Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Delicious Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins are the perfect grab-n-go breakfast or snack with our favorite fall flavors! Sweetened with maple syrup, these baked oatmeal cups are super healthy and contain no oil, butter or refined sugar. They’re also loaded with fiber so you’ll stay satisfied through the morning. Easily made gluten free, dairy free, freezer-friendly and great for both adults & kids!
These pumpkin oatmeal muffins are absolutely delicious! They’re infused with pumpkin, full of warm spices and plenty of chocolate chips. These oatmeal cups are great to meal prep for the week, as they keep fresh in the fridge for up to one whole week. My kids love these for an easy breakfast or after school snack and I often enjoy them as dessert, slathered in almond butter with a cup of coffee or hot tea.
Ingredients needed
There’s a good chance you have everything you need to make these healthy pumpkin muffins! You will have some yummy baked oatmeal cups in no time! Here’s what you need:
- Oats. For these muffin cups, you need regular old-fashioned rolled oats. If you want to keep these gluten free, I suggest using certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Baking powder. To help these rise a bit.
- Cozy spices. This spice combination (pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, & nutmeg) is what gives these oat cups that classic pumpkin pie flavor. Feel free to use just pumpkin pie spice or just cinnamon, if that’s all you have. If you’re just using one spice, I would use a full tablespoon.
- Salt. Really brings out the pumpkin flavor!
- Canned pumpkin. Use 100% pure canned pumpkin for these muffins. Don’t grab pumpkin pie filling by mistake, which has added spices and sugar.
- Egg. Adds a boost of protein while helping to hold these muffins together. I haven’t tried these with flax eggs, so I’m not sure if it will change the texture.
- Maple syrup. You’ll just need 1/4 cup to naturally sweeten the entire batch. You can sub the maple syrup with honey, if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract. Major flavor booster!
- Milk. I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond or cashew milk, but feel free to use whatever milk you have on hand.
- Optional mix-ins. Chocolate chips are optional, but I highly recommend. Who else loves a pumpkin/chocolate chip combo? I also really love throwing some chopped pecans and craisins in the mix! Use dairy-free chocolate chips, as needed.
Pro tip: Need a recipe for using up the rest of the can of pumpkin puree? I have tons of pumpkin recipes, but try my favorite pumpkin bread recipe first! You’ll be so glad that you did!
How to make this recipe
Making this recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Just grease your muffin pan and you are ready to bake. For full, printable instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here’s the simple process:
- Dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, spices and salt.
- Wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients (per recipe below) in with the dry ingredients. Stir in any additional mix-ins to the batter.
- Resting time. Once you’ve combined wet and dry ingredients, allow the mixture to set and thicken for about 3-5 minutes before spooning the batter into your muffin tin.
-
Fill muffin cups. Spoon the oatmeal mixture into the muffin cups almost completely full with batter. They will not rise much.
- Bake and enjoy. Place in the oven at 350ºF for 30 minutes and until the center of each oatmeal muffin is set. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tips for recipe success
Pumpkin oatmeal muffins are really very easy to make, but here are some tips to make sure they’re perfect every time!
- Use cooking spray or silicone liners. I do not recommend using muffin liners for the these oatmeal cups, as they have a tendency to stick. It’s best to either grease the muffin tin with cooking spray or use silicone liners.
- For presentation. Sprinkle some extra chocolate chips over the tops before they go into the oven for an extra special presentation.
- Bowl-style. If you’re enjoying a leisurely breakfast at home and don’t really need the grab-n-go option of a muffin, these are SO good all mashed up in a bowl with a splash of almond milk and my husband has been enjoying them slathered with almond butter.
- Serving options. These are great by themselves, but you can also pair them with yogurt, almond milk, nut butter or some jam to liven things up! For a really satisfying breakfast, serve them with turkey sausage or bacon, scrambled or fried eggs and fresh fruit!
Recipe FAQs
Is oatmeal better than flour?
When baking with flour, it makes whatever you are baking much fluffier compared to using oats. Oatmeal is considered healthier than flour because it’s higher in protein, lower in carbohydrates, and more soluble in fiber. It takes your body longer to digest oatmeal, which controls your blood sugar. Oatmeal also helps control blood pressure and lowers cholesterol.
Can I meal prep these oat cups?
As for the make-ahead aspect, these oatmeal cups are a great choice. They can be prepared as early as 3 months in advance! If you’re looking for ways to level up your meal prep game, you need these breakfast muffins in your life. See storage recommendations below.
Flavor variations
These soft, chewy, texture-filled pumpkin spice oatmeal muffins are naturally gluten-free (make sure your oats are certified GF), kid-friendly and totally customizable. Here’s a few ideas for making them your own:
- Chocolate chips. A must in my opinion! You can use mini or regular baking chips. You can also experiment with semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. Feel free to use a bit more than 1/4 cup, if you want these extra chocolatey.
- Nuts. We love adding chopped pecans or walnuts for extra texture and crunch.
- Dried fruit. Raisins, craisins, cranberries or any other dried fruit give these a nice added sweetness.
- Shredded coconut. If you’re a coconut fan, adding in some unsweetened shredded coconut would be a fun and tasty option.
- Banana oatmeal muffins. If you really want to change these oat cups, swap out the 1 cup of pumpkin puree for 1 cup of mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas). Be sure your bananas are extra ripe!
Storage & freezing tips
- Storing leftovers. Keep these fresh by storing them in a zippered bag or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. When ready to eat, reheat them in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds or enjoy cold.
- Freezing. These oatmeal muffins freeze beautifully! Allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in a freezer-safe zippered bag or in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the bag with the date! When you’re ready to eat one, you can microwave it for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until warm. They will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Pumpkin and chocolate are the perfect flavor pairing, and these muffins are no exception. I make a batch of chocolate chip pumpkin oatmeal muffins almost every week during the fall months. They’re even great to pop in the kids’ lunchboxes for a welcome treat! Watch the video in the recipe card to see just how easy these are to make.
Recommended tools
Here’s a few of my muffin-baking essentials:
- Mixing bowls – Any mixing bowls will do the trick. I love this stainless steel, nonslip mixing bowl set from Target.
- Nonstick muffin pan – This is where quality matters! I was given this muffin pan from Williams Sonoma and LOVE it. I don’t have to use paper liners and my muffins always come out so easily. As an added plus, there’s never cooked muffin left stuck to the pan, so it’s super easy to clean.
- Silicone muffin cups – I love using these for this recipe instead of a full muffin pan! The muffins don’t stick at all and these are reusable and easy to clean. They also add a fun pop of color to baking that kids usually love. These cups are also great to add to kid’s lunches to help divide snacks and keep them from getting mushy.
- Cooling rack – I wouldn’t say a wire rack for cooling is completely necessary, but it’s definitely nice to have one available. These allow for airflow and even cooling of your baked goods.
More pumpkin recipes to try:
If you’re a pumpkin fan like me, enjoy these other favs!
- Overnight Oats with Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Pumpkin Dessert Bars
- Best Pumpkin Muffins
- Incredible Pumpkin Bread
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (203 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten free as needed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg or 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, (honey works too)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (any milk will work)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
- ¼ cup dried craisins or any dried fruit, optional
- ¼ cup mini or regular chocolate chips, optional, but recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, baking powder, spices and salt. Add pumpkin, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk and optional add-ins (if using). Stir well to incorporate.
- Allow the mixture to set and thicken for about 3-5 minutes before spooning into your muffin pan. Fill muffin cups almost completely full with batter. The muffins will not rise.
- Bake for 30 minutes and until the center of each oatmeal muffin is set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. If you don't allow these to cool before taking them out of the muffin pan, they will fall apart. I used a knife around the sides to make removal easier. After cooling, they will set well.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Great, used lily’s dark chocolate chips and walnuts, and swerve brown sugar replacement for the syrup. Used parchement paper liners in my muffin tin and they come right out of those. Great to have in freezer and heat up for a snack, dessert, or breakfast. Thanks!
These turned out so good! Great flavor and very satisfying!
I loved these! Made into bars and added 10 min cook time- perfect breakfast:)
Love that idea! So happy to hear that you enjoyed!
Do I have to refrigerate or can I Store them in a container on the kitchen table?
They need to be stored in the refrigerator and then if you’d like, you can rewarm in the microwave. Enjoy!
I used the recipe as is and but used mini chocolate chips and pepitas (1/4c each) and the muffins were delicious! When I make them again, I’ll try pecans/walnuts. Petitas were okay but i think pecans/walnuts would be better. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
So happy that you enjoyed, Barbara! Thanks for taking time to leave feedback!
Love these. I think of them more as a baked oatmeal muffin!! Thank you for the recipe! Curious if you could substitute the pumpkin with banana?
So happy you enjoyed! Yes, banana would totally work. I’ve got this very similar recipe with banana >> https://www.kimscravings.com/baked-banana-oatmeal-cups/
Hello! Would you recommend putting the oats in a food processor or would that make these too dense?
I haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, let us know how it turns out.
I made them last night and used Egg Replacer and put two cups of the oats in a food processor before mixing. I would say that the consistency was pretty good but perhaps the charm of them being made with the oats in their original form was lost. The taste was yummy and my partner has already eaten three of them! 🙂
I liked these muffins without the chocolate chips. I personally feel that chocolate does not go with pumpkin pice spices. I like the second batch with pecans added.
Can you make them with Quick Cooking Oats? That is all I have in the pantry now.
I haven’t tried that, and I’m not sure that would work. I did a quick google search and looked at some other similar recipes and all use old fashioned oats.
These are cooking now. I subbed in stevia for maple syrup. We will see how that turns out.
Thank you for this healthy and versatile recipe. It is a very dense muffin because there is no flour. My family didn’t like the texture, but I loved them. I only used half as much maple syrup as it called for and mixed in dates and mini chocolate chips and it was plenty sweet enough. The set up nicely and made a very filling and satisfying breakfast. Thank you!
Do you store them in the refrigerator or room temp!? Thank you!
Storing them in the fridge would be best. Hope you enjoy!
I made these today, they turned out great, love the taste. I let them cool for the 10 minutes and they seemed a little too soft in the middle even though the toothpick came out clean, is this fairly normal?
They are definitely a softer muffin, as they don’t have any flour and the pumpkin. You might try cooking them slightly longer and letting them cool a little longer next time. Glad you enjoyed the flavor!
A friend just shared this recipe with me yesterday. They are SO delicious and versatile.I filled my Fall, pumpkin cravings and so healthy, too. An extra bonus! Thank you!
Have you tried this recipe using sweet potato instead of pumpkin?
I haven’t tried that, but I interchange the two often and I’ve had great results. I bet it would work just fine. Good luck!
Made these as directed with craisins as add in and 2tbsp maple syrup, as I didn’t want them to sweet. Indulged in snacktime with my young children after letting them set…perfect consistency! Spread with peanut butter for an extra fat and protein boost. Yum! We all loved them! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I’m so glad you loved them as much as I do! Thanks so much for sharing and I love the idea of adding craisins.
What can be used to substitute egg in this recipe?
Read this helpful blog post for instructions. Good luck! I haven’t tried it, but it may also work without the egg. http://detoxinista.com/how-to-make-flax-eggs-or-chia-eggs/
This combines all of my favorite flavors in a hearty muffin! Perfect for breakfast with my morning culpa joe!
These muffins were sooo good and easy to make. Will definitely be making them again.
I’m so glad you loved them as much as I do!
Lovely muffins and I loved the part about them only having 100 calorie a piece. 🙂
Yes… that always helps!