pumpkin muffins!
★★★★★
Lyndi says
Also, we prefer mini muffins, so I made them in a mini muffin tin. They were cooked in about 8 minutes.
Erin says
Love this!! 🙂
Erin says
Hi Lyndi, so happy you loved the muffins and made them your own! Thanks for sharing!
Erin N says
love love love these perfect fall muffins!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Erin, so glad you loved them!!
Regan says
I knew my family was going to love them, so I doubled them right off the bat! They were such a hit that we needed to quickly put them in the freezer for fear of eating too many ha. Perfect for a quick snack or dessert. Another win for ELW!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Regan, so happy you love the muffins so much!! 🙂
Adriana says
I made these for my picky 1 1/2 year old daughter and she loved them.
I added 2 bananas, which made them denser (but still delicious!)
Just curious, how would you add banana to this recipe?
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Adriana, so glad you both loved them and made them your own! I would probably add one banana or you can do it again and add two but add more oil to make it wetter.
Colleen says
How should these be stored? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Colleen, you can store them on the countertop in an airtight container. Let me know how they come out!!
Amanda says
Holy moly. These are INSANELY GOOD. I can’t eat the Dunkin’ muffins anymore and these rival those and are 1000x healthier. I added a scoop of Just Ingredients pumpkin spice protein powder for added protein and a splash of oat milk to loosen the batter. I can’t believe how delicious these are (and they’re gluten-free and school safe!). Thank you, Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Amanda, I am so glad you love them so much and great ideas making them your own!!
Avery says
So moist and flavorful! Great recipe!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Avery, so glad you loved them!!
Becka says
The best!!! Love the use of oat flour.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Becka, so glad you loved them!
Jennifer says
OMG… So good! I added 1/2 cup millet for crunch and extra prebiotic goodness, and subbed the 1/3 maple syrup for 1/2 c erythritol. Also used liquid coconut oil instead of melted *solid* coconut oil. Absolutely perfect healthy muffin. Thanks for sharing! <3
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jennifer, so happy you loved them and made them your own!!
Cassidy says
These are the best muffins I have ever made! And gluten free – incredible! My mom and I are obsessed, and she even agrees out of all the gluten free recipes I have tried these are the best!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Cassidy, so happy you and your mom loved them!! 🙂
Heidi says
I’ve made these quite a few times, my sister too. They always turn out great. I’ve made them as written and I’ve substituted banana for the pumpkin and 1/4 applesauce for half of the oil and added blueberries.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Heidi, so happy you both love them!!
Simon Andrew says
Thanks for sharing this recipe its really nice
Digital Direct Selling
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Simon, so glad you enjoyed them!
Nicole says
I am always making muffins to have in the freezer for a quick snack I’m not GF but enjoy trying GF recipes. Was craving pumpkin muffins, so I searched around on a few websites before coming across this recipe. These were so good, not just gluten-free good, but maybe my favorite muffin recipe now. My boyfriend is often skeptical about gluten-free recipes especially with no sugar but even he agreed these were the best muffins we’ve had in a long time. They were good fresh they were good after I left them for a week in the freezer. I didn’t have maple syrup so I use honey I also had dark chocolate chips which I think was a great happy accident.
So happy to have added these to my repitore!!
Erin says
Hi Nicole, that is such a great idea and so glad you both liked them!! You used great subs too!!
Karlee Grudi says
The pumpkin treat you didn’t know you needed in your life! ELW did it again. I’m sad I shared them with friends because now there are only 5 left. Guess I’ll have to make another batch next week! Who says pumpkin is just a fall treat?! Thank you, Erin!!!!
Erin says
Hi Karlee, I am so happy you enjoyed them so much!!
Rose says
I make these all the time. They are so simple and sooo yummy! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Rose, so happy you loved them!
Candace says
This are literally the absolute best muffins! Everyone I have given a muffin to wants the recipe immediately. I usually double the recipe, freeze the muffins, and pop in the microwave for 30 seconds when I want one. My kids ask for these alllll the time, so kid friendly, too!
Erin says
Hi Candace, I am so happy you enjoyed them so much and great idea! 🙂
Sharon West says
I used reg flour. My husband who is a diabetic just loves them. Has one mid morning with hot tea.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Sharon, so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
Order Food Online says
I like it very much I will try it at home.
Erin says
Hi! So happy you enjoyed the muffins!