The best healthy pumpkin muffins EVER!
This past weekend, I had quite a few recipes that I planned on creating or recreating and I was so excited when they all came out winners. I just love when this happens!
This is my new all time favorite healthy muffin recipe. The best healthy pumpkin muffins EVER! Honest! The taste is brilliant and the texture is so close to those not-so-healthy muffins. These muffins are made from a flour called whole spelt flour. Ever tried it? I used Bob’s Red Mill brand.
So, what’s so great about spelt flour?
- Okay, for 1, these muffins are awesome and they are made with spelt flour. 😉
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The calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates of whole spelt flour is similar to whole wheat flour, but whole spelt flour is significantly higher in B vitamins, especially niacin and riboflavin.
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The combination of nutrients in spelt seems to enhance the immune system and to aid in the clotting of blood.
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Spelt also appears to be helpful for those who suffer from migraine headaches, atherosclerosis and diabetes. The fiber and niacin in spelt can improve cardiovascular health and decrease the risk of heart disease, and the combination of magnesium and fiber in spelt flour may lower the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
These muffins aren’t only healthy because of the spelt flour, but also due to the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Muffins made with spelt flour and sweetened with honey
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour, whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour will also work
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice, or use cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup 100% pure raw honey
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, butter works too (applesauce may work, but I haven't tried it and it will probably change the texture of the muffin)
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree, organic, if possible
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Don't overmix.
- Scoop large spoonfuls of batter into muffin pan and evenly distribute. Bake for 20-25 minutes and until tops are golden brown. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate for a week or freeze for longer.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I adapted this recipe, slightly, from Lisa’s over at http://www.100daysofrealfood.com. On 12/29/13, I edited the recipe and photos. Changes made to the recipe are based on experimentation and reader comments. I have changed the 1/4 teaspoon baking powder to 1 teaspoon baking powder. The 1 teaspoon baking soda is changed to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. I also used only 1/4 teaspoon salt rather than 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/3 cup honey rather than 1/2 cup honey.
What’s your favorite type of muffin?
I love blueberry muffins, but pumpkin muffins definitely come in at a very close 2nd!
Have a terrific Tuesday!!
*Nutritional information on spelt obtained from Livestrong.com.
Turned out delicious!!! Thank you for recipe♡♡♡
Delicious is not the right word to describe those;) Délicieux!
Lol! So happy you enjoyed!
I’ve made these muffins in the fall for the past several years. Great recipe if you’re looking for something a little less sweet! I love warming them up in the microwave in the morning and adding some butter.
Yay! So glad to hear that you enjoy!
I just made these muffins this morning and they did not disappoint. I followed the recipe (WW flour & coconut oil) almost exactly, just added a bit of vanilla to the wet ingredients and topped with pecans. Very satisfying in both flavor and texture and easy to prepare. Thank you for sharing this.
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed and thanks so much for taking time to leave feedback!
Hi Kim, look forward to making the pumpkin muffins for Thanksgiving, what size pure pumpkin tin do you use in recipe?
I use a 12 cup muffin pan. The recipe will make 12 muffins.
IN LOVE WITH THESE! I replaced the flour with some quick oats I blended, and used coconut oil. Thanks!
I love your adaptation! Glad you love the muffins as much as I do! Thanks so much for your comment!
Amazing recipe Kim, thanks for sharing! I added pumpkin seeds and cranberries – fabulous breakfast treat!
Cheers from Singapore,
Elena
I’m so glad you loved the muffins as much as I do! I absolutely love your addition of pumpkin seeds and cranberries. I will definitely be giving that a try.
Just made these muffins and they are delicious. My husband and 15 month old love them too 🙂 I added a few pepitas on the top and they gave it a nice little crunch. The muffin texture was perfect. Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you loved them and I’ll have to try the pepitas on top- great idea!
Can Oatmeal flour be substituted for the spelt flour?
It may come out with a different texture, but I think it would work and they would definitely be edible. I don’t have a whole lot of experience using oat flour for muffins, so I hate to tell you it will work and then you be disappointed. I would love to hear how they turn out, though, if you get a chance to give it a try. 🙂
I tried it tonight and they came out great! I made my oat flour using steak cut Quaker oats in my Ninja food processor. Didn’t want to take a chance on them coming out too dense, so I used one cup of the oat flour mixed with half a cup of whole wheat flour. I also added 1tsp of vanilla extract. They rose well (which is not easy to do with pumpkin pastries), and they were fluffy and moist. My kids loved them! These will be perfect for breakfast in the morning.
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing the results!
Just made these this morning and they are delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m glad that you enjoyed them- I need to make them again soon!
Can I use coconut flower instead of spelt? I already have coconut in my pantry and like the flavor it gives. Thanks.
I would not substitute coconut flour for spelt in this recipe. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid- these muffins would come out much too dry. I do have a coconut/almond flour pumpkin muffin on the blog- https://www.kimscravings.com/2012/09/28/paleo-pumpkin-muffins/. These morning glory muffins also use coconut flour and the post explains using coconut flour- https://www.kimscravings.com/2014/04/15/gluten-free-morning-glory-muffins/ Good luck!
These are seriously perfect pumpkin muffins. They are not too sweet but sweet enough and the texture is soft and just right. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m glad that you loved them as much as I do! 😉
I made these last night, sooo good and moist! to keep them low sugar/low carb I opted for Almond Meal instead of spelt, and 1/3c water with stevia instead of honey. I will be making these again for sure!!
We are trying you muffins this morning as we love pumpkin and spelt in our house. Two questions: the muffin batter was very thick, is that ok? Second, can you substitute other oils like olive in this recipe?
Thanks!
I just made these, and they were seriously incredible! The only modifications I made were I didn’t melt the coconut oil (laziness) and I didn’t add eggs, not on purpose but because I didn’t remember them – I made them half-awake at 7 this morning! However, they still rose beautifully, had a perfect crumb, and the perfect flavor. My kids are in love! I also used fresh pumpkin puree from small sweet sugar pumpkins, which I think definitely helped. Thanks SO much for sharing this great recipe!
Thank you so much for your comment, Stephania! I’m so glad that they turned out wonderfully for you and good to know that the eggs aren’t necessary. 🙂 I so need to start making my own puree from sweet sugar pumpkins- sounds fabulous!
I’m so looking forward to trying your recipe this weekend! How do I know when the wet and dry ingredients are over-mixed and what would happen to the end result? If I bake it all in a loaf/square pan, how long more should I increase the baking time by? Thank you 🙂
Mindy- just mix ingredients until they are combined. There is no need to continuously stir. When everything is pretty much wet, you’re good. Over-stirring can result in tough muffins. If you bake in a loaf pan, I would increase baking time to about 50-60 minutes.
Do you think flax seed and chia seed added would change the recipe and not come out right?
What about coconut palm sugar as a sweetener?
Hi Lindsey-
I’m not sure if adding flax or chia would change the texture of the muffins. It probably depends on how much you’re planning on adding in. I think coconut sugar would work well as a sweetener, though. Good luck!
Pumpkin is awesome in baked goods….almost as good as sweet potato!
Baking with veggies is a great way to trick the kids into eating healthy!
These look great! I LOVE spelt flour. I just made a whole grain lemon poppy seed bread today with it. It’s perfect for baking because it tastes lighter than regular whole wheat flour. Yum yum. I’ve been looking for a recipe that uses honey only as a sweetener, and I can’t wait to try these! Thanks!
I love lemon poppy seed bread. I so agree with you, spelt flour is so great to bake with.
I am all about the fiber content. Can you tell me how much fiber this comes out to be? I also want to make them for a group of ladies to share so I want to make them in the mini muffin pans, how long to cook them? I can’t wait to try and share these, sure hope I don’t ruin the recipe.
I haven’t ever calculated the fiber, but you can calculate nutritional info on some different websites; like spark.com and fitnesspal.com. I would decrease the cooking time by about 5-10 minutes and check them. I hope they turn out delicious!
I made these today but substituted the honey for maple syrup and they came out fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!!! Made a double batch and I’m sure they will be gone soon!
So glad you loved them as much as I do! Thanks for your comment!
Kim what would you guess the calories are in my muffins? Each muffin has about 6 choc chips – thanks!
I am right now making my second batch this week! And I doubled this one! My family loved them! I did use the applesauce for the oil, also added 1 heaping Tablespoon of ground flax and added some dark choc chips. This is a great healthy muffin. I also did use the spelt flour and am glad to know about the health benefits.
I’m so glad that you love them as much as I do!! I calculated the calories with oil and spelt flour at 173 calories per muffin. It would be a little lower, since you’re using applesauce, but add 10-20 calories for the chocolate chips. 😉
I just made these muffins. They are delicious . I needed 24 so I doubled the recipe .
I’m taking a few to work with me. My daughter tasted one and loved it so much she had to have another.
Thank you.
Awesome! Thanks so much for commenting and letting me know!
Do you know the nutritional value of these? I couldn’t find spelt flour, so I used Bob’s Red Mills rice flour.
With Bob’s Red Mills rice flour they have about 182 calories per muffin, if you made 12 muffins. With the spelt flour it is 173 calories per muffin.
So these turned out well gluten-free? Brown rice flour or white rice flour?
I made these for my pumpkin loving boyfriend tonight. I make him a batch of muffins every week, sorta makes me feel like I’m doing a little something to be with him all week since I only see him on the weekend. I’ve been trying to make him healthier stuff to get him off of his trucker diet of gas station pizza and whatever he can microwave. These muffins are delicious! I don’t know if half of them will end up with him though. I may have to be a bad girlfriend and eat a few!
Thanks so much for the comment and I’m so glad that ya’ll loved them! It’s been awhile since I’ve made them…might need to do some baking this weekend!
I just made these muffins and they were amazing! I didn’t have spelt flour, so I used whole wheat and instead of all pumpkin pie spice I used some cinnamon and nutmeg with pumpkin pie spice and added some raisins to it. They were fantastic and the best muffins I’ve made yet! I love your site and am hoping to experiment more with baking so that I can add a few more recipes of my own! Thanks again!
This is the best pumpkin receipe I have used in a long time. Tender and moist. The trouble is that it only make 12 muffins.
I have a double batch in the oven right now. I used oat bran flour this time as I ran out of spelt. I also added coconut and dried cranberries to this batch. Thanks for a great fall recipe.
Thanks so much for commenting! I’m glad you enjoyed them as much as I did. If you liked these pumpkin muffins, check out my post on Thursday {delicious Blueberry Banana Muffins}.
Can you use agave nectar instead of honey for a vegan version?
Definitely!
Well I just made these and 1/2 way through mixing realized I used organic canned pumpkin (not puree). Also, I used a one for one gf flour – everything else to recipe. I am not sure if it was the pumpkin or the flour that made it so super thick/doughy. I added one more egg and a bit of water but it still seemed real doughy We went forward and baked them any way. It took 7 minutes longer to bake compared to the directions above (but our batter was thick!). They came out tasty ,but slightly chewy (baked through tho. inserted toothpick came out clean). My 4 year old loves to bake and wanted to added organic dark chocolate chips so we put a few on the ops of 1/2 our back, and it is good as well. Any input would be appreciated on the canned pumpkin vs puree and your thoughts on gf one for one flour and consistency. Also, do you recommend a one to one gf flour? I’m always looking for the best for baking. Thank you.
Hi Julie! The pumpkin should have not had anything to do with the dough being extra thick. Using canned pumpkin is fine. I’ve had pretty good results using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour, but I have not tried it in this recipe. I have noticed it makes my cookies a little drier. I recently read a review on gluten-free flours and Pamela’s ranked above all others. This weekend I bought a Pamela’s gluten-free cake mix. I have high hopes to create a gluten-free, dairy-free, healthier version of my family’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert, so we shall see.
I just made your muffins you posted the other day and loved them!! 5 stars for sure 🙂
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m so glad you liked them. Now I need to check out those sweet potato and chicken enchiladas. 😉
You are on a pumpkin baking roll! I love this recipe too! I’ve never used spelt in my baking! I might have to try it out!
I sure am! I can’t wait to taste your pancakes tomorrow!
I’ve never cooked with spelt flour. I’ll tell ya though, I need to get through some of the other stuff I’ve recently bought! I kept seeing coconut flour and almond flour being used in recipes, so I now have some of each of those to play around with! So many flours–so many recipes–so little time! 🙂
I agree with you for sure!