Make these healthy (and so easy) Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins to share with the kids for breakfast or snack—with or without chocolate chips!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
You know I love a healthy muffin recipe and these pumpkin muffins are a staple in our house in the fall and winter. (Though no shame if you love pumpkin all year round!) They are so easy to make in a blender or food processor and you can make them with one arm if you have a kiddo on your hip—which is handy because I know how real life goes.
And they are super moist and not very crumbly, so make a perfect breakfast or snack for kids…and us parents.
These muffins have a base of oatmeal, so contain a lot of fiber and B vitamins. Add in the protein from milk and eggs and the Vitamin A from pumpkin and you have a balanced meal in muffin form. I love the hint of pumpkin pie spice too!
TIP: These taste like a cross between baked oatmeal and a traditional pumpkin muffin.
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
- rolled oats
- pumpkin puree
- milk (dairy or nondairy)
- maple syrup (or honey)
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- pumpkin pie spice
- baking soda
- chocolate chips, optional
TIP: To make these gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making these muffins. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Add the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Portion into a muffin tin.
- Top with chocolate chips and bake.
TIP: You can serve these cold, at room temperature, or even slightly warmed.
Storing Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
These muffins are super moist and store well in the fridge or freezer—which is handy for pulling out quick breakfasts and snacks all week long. I also love them as a simple lunch component paired with fruit and a simple veggie for lunch.
Best Tips for Success
- These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed. Dice into smaller pieces for younger kids.
- Dairy-free: Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pie filling.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if desired. (Do not use honey for kids under age one.)
- For mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out cleanly.
- If you love the flavor of pumpkin pie, use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
- To make these by hand without a blender or food processor, use store-bought oat flour and mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin if desired.
- You may also like Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Bars, Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I’d love to hear from you if you try these muffins, so please comment below!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard size muffin tin.
- Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Divide among the prepared muffin tin. You want each cup to be about ¾ full. Top with chocolate chips if using.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
- These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed. Dice into smaller pieces for younger kids.
- Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree.
- Dairy-free: Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Egg-free: Use a store-bought egg replacer like the kind from Bob's Red Mill or Just Eggs. (Flax or chia eggs can be used, but the texture may be more like baked oatmeal than a muffin.)
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if desired. (Do not use honey for kids under age one.)
- For mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out cleanly.
- If you love the flavor of pumpkin pie, use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
- To make these by hand without a blender or food processor, use store-bought oat flour and mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin if desired.
I just tried this also and when blended it’s very liquidy. I haven’t put them in the oven yet, going to try adding more oats and blend. I think the measurements are off as others stated?
I just made the recipe this week and it worked just fine. Did you use the standard or metric option?
Are the calories counting Choco chips or no?
No since they’re optional.
I cut this recipe in half to use up 1/2c of pumpkin purée that I had leftover. Kept the maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice close to the original recipe, used a mini muffin pan, and topped with mini chocolate chips. So good! I’m wishing I made the whole recipe but knowing that we will be making them again! I used a food processor and kept the oats on the chunkier side. For some reason recipes on this site that use oats turn out perfectly and any recipe that uses flour is a flop. Not sure why.
I dont have a blender, will this work if I just stir them together?
If you don’t grind up the oats, they will be much more textured and more like baked oatmeal cups. It should still work though.
Thank you for responding, I’ll try it!
These are really good! Followed the recipe exactly. I used my food processor and it was so easy. My whole family loved them and they were gone in a day. Safe to say I will be making these weekly lol.
Just made these for the first time and they are delicious! Super easy to make and very moist!
My 2yo LOVES these muffins. We do them plain and with chocochips. Great recipe
Anything I can use instead of pumpkin pie spice?
Cinnamon
I noticed when I put the ingredients together that it was very liquid so I did wonder how they were going to bake in 20-22 min. I wound up cooking them for 30 min, took them out of the oven. Was going to eat one this morning however when I cut it open, it’s clear they’re not sufficiently cooked. Drat!
The most likely explanation for this recipe not cooking through is the baking soda not working properly. I’m sorry that happened!
Unfortunately I have had the same problem. I have tried 3 batches since yesterday and all flopped. I opened a new box of baking soda for the 3rd and final batch without success. I have been using your recipes for over 2 years and this is the first that has truly failed. Not sure what I am doing wrong!
Oh no! Are you baking at altitude? I can’t think of any other reason that would happen if the baking soda is working.
Nope . We are in Florida- sea level.
So here is an interesting update. I was pretty disappointed after the 3rd batch failed. My husband found them discarded on the counter and not knowing any better, put them in the fridge. I found them then next day and now they are perfectly solidified. They are not crumbly like a store-bought muffin but also No longer wet and mushy in the middle. I heated one up in the microwave and it held its consistency. Not sure what happened but they taste great. And now I feel bad that I may have tossed out 2 other perfectly good batches.
I will say though that when mixing, the batter is pretty wet and liquidy and in the 3rd round , I even added more oatmeal.
great muffins as always! my 19 month old loves them. next time i would like to omit the added sugar would they still taste ok or can i use something else instead?
I haven’t tried it with these yet, but you can probably use an overripe banana in place of some of the pumpkin. I do that often – I’ve made some with just pumpkin and banana and no added sweeteners.
These are delicious! I was looking for a healthier item for my husband to have with his coffee in the morning and this fit the bill. He loves them. I made a minimal change: added walnuts to the batter base and puréed them with the rest then topped with chopped walnuts. Will definitely make these again since they are yummy and sooooo easy to make.
Absolutely the best pumpkin muffin recipe out there! I have made this countless times, so easy, quick and just so good!
I make these often and recently I made them with Coach’s Instant Steel Cut Oats from Costco and I liked them better than with rolled oats.
For some extra veggies I add a zucchini and about a cup or two of spinach to the mixture. You may beee to add a little more oats so the batter isn’t too watery. Turns out great and doesn’t affect the taste one bit.
Very moist, flavorful and truly quick to mix/ make. Appreciate sweetness of the muffin is not overpowering. Will make these for guests as prep/clean-up is not time consuming but the muffin is delicious!