Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Pumpkin oatmeal muffins are the perfect healthy gluten-free breakfast that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. You'll crave them on Saturday mornings in the fall or any season for that matter. 

I can't get enough muffins - from banana carrot muffins to cranberry orange muffins to blackberry oatmeal muffins. But what about pumpkin?

Yes I said pumpkin! America loves pumpkin these days! And who doesn't love some good old-fashioned muffins? The smell when baking some on a weekend morning is addicting. But what about healthy muffins that taste just as good? Well that's what makes these amazing!

Making the muffins with oats instead of flour gives them more texture, but also is great for those that are gluten-free. And maple syrup replaces granulated sugar, which provides more in-depth flavor.

Why This Recipe Works

• Combo breakfast - You not only get the benefit of a muffin on the go, but you get some additional nutrients from the oats.
• Gluten-free - Due to making these muffins with oats instead of flour, they are perfect for a gluten-free diet.
• Flavorful - The muffin itself is delicious, but let's be honest, who doesn't pumpkin in the fall?
• Make-ahead - You can make a batch of these and then throw in the freezer. Just pull one out when you are short on time.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredient Notes
• Ingredient Swaps
• Step-by-Step Photos
• FAQs
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Muffin Recipes
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredient Notes

• Oats - Helps bind everything together while also making the muffins gluten-free and healthy.
• Pumpkin - Use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. Make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices. Pure pumpkin puree gives your muffins a natural pumpkin flavor.
• Greek yogurt - When incorporated into muffin batter, it helps keep the muffins soft and tender. This added moisture prevents the muffins from becoming overly dry, which can sometimes happen with oats.
• Maple syrup - while you get some natural sweetness from the bananas and carrots, this makes the muffins just right.
• Eggs - Eggs provide structure and moisture to the muffins.
• Pumpkin pie spice - Adds a warm note which works well with pumpkin.
• Vanilla Extract - A small amount of vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
• Baking powder/soda - The combination creates the needed rise out of the muffins when heated.
• Salt - Don't forget to include a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavors.

Ingredient Swaps

As with any recipe, you can change up the ingredients if need. Some substitutes include:

• While these are pumpkin oatmeal muffins, you can use butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
• Greek yogurt is a go-to of mine lately for fat in baked goods, but sour cream or whole fat yogurt work well too.
• I use maple syrup for added sweetener, but honey works too.
• While I use eggs in these muffins, if you want to make them vegan, you can use chia seeds.
• I like having some added crunch which is where the walnuts come into play, but pecans or hazelnuts are good substitutes.

Step-by-Step Photos

Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.

Pulse 1 cup of oats in a food processor to get a flour-like consistency.

Then transfer to a bowl with the other oats and mix with the rest of the dry ingredients.

Mix in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

Add the walnuts and chocolate if using. Transfer to a greased muffin tin. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until done.

FAQs

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Most grocery stores carry pumpkin pie spice these days, but you can always make your own. Check out Taste of Home’s recipe.

In a small bowl, whisk together 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cloves and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. And if you still have extra pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, make some pumpkin streusel muffins.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Pulse half of the old-fashioned oats in the food processor to make an oat flour. If you don't pulse the oats, the muffins can be a little dense.
• Mix it up with the spices. I personally love to use pumpkin pie spice but you can use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
• While optional, add nuts and chocolate to give additional flavor. You could also add dried cranberries or candied ginger.
• Use a cookie scoop to get an even amount of batter in each muffin tin.

Other Muffin Recipes

If you’ve tried this pumpkin oatmeal muffins recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.