We caught our first cool fall breeze this week. Do you know what that means? It’s pumpkin muffin time.
I snapped some new photos of my favorite pumpkin muffin recipe as I satisfied my pumpkin craving. These pumpkin muffins are perfect for chilly fall mornings and afternoon snacks.
They’re healthier than most, since they’re made with whole wheat flour and oats, sweetened with real maple syrup or honey, and call for coconut oil or olive oil instead of butter. Believe it or not, this healthy pumpkin muffin recipe yields light and fluffy muffins.
These pumpkin muffins wouldn’t be complete without plenty of warming spices, including cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Most “pumpkin spice” flavor comes from the spice, not the pumpkin!
I love these muffins with a spread of almond butter, peanut butter or pecan butter on top. Nut butter adds some extra protein, which means that I’m not hungry before lunchtime. If you’re going pumpkin-crazy this time of year, enjoy your muffin with a homemade pumpkin chai latte.
These pumpkin treats have the magical power to convert “healthy muffin” skeptics into fans. Let’s make some!
The Best Pumpkin Muffins
Five reasons to love this pumpkin muffin recipe:
- These muffins are easy to make with basic ingredients. Only one bowl required!
- They’re made with 100% whole grains, yet they’re fluffy and delicious. No one will know the difference.
- They’re also naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey, rather than loaded with refined sugar. The maple syrup (or honey) offers a touch of extra flavor, which I love.
- These muffins feature a few of your favorite warming spices so they taste like your favorite pumpkin latte.
- They freeze well for later, too. Just defrost individual muffins in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, or until gently warmed through. You don’t want to overdo it.
Healthy Pumpkin Muffin Notes & Tips
Change it up. Add nuts, chocolate chips or chopped fruit cranberries or crystallized ginger. See recipe notes for details.
Simplify the recipe. Substitute 2 teaspoons store-bought pumpkin spice blend for the individual spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice). Or, if your spice drawer is empty, simply use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and call it good.
Craving a sweet topping? Liz topped these muffins with my maple glaze from my pumpkin scones recipe, which sounds marvelous.
This muffin recipe is special diet-friendly. You can easily adjust this recipe to make it vegan, dairy free, egg free and/or gluten free. See the recipe notes for details.
Watch How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Baking Tips for Success
How to Measure Flour
How you measure your flour is important. Why? If you measure incorrectly, you could end up with up to 50 percent extra flour, which will make your muffins dense, dry and flavorless. Use the spoon and swoop method:
- Gently stir your flour to loosen any clumps.
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup with a big spoon or a flour scoop. Do not scoop up the flour directly into the measuring cup.
- Level off the top of the cup with a knife. Repeat as necessary.
Use Baking Soda, Not Baking Powder
They are not the same thing. Both are leaveners that help your baked goods rise (baking powder contains some baking soda, but that’s a long story). For ideal results, always follow the recipe and measure carefully.
How to Stir Your Batter
This muffin batter is super simple to stir together by hand, and that’s how I recommend making these muffins. Why? Whipping your batter will make the flour’s gluten protein too strong, yielding tough muffins.
I know it can be tempting to use a stand mixer or hand mixer when it’s within reach. Please don’t! Follow the instructions below and you’ll end up with light, fluffy muffins.
More Pumpkin Treats & Fall Muffins
Craving more? You’re going to love these recipes:
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread (like these muffins, but in bread form)
- Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Healthy Apple Muffins
Please let me know how these pumpkin muffins turn out for you in the comments. I love hearing from you, and hope these pumpkin muffins become your new favorite.
P.s. That beautiful mug in the photos above and below? That’s handmade by my friend Margaret.
PrintHealthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 23 mins
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Baked Good
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Easy, one bowl, healthier pumpkin muffins made with whole wheat grains and naturally sweetened! These pumpkin muffins are as light, fluffy and delicious as their coffee shop counterparts. Recipe yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour**
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
- Optional: 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar for a sweet crunch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and didn’t require any grease).
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs, and beat well. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
- Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins***, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with about a tablespoon of oats, followed by a light sprinkle of raw sugar and/or pumpkin spice blend if you’d like. Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.
- These muffins taste even better after they have rested for a couple of hours! They’ll keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my honey-sweetened pumpkin bread.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
**Flour alternatives: White whole wheat flour works great, if you can find it. Whole wheat pastry flour yields extra light and fluffy muffins that are delicate until cooled. All-purpose flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour blends work as well.
**Change it up: You could really go crazy with add-ins here. After stirring in the flour and oats, gently fold in up to ¾ cup chocolate chips, chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, and/or some chopped dried cranberries or crystallized ginger.
Serving suggestions: These muffins are great on their own, with a pat of butter, or spread with almond butter. They would also be fantastic with homemade pecan butter or coconut butter.
Make it egg free: Readers report that these muffins turn out well with flax eggs!
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup, flax eggs and non-dairy milk.
Make it dairy free: Simply use your non-dairy milk of choice.
Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose blend works well instead of the whole wheat flour. Or, use 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour instead.
Make it oat free: Simply omit the oats. No other changes necessary.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet. Choosing olive oil instead of coconut oil will reduce the saturated fat content; total fat content will remain the same.
Update September 24, 2019: I removed white whole wheat flour as an option simply because I can’t find it in stores any more. I also upped the amount of spice from 1 ½ teaspoons to 2 teaspoons.
Kelsey
These are so bland. I’ve never in my life been so dissapointed by a pumpkin recipe. Texture fine, moisture fine. Even with added chocolate chips, no flavor at all.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love these, Kelsey. Thanks for your feedback!
Sophie
Yes, I had the same experience. I tried the batter and it tasted fine, flavorful. But then the muffins had no flavor at all. Like a hint of nothing. Very weird.
Avie Babb
So bland. I was super bummed. Followed the recipe to a T. Oh well.
Natalie
Out of all the recipes I’ve made for a filling,delicious,grab and go breakfast, this topped it. Even my husband loved it the best! I cheat a little and put a pinch of brown sugar on top of the muffins for a little more flavor.
Aimee
My son (age 11) and I made these. We all wanted more than one and my son hid the rest because he said they were his muffins. He also LOVES your zucchini bread recipe.
Kate
I’m so glad he loves it! Thanks for sharing, Aimee!
Elizabeth
Hi! Can I make these for my kiddo? She’s ten months old.
Monica
Mine didn’t come out great but I made them with coconut flour instead of whole grain flour and I didn’t have oats so I skipped those. They’re a little bland and the texture is weird (sandy) but I’m blaming that on the coconut flour. I’ll try them again and comment soon. Thank you for your recipes! I love your apple muffins. :)
Melinda
Yeah you can’t sub coconut flour 1:1 for other flours.
Michelle
The whole family loves these, I always have to make a double batch because they disappear quickly. I add a small amount of chocolate chips because, well… chocolate. Don’t go expecting the sweetness of a pre-packaged, mass made, preservative filled muffin. They’re slightly sweet, perfectly moist and totally delish. The blueberry and banana muffins are in regular rotation as well.
Kate
@Monica, one thing I’ve noticed that helps with GF flours is to use a 1:1 replacement, and even then, chilling the dough for at least an hour (up to a day).
**note: I have not made the recipe, but I plan on using it soon.
Joanne
Just took them out of the oven. They’re delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I used whole wheat flour and oats and added raisins and walnuts.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Joanne!
Iris Bader
Hi Kate. I make this recipe pretty regularly and use the whole can of pumpkin puree. I’m a huge fan of sprouted wheat flour and use 1 cup of that and 3/4 cup organic white flour along with adding in raisins, walnuts, and also upping the spices a bit. They look pretty and get a little extra nutrition with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds on top before baking. Yields 15 muffins. Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe!
Lindsay
Do you think I could use oat flour for these?
Kate
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure, but sometimes oat flour will work as a good substitute. However, gluten free flour works well here!
Kate
I’m currently baking these and they smell divine. I used a combo of buckwheat, brown rice and plain GF flour and added petitas and flaked almonds to the mix also. I’m looking forward to having them at breakfast with ricotta or yoghurt
Kate
Thank you for your review, Kate! I appreciate it.
Mona
Hi Kate.
Thankd for your recipe. I was looking for something that uses honey instead of sugar and I was really excited when I come across yours. But unfortunately, mine came out a little moist, although I let it cook longer. But didn’t work with the texture. I wonder if mine is uncooked or this is the way they’re supposed to be because of the honey?
Thanks.
Kate
Hi Mona! It shouldn’t be undercooked. How long did you let them bake? Did you overfill your muffin tins by chance?
Mona
Hi Kate.
I filled the muffin tins almost fully and let them bake on 165c for 25-26minutes and then again with the grill on, on 150c for another 10 minutes.
Another thing is that I used baking powder instead of baking soda but I don’t think that could be the problem, I am wrong?
Kate
Hi Mona, yes baking soda and baking powder are very different and that’s what went wrong. It matters what you use for how things interact.
Elizabeth
Delicious – and thankfully not too sweet. I added Garam Masala to give it a sort of chai kick. Skipped the oats and did 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 honey. Next time will try black strap molasses. MMMM good!
Kate
Thanks for sharing what you did!
Susan
My 3 years old went coo-coo for this muffin! Feeding toddlers are not an easy feat, so THANK YOU for this amazing recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Susan! I appreciate your review.
Kristie
Delicious!!! Day, egg, and gluten free turned out great!
Kate
Wonderful, Kristie!
Shelley
Really really delicious! Very light and fluffy and so easy!
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Shelley!
Julie
This recipe really yielded some amazing muffins, the only thing I did differently was I used 3/4 c of quinoa flour and 1 c. rice flour. I sprinkled some raw pumpkin seeds on the tops and wow they were delicious.
Kate
Thank you for your comment and review, Julie!
Aleksandra Jas
I put mine in for 20 min . These came out fluffy, moist ,so yummy!!! Mixed until just blenddd. I added hemp hearts, and chia seeds for a little nutty flavor.
Kate
Thank you for sharing and for your review, Aleksandra!
Bekah
Just made this as mini muffins using spelt flour and 2% milk, but otherwise following the recipe exactly, and they are perfect and so yummy! Moist, tender, spiced but not too spicy. My husband and toddler love them! I baked them for 16 min.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Bekah!
Amanda
I have a love/hate relationship with recipes like these. Because the recipe is so vague and includes so many swaps, it’s really versatile! But also for that reason, YMMV for every single person who makes the recipe. Also, because weights aren’t included, there is a lot of room for error.
I made mine with the following:
– 73g Vegetable Oil
– 160g Sugar Free Maple Syrup
– Egg Susbtitute (for 2 eggs: 3 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp water, 2 tsp baking powder — mix up and add to liquid ingredients)
– 175g Pumpkin Puree
– 60ml Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
– 1 Tsp Vanilla
– 210g All Purpose Flour
– 1 tbsp cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp each: nutmeg, allspice, cloves
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 1/4C Chocolate Chips
– 1/2C Raisins
My muffins weren’t bland at all and were quite tasty! However, the baking time was quite off in my oven. I gave them an extra five minutes but they were still underbaked, so I ended up putting them back in the oven for another 10 minutes after they collapsed while cooling. If anyone makes this variation of the recipe, I’d suggest giving them some extra time in the oven just to make sure they stay tall. :)
Kate
Thank you for sharing your variation, Amanda! What about the recipe did you find vague? The recipe is very specific, but I do offer alternatives for those with specific dietary needs when I can. I use US measurements, which do not include weights. I hope this helps to clarify!
Michelle
I made this recipe two ways – one batch with oat flour instead of whole wheat and one batch exactly how the recipe reads. I think I prefer it with oat flour instead but I ultimately made these for my toddler and she loves them both ways. My husband said they are not very sweet at all – moreso just the flavor of pumpkin without the “sweetness” of a muffin (again, that’s fine by me as these were for my toddler – maybe add more maple syrup next time if I was making it for the adults). He added butter to his and liked it much better. Overall, I would definitely make this again… it’s a great alternative to the prepackaged baby biscuits/cookies and the like. They are moist, and still moist when they come out of the freezer. I offer it to my toddler for breakfast or for a “side” with dinner or a snack between meals. I think next time I may add chopped banana or play with date paste to add some extra sweetness and health benefits.
Michelle
Just for reference – I made mine with coconut oil, whole milk, and maple syrup (once with oat flour instead of whole wheat, the second batch with whole wheat). I didn’t substitute anything else or use any add-ins. My oven baked unevenly, so half were done at 22 minutes, and the other half were done at 26 minutes. I thought I went wrong somewhere because my batter was very thick once I mixed in the dry ingredients, but all turned out well. This easily made 12 muffins as stated.
Kate
I’m glad it worked so well with the oat flour! Thanks for sharing, Michelle.
Rachel Fincher
I don’t like overly sweet pumpkin desserts because you taste more sugar than pumpkin. In this recipe, I can taste the maple, and the pumpkin spice is not overpowered. I thought these were the best thing I’ve ever baked, and I even got some hard to please cajuns to try em and they ate all of them in one sitting!
Kate
I’m glad you liked this one, Rachel!
Alison
I did not use eggs, instead I used one egg replacement and 1/4 cup applesauce. I used almond milk and made these totally vegan. Based on other comments, I doubled the spices pretty much….cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
I added chopped pecans and topped each muffin with raw pumpkin seeds.
They made 10 muffins, with the muffin tin filled to the top for each one.
These muffins were dense but very moist. I could taste some spice but they were not very cinnamon-y. I would definitely add even more cinnamon the next time.
For very healthy muffins (no processed sugar, no dairy, low fat, high fibre), these were pretty good. I just think the spices are out of whack and it might take some trial and error to figure out the right amount……
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love them, but I appreciate your review Alison!
Ashley
Truly the best muffins I’ve ever had; store-bought or otherwise. I have made these over 20 times and all my family members request them multiple times a year. I can make it by heart now– I always use olive or coconut oil, flax eggs, maple syrup, good for life mini chips, and whole wheat flour. Honestly, can’t be beat. Also, I never, ever spend money on apps (once you open that floodgate…hard to close it!) but I spent the $4.99 to support you. The app is so beautifully designed and worth so much more. This seems like such a crazy post since we don’t actually know each other, I just wanted to tell you (while the muffins bake!) how grateful I am for all you do!
Kate
I love this, Ashley! Thank you for sharing!
Amy Donnell
Such a great way to use up my leftover pumpkin! Great easy to follow recipe, and super yummy! My toddler even helped and ate the whole muffin which doesn’t happen with healthy muffins. Thanks heaps for a new staple.
Kate
You’re welcome, Amy!
cyrielle marlier
Hi Kate,
Thank you so much for this healthy recipe !
Those muffins are sooo good ! I really like the texture, it’s nice and fluffy ! I would definitely recommend and I will definitely do it again. (also really enjoy the fact that it isn’t full of sugar)
Kate
Thank you for your review!
Elizabeth
Hi there, these smelled divine when cooking and I loved the idea of them but found the texture a bit flour-y if that makes sense? and not as moist as I thought it would be.
I used wholemeal flour so do you think that’s the reason? I also slightly reduced the maple syrup but not sure if that would do it? Would love your tips! Regardless, my toddler loves them!
Kate
Hi Elizabeth! The syrup helps with the overall flavor and moisture. That likely played a role. I’m happy your toddler love them, though!
Jo
Followed the recipe. But added a half cup of dark brown sugar! Sorry couldn’t resist. Smells amazing in my house right now.
Jade
I love this recipe! I’ve made these muffins a number of times and they always turn out perfectly. Not too sweet, great texture. The maple syrup adds to the “autumn” vibe. I use half whole wheat and half white flour, and mix in chopped walnuts or pecans. Thank you!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jade! Thank you for your review.
Andrea Donofrio
I have made the recipe and they are awesome. So much so that I made them three times and froze them. Healthy and delicious.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Andrea!
Anna
This was the best muffin recipe I’ve ever tried. But instead of the oats we did chocolate chips.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Samantha
These are fantastic! I was dying for some pumpkin flavored goodies, but no one is selling them yet. Plus, I eat a lot healthier, now that I have a toddler. These muffins were exactly what I needed, and I appreciated that they didn’t have an excessive amount of sugar. Also, for those who are gluten intolerant, I used a gluten free all purpose flour, and still had perfect, fluffy muffins.
Kate
I’m glad they worked so well for you, Samantha!
Katie
I wanted to love these, but the batter came out thick and muffins were a bit gummy… the only change I made was adding more spices and I used Ripple Milk… perhaps my little guy over stirred?
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love these. That could have been the case. The milk shouldn’t have mattered. Maybe leave them in slightly longer next time?
Rebecca Hayes
The texture is a little off, and yes, they are a little bland. Next time I’ll add some apple sauce and cinnamon. Wheat flour needs more moisture, especially with the addition of oats.
Rachel
Just made them for the 1st time and they turned out amazing! I used 1cup white flour cause thats all i had and was a little short so i put some instant oatmeal in my bullet to make more flour for remainder. I didnt have old fashion oats so i used muesli instead. I figured the seeds and, fruit would be a good addition. I used honey not maple syrup, added choc chips and a handful or 2 of raisins. I also upped the pumpkin spice to 2 tsp cause j wanted more spice. I did add a spoonful or 2 more of pumpkin as well. They baked maybe 24min and are so moist! Hopefully i will be able to duplicate what i did becuase they arent going to last long and I will definitely be making them again! My 2 1/2 yr old daughter took one bite and said bomb dig!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Rachel!!
Jess
We love these! They are 100% our go to recipe for yummy fall flavored goodness :). My kids love them, and I love that they are naturally sweetened.
Kate
I’m happy these are a go-to for you, Jess! I appreciate your review.
Michelle
Yum, thanks for sharing! Made without any modifications, the muffins were delicious and moist but not too sweet, which I appreciated. Perfect breakfast or snack to meal prep for fall!
Nicole
My family loves these! It has been such a challenge to find a tasty muffin recipe for my toddler since he is allergic to dairy and egg, but these were perfect. I used maple syrup, hemp milk in place of dairy, a commercial egg replacer, and added dairy free chocolate chunks. I was able to get 12 regular size muffins (perfectly cooked at 22 minutes) and 4 mini muffins (15 min to cook perfectly). I should note I used silicone muffin pans and they yield slightly smaller sized muffins in general.
l will definitely make them again! Thanks for the recipe! I especially loved the hints at how to swap out ingredients to make gluten free, vegan, etc.
Kate
I’m happy these are a go-to for you, Jess! I appreciate your review. I’m glad they worked so well with your daughter’s needs.
Jennifer Evans
Another great muffin recipe! We are absolutely loving these. I love that they’re simple to make, kids love them. Great flavor and texture. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Jennifer!
Hannah Gunther
Love these, especially that they are one bowl :) love your recipes!
Courtney H
Oooh, girl! The third recipe of yours that I made today, and all of them have been yummy. I made these muffins exactly as stated in your recipe with the added chocolate chips. I had to cook them a tad longer than suggested – I think I overfilled them slightly. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Christine
After reading a few of the other reviews, I decided to add extra pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. I also used extra pumpkin that was left in the can. Mine took an extra 10 min to bake as they came out gummy first, maybe due to the extra pumpkin I added. I thought these were delicious for being a healthier option. I chose to add raisins to this too, and did half whole wheat flour, and half white. I added a little brown sugar to help sweeten them up a bit too. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Christine!
Loren
I love this recipe! Yummmm! My kids (4 & 2) hate pumpkin – always have, they try it every time I make a meal with pumpkin, but it’s always met with disgust. So bizarre. But these muffins are devoured and they are requested knowing full well they have pumpkin in them! Do you think they would work with sweet potato?
Sarah Hlapcic
These are amazing ! Very moist and delicious. I added 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Thank you for sharing this recipe its excellent :)
Susan
Can you use an equal measure of almond flour instead? Thank you!
Kate
Unfortunately, almond flour isn’t a 1:1 substitute.
Jessica Grant
These are so delicious – I make them all the time
Ashley
The consistency of the muffins is great, and the sweetness level is great for being healthy alternatives. However, the pumpkin/fall tastes didn’t come through that strong. I’d reccomend adding more pumpkin/spices.
Kate
Thank you, Ashley!
Ella
This was amazing!! Super easy and absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe with the world
Stephanie
Have to say, I’m glad I didn’t read these reviews originally or I wouldn’t have made these muffins- and I would have missed out. These muffins are DELICIOUS and healthy. Do they taste like my mom’s pumpkin bread that’s loaded with corn oil and refined sugar? not quite. But they do an incredible job at fixing my pumpkin craving this fall & I feel 1000 times better after knowing that I didn’t fill my body with junk. Thanks for the recipe :)
Kate
I’m glad you made them and loved them!! Thanks for your review, Stephanie. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
Erika
I love this recipe. I can understand where those used to sweeter muffins may find this ‘bland,’ but I did not. I love that these aren’t sweet since regular muffins for me are just too much. I made these with honey; I may try maple syrup next. Brought some into work, my co-workers loved them as well as the blueberry muffin recipe found on your site. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Erika!
Lauren Burgheimer
I made these muffins with slightly less honey and added chocolate chips. I followed everything else to a T. They perfect and are the new fall favorite around the house! I am baking them again currently as we speak. I did 1 1/2 the recipe this time to try to make slightly bigger muffins to take into work. I cannot wait for the oven to beep!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
Gina
I made mini muffins following this recipe exactly using maple syrup and folding in raisins, baked 15 minutes. They turned out so incredibly moist and delicious, with raisins giving it the perfect amount of sweetness! It will be my go-to recipe for healthier pumpkin muffins! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kate
Wonderful, Gina! Thank you for sharing.
Laurs
I love these! There’s nothing I love more than pumpkin bread/muffins and I’m glad I finally found a good, healthy recipe that didn’t skimp on flavor. I will say I have a bad sweet tooth and so I added some coconut sugar (and extra pumpkin pie seasoning) so I’m not sure how it would taste otherwise but I’m hooked! Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Laurs!
Tara
Absolutely delicious!!! I am vegan and gluten free, so I subbed flax eggs and unsweetened almond milk, and used Bob’s Red Mill all purpose GF flour. Now I just wish I’d made a double batch! Next time for sure.
Robert
This recipe is great, but a curse I have it to play with all recipes. Sometimes it works, sometimes my wife gives me dirty looks to never do that again. So here are my variations, and it is kid tested, my 2 year old inhaled two of them without spilling a crumb. I changed the sweetener and used agave instead, used apple sauce instead of oil and instead of canned pumpkin I used my pumpkins from the garden to purée. Totally different flavor and if you get the Cinderella’s when they are small they have a great taste. I cut the spices in half and added Crasins (about 1/4 cup and dark chocolate powder, unsweetened. Those two counteracted each other and gave a good chocolate cranberry flavor.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Robert!
Alyssa
Omg these are delicious! Between my husband, daughter and myself these were gone today and they were only made yesterday. I was worried when I was reading the comments about them being bland but NOT AT ALL they are moist and perfect! I used the all spice on atead of cloves so not sure if that made the difference? I just made a double batch and this time topped with a bit of extra cinnamon, walnuts and raw pumpkin seeds.
Kate
I’m so glad you loved them! Thanks for sharing, Alyssa.
Adele
These look great! I know you removed the white whole wheat flour option, but that’s actually what I have at home! Would you use the same amount?
Kate
Yes, you can use it! I had to update it as I haven’t been able to find any in a long time. See the notes, but it will still work!
Karen
Has anyone successfully made these with almond flour/meal? Looking to lower the carb content.
Kate
Unfortunately, almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 substitute.
Susan Kotlarz
I have not made the recipe as of yet but I have also noticed that I can no longer find white whole wheat flour either! I was very frustrated last time I shopped. Looked online and a very expensive organic white whole wheat flour can be ordered but it is over $20 for a five pound bag! Have you been able to find out why this flour is suddenly not available? I’m a fan of your soup recipes, especially Chickpea Noodle.:) Thank you!1
Kate
I haven’t been able to find it recently, either! These muffins do work with whole wheat, though.
janice phelps
I’ve been making these muffins for about a year now. I use olive oil & maple syrup. I add walnuts,pumpkin seeds & raisins. When I want to eat one, I warm it up in my toaster oven. I eat one as a dessert or as a snack. I love them! They’re great for breakfast too. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
I love your add-ins! Thanks for sharing, Janice!
Lisa
I found your comment about white whole wheat flour interesting, as it has been a real treasure hunt for me to find it lately. For a while I was purchasing Kroger brand, because that was my only option. When that disappeared I started stalking Safeway, where there was still a slot on the shelf labeled white whole wheat flour. I was rewarded a few days ago with a restock of King Arthur.
Looking forward to baking these muffins. Anything and everything pumpkin. :)
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Kathy
King Arthur Flour in Norwich VT has white whole wheat flour, and lots of other baking equipment/ingredients too!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kathy!
Amarilys
I started making these to my son since he was like two years old. He still loves them and he is now Six!!! He’s brother who’s three also loves them. They both ask me to make them all the time! And I don’t mind because I also love them! :) Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Kate
I love this! Thanks for sharing, Amarilys!
VB
I made these with flax eggs, maple syrup, applesauce instead of oil and I had a cup of whole wheat pastry flour and 3/4 c whole wheat flour.. added vegan chocolate chips.. YUMOLA.. thank you! I am a whole food, plant-based eater and I added extra pumpkin spice.. and chocolate chips. I actually tasted the pumpkin and not a lot of sugar.
Kate
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you loved them.
Sean
Your comment about white whole wheat flour caught my eye–do you have Trader Joes stores where you live? At least in California TJ is a reliable source of (quite inexpensive) bagged white whole wheat flour, and it is also offered by Gold Medal though I agree that product can be difficult to find. In my experience white whole wheat flour makes a smoother, less “grainy” bread than the traditional material–I eventually replaced all of the traditional whole wheat flour with the white version in artisan bread, corn bread, pizza dough, and whatever else comes to mind to bake, and I never missed the traditional material.
Kate
I’m glad you can find it! I haven’t been able to here in Kansas City. Thanks for your comment!
Miranda
I wanted to love these – I really did. As much as I added spices these turned out really boring. No taste whatsoever. :-(
Kate
Hi Miranda, I’m sorry you didn’t love these! Sometimes the brand of pumpkin can vary and be less flavorful.
Carlyn wells
If I wanted to use real baked pie pumpkin would I use the same amount as the pie pumpkin?
Kate
Hi Carlyn! Are you meaning make your own puree? If that’s the case, using the same amount should work!
Yvonne
Is it possible to get the measurements in grams? I live in the UK! Thanks, Yvonne
Kate
Hi, Yvonne! Sorry, I don’t offer conversions. I know other readers have found myrecipes.com converter helpful in the past!
Kim
I made these using oat flour only instead. I forgot to put in the milk and used less maple syrup. Added mini chocolate chips.
The muffins were a little dense and not too sweet but the chocolate chips helped with that. My son really liked them! I’ll try them again with different flour combo and milk and a little more sweetener.
Kate
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad they still were edible!
Lauren
These are in the oven now and I cannot wait to eat them for breakfast tomorrow! They smell amazing! Thank you.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
Kerstin Wallace
I am so glad that I decided to make a double batch because these are the tastiest pumpkin muffins ever. Thank you Kate.
Kate
You’re welcome, Kerstin!
Denise Baker
We absolutely loved these soft muffins! I accidentally opened a can of pumpkin pie mix and decided to go ahead and use it and just cut the maple syrup and spice in half. They came out so amazing! Like beyond good!!!!
Kate
Love to hear they still turned out and you loved them, Denise!
Amity
These turned out so good! My 5 year old daughter helped make them. We used oat flour, and mixed in white chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. For our topping we used rolled oats, crushed walnuts, cinnamon, and some coconut sugar. I will for sure make them again!
Kate
You’re daughter helped make them! That’s adorable. I’m glad you both could enjoy the entire process. Thanks for your review, Amity!
Trudi
Usually when I make recipes with Canned pumpkin, I put the contents of the can between a number of sheets of paper towel. Concentrates the flavor. Wondering if anyone did this and if so how it came out.
Kate
That sounds very interesting. Can’t say I’ve done that!
Alex
Yum!
So it’s fall, and we are inundated with pumpkin everything, but these muffins are really, really good :) The right balance of sweet and spicy. My diet has minimal added sugars, mostly natural sugars, and my partner eats sugar more liberally and we were BOTH satisfied! :-D
I add crystallized ginger, rolled outs, and walnut bits on top.
I really like the whole rolled oats in the recipe too for added texture. Oh, and we ran out of whole wheat flour so used about 50/50 between whole wheat flour and almond meal. They came out a little less fluffy because of that I think but still really great!
We also doubled the batch and put extra in a loaf tin, which worked really well.
Yes, I’d highly recommend this recipe and your blog in general. It’s about the fifth recipe of yours I’ve tried out and they’ve all been great! Thanks Kate!
Kate
Thank you for your recommendation of this recipe and blog, Alex. I appreciate your review!
Almira
I gave this muffin to my husband. He said, It doesn’t taste anything :))
I like it though the taste is very mild. Would love richer, full taste since all the strong and beautiful fall spices were used. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
Thank you for your feedback! You can always increase your spice mix next time.
Jill
Moist and flavorful, wonderful!
Kate
Thank you, Jill!
Valefie
I don’t like to waste food. What to do with the rest of the pumpkin purée?
Kate
I know one reader just added the extra in and baked the muffins longer. Or, you could make pumpkin overnight oats! Follow my overnight oats recipe, add the pumpkin and some pumpkin spice mix to your taste!
Jessica Spicer
I made this recipe today and it was awesome! I used flax instead of eggs, added an extra 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and I also used 1 cup spelt flour and the rest whole wheat and they turned out great!
Kate
Great to hear, Jessica!
Victoria
I added raw pumpkin seeds! Abt a 1/4 cup, so good!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Victoria!
Sharon
These are wonderful! I did use molasses as someone suggested, I used the entire can of pumpkin and 2tablespoons of spice mixture. I am going to make more today.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Sharon!
Heather Flynn
Wow!!! These are so good! I subbed half the flour with almond flour and this recipe turned out amazing. This is my new fav muffin recipe for sure, and I also used your pumpkin spice recipe, which really made the muffins super tasty.
Kate
I’m glad they worked with the almond flour! Thanks for sharing, Heather.
Meg
Made these today and they are so delicious!
Kate
Thanks for your review, Meg!
marie owen
I used this recipe yesterday and two of my son’s friends, who were visiting, loved them. I used plain yogurt instead of milk and added 1/3 cup sliced almonds and two tsps of dried orange rind (from my winter stay in AZ). I did not add the sugar or oatmeal to the top. I also think it depends on the honey that you use. Mine is from Mexico, that I obtained from a friend who lives there… has lots of flavor, unlike what you buy in the local store.I also used coconut oil and two tsps of vanilla.
Kate
Thank you for sharing your approach, Marie! I’m glad they loved them.
Holly
I made the muffins this weekend and they are so good! Moist. I love your baking recipes because they don’t taste so sugary. I used a whole can of pumpkin (15oz) because I wasn’t sure what I would do with the remaining pumpkin and baked the muffins a little longer.
Kate
I’m glad it worked with the extra pumpkin, Holly! I appreciate your review.
Sine
White whole wheat is readily available at grocery stores near me so I am wondering if it is a regional thing.
Kate
It could be!
LG
just made these and they’re so delicious!! thanks so much!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review, LG.
Melissa
Delicious! Super easy recipe to follow. Can confirm: Flax eggs and whole wheat pastry flour work great!
Emily
Absolutely LOVED this recipe!!! I was looking for something healthier that my littles(almost 4 and almost 2) could help me bake. And this is the best pumpkin muffin recipe I have ever made! I ended adding closer to a cup of maple syrup, really by accident because of little hands and pouring too soon. I also added a whole can of pumpkin, and topped with cane sugar, again little hands helped so more cane sugar that I would’ve done, but they are learning. Could not be more happy with them! Love that they don’t have a ton of butter and sugar so I can give them as a later sweet treat/snack. Thank you!!!
Kate
You’re very welcome, Emily! I’m glad you and your little ones love this recipe.
Laura
Delicious muffins! Fantastic and easy to follow recipe. I will for sure make this recipe again.
My twist was adding toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries and topping it with coconut sugar. I really enjoyed the extra nuttiness the pine nuts delivered.
Thanks Kate.
Mimi
I absolutely love your book, I’m working my way through all your recipes and only stop to do the recipes from your blog (which are also great), but sometimes I have to improvise with certain ingredients and I’m never sure if i’m doing the right thing. I’m here in Wiltshire in England and I was wondering whether you would do a UK version of your recipes with alternatives for us to use here?
Kate
Hi Mimi! Unfortunately, I don’t convert to metrics and don’t have plans to in the future. I know some readers have bought US measurements online since they use my recipes so much (what a great idea!) or have used myrecipes.com converter in the past.
Mimi
Thanks for the reply, its not the measurements which are the issue but certain ingredients, for example what would the alternative be for whole wheat flour in the UK? Plus certain south american products “adobo” for example. Theres a few which I wont laden you with now but was hoping a UK version maybe in the future.
Regards
Mimi
Nancy B.
I have been making pumpkin bread/muffins for over 20years and decided recently to try some new recipies. I have to say this is by far my favorite recipe! Absolutely moist and delicious. I added flax meal.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Nancy! I’m happy you are loving these fall muffins.
Rose
This was a great recipe! I do have to say that when I read it, I didn’t think there was near enough pumpkin spice. I doubled the recipe and put 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice in. I can definitely see where it would have been bland without adding in more spices, so for those that think it was bland I would recommend adding in more pumpkin spice.
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Rose!
Ivana
Hi Kate,
I made this recipe and ended up with so much batter that I had enough for 12 muffins and another loaf. I followed the recipe exactly, checked all the measurements, and do not understand how this happened.
Would you be able to figure this out?
The muffins were a bit bland, even though the texture was very good.
The pumpkin bread obviously needed longer time to bake.
Thank you.
Kate
Hi Ivana, how full did you fill your muffins? If you want more spice, you can always add more spice to the batter.
Ivana
I filled the muffin pan to almost full. They were nice and puffy muffins. Still, there was a lot of batter left. Probably enough for another 12 muffins, but maybe filled less full.
I thought the measurements for the spices in your recipe were large enough, so I did not add more than you recommend.
Kate
Hi Ivana, that’s strange. I’m not sure. If you followed the method to measure flour correctly (not over packing it), it should have been exact.
Karen
Wow! These were fabulous. I have yet to try a recipe on this site that hasn’t immediately been added to my ‘keeper’ pile. Following some comments I decided to double the spices as some of my spices are really old. The spices really are the stars of the recipe, and since older spices can lose their potency, I’m guessing this might be why some readers found them ‘bland.’ They freeze really well too
Leana Saliba
Hi! I’ve made your banana muffins twice now, and they are delicious! I noticed the two recipes are very similar aside from having Banana’s in this one. If there are no Banana’s, will the pumpkin muffins turn out sweet enough?
Kate
Hi Lenana! I think these have a great balance. The syrup helps with the sweetness here.
Kay
We swapped the eggs for applesauce and topped them with Maple Butter! DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome, Kay!
Qie
I just make these muffins with my 2 years old and added some nuts and chocolate chips, he loves them! We will be making many more of these and trying out more of your recipes. Thank you!
PS. I love the small white plate in the last photo with the the cut up muffin with almond butter. Can I ask where you got it from?
sara
Could you use coconut flour in replace?
Kate
Hi Sara, unfortunately coconut flour isn’t a great 1:1 replacement. It tends to soak up all the moisture and not really bind as well. If you want to make them gluten free, try a gluten free flour blend.
Catherine Agar
Thanks for this recipe! They are so good. On my second batch, I subbed applesauce for oil which made them a bit denser and moister and also a little sweeter, and I thought they benefited from that slight added sweetness. I also added walnuts because I love nuts in baked goods. I’ll be making these again and again.
Kate
Thanks for sharing what worked for you, Catherine!
Courtney
I was halfway done with the recipe when I read the comments and saw a few people say they were bland. I added a half a cup of brown sugar to the batter, and then mixed some more brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkled some on top before going in the oven and again after they’ve cooled. They’re a big hit in my family and I’ve already made them twice this week!
Lauren
Just made these and they are delish! I used maple syrup and almond milk and added some chocolate chips. I like that they are not too sweet and have a nice, mild pumpkin spice flavor. Can’t wait to have one for breakfast tomorrow!
Kate
Wonderful, Lauren! Thanks for your review.
noelle
should have read the comments…you can usually tell by the batter how it will taste! Ah!! So bland and really thick batter. Too much flour. I dont know if they will turn out but i just wasted a bunch of ingredients…
Kate
Hi Noelle, I’m sorry you didn’t love it. You can always add more spice. How did you measure your flour? That can play an important role.
Mary Ellen
Delicious muffins!
This was the first recipe that I’ve made from your site.
My family really enjoyed them!
*I used a mix of coconut oil, 1T unsalted butter and a little extra virgin olive oil to equal 1/3 cup.
*1 cup sweet potato purée (I didn’t have pumpkin puree :)
*1 T. Pumpkin spice and 1 t. Cinnamon
as my spice combo.
*1/2 cup dried Cherries
*Sprinkled a pinch of brown sugar on the top of each muffin.
They turned out great!
Kate
Thank you for sharing your version, Mary!
Sherrie
This recipe is great! I’m confused about some of the reviews who said these muffins were bland. I did not find that to be the case at all. I can definitely taste the spices in this. I used sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin (what I had on hand). I also added half a banana to the mix because I was short on the purée ingredient. I used a tad more vanilla extract and added a dash of cardamom. These muffins are great as a little snack or for breakfast. Perhaps those people who found them bland were expecting them to be more on the sweet side ( a la Starbucks pumpkin muffin) … I don’t think that’s the intention with this recipe. These are not too sweet. Perfect!
Kate
I’m happy you loved them!
Katie
These delicious pumpkin muffins have completely satisfied my pumpkin cravings! I used honey and added some walnuts and they turned out super tasty with a little bit of a crunch. These are my new autumnal tradition!
Lilian B
These are really good! Of the ingredient options given, I used olive oil, maple syrup, and white whole wheat flour, and did 1.5x the spices because the batter tasted like it could handle it. These are a treat without feeling overindulgent. The white whole wheat flour has a milder flavor that works really well.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lilian! I’m happy you loved them.