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Cozy up with these healthy & wholesome Pumpkin Oat Muffins made with real pumpkin, pumpkin spice, oats, and nuts. These breakfast muffins are refined sugar-free – made with coconut sugar and unsweetened applesauce. Enjoy these muffins with a hot cup of coffee on a cool fall day.
★★★★★
“I made these muffins for my family and they were delicious. I didn’t need butter or anything extra on mine, my husband and kids needed some honey on top because they prefer more sweetness. Enjoyed them for work the next day. Thanks for such a great recipe.”
— Anu
Table of Contents
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
When baking healthier treats, my number one critic is my husband. He seriously likes nothing healthy, which makes my job much more difficult when making healthy treats.
Generally speaking, anything can taste good when made with insane amounts of butter and sugar. The real challenge is attempting to bake desserts that taste good without all the extra fat and calories.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a sweet tooth, but I’m all about balance when it comes to sugar. These healthier Pumpkin Oat Muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. They also contain a couple of tablespoons of oil and unsweetened applesauce, making them super moist. I hope you guys give them a try. They’re the perfect breakfast treat or snack.
More Fall Baking
Got leftover bananas, try my Moist Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts – it’s amazing and is the perfect fall treat. If you love baked oatmeal, try this Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal. For a pumpkin treat – try this Pumpkin Bread with Saffron Cream Cheese Frosting is divine.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Wholesome, Nutritious Ingredients – Made with rolled oats, oat flour, nuts, and pumpkin, these muffins are made with real, nutritious ingredients.
- Autumn-Inspired Flavors – Welcome fall with these delicious and healthy pumpkin muffins, crafted with real pumpkin and pumpkin spice.
- Makes a Great Breakfast or Snack – These fiber-rich muffins are satisfying and a good source of fiber keeping you full longer. Try lightly toasting them and adding a touch of butter or vegan butter for extra flavor.
- Refined Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free – Sweetened with coconut sugar and made with oat flour, these muffins are dairy-free. For moistness and a soft texture, there is unsweetened applesauce and a couple tablespoons of avocado oil.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Variations!
- Pumpkin Puree – Use “pure” pumpkin from a can. I love Libby’s, Whole Foods Organic pumpkin, or Trader Joe’s organic pumpkin. Feel free to use any unsweetened pure pumpkin can.
- Pumpkin Spice – Pumpkin Spice is a blend that consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. You may buy pumpkin spice or make your own. To make your own check out The Pioneer Woman’s Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Rolled Oats – For this recipe don’t use quick oats or steel-cut oats, you must use rolled oats.
- Oat Flour – I used oat flour for a gluten-free option, but feel free to use gluten-free white flour.
- Applesauce – Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce to avoid additional sweetness.
- Oil – I used 2 tablespoons of avocado oil for additional moisture, or any tasteless oil such as, canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil will work.
- Pecans – You’ll need chopped pecans for this recipe, however walnuts would be a great substitute.
Variations
- Chocolate Chips – If you love chocolate, you may add a 1/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Egg-Free – Swap the eggs for flax eggs. Here’s a great Flax Egg recipe for it.
*See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.*
How to Make Pumpkin Oat Muffins
STEP 1 – Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F, Spray Muffin Tray & Mix Dry Ingredients
1. Spray a muffin pan with coconut oil or avocado oil. Set aside. (Image 1)
2. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients – oat flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir. (Image 2)
STEP 2 – Combine Wet Ingredients
3. Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl – pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, eggs, oil, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract. (Image 3)
4. Mix well until combined. (Image 4)
STEP 3 – Add Dry Ingredients to Wet & Add-ins
5. Add dry ingredients to the wet. (Image 5)
6. Mix well, but do not over-mix. (Image 6)
7. Now add rolled oats and chopped pecans. (Image 7)
8. Fold ingredients into the batter. (Image 8)
STEP 4 – Scoop Batter into Tray & Bake
9. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop pumpkin batter. (Image 9)
10. Place the scoop batter inside each muffin holder. (Image 10)
11. Top each muffin with 5 pumpkin seeds. Place into the oven for 27-28 minutes at 350 degrees. (Image 11)
12. Perform the toothpick test by inserting a toothpick to make sure your muffins are ready. Wait to cool before removing them from the muffin tray. (Image 12)
How to Serve & Store
→ Glaze of Butter – My favorite way to enjoy these muffins – split the muffins in half and lightly toast them in the toaster oven. Then top with a light glaze butter of butter and enjoy with hot coffee. So good!
→ Jams/Nut Butter/Maple Syrup – After lightly toasting the muffin, you can also top it with pumpkin butter, fig jam, orange marmalade, or your favorite nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter). You can sprinkle some more pumpkin spice on top with a light glaze of maple syrup.
→ Biscoff/Nutella – For a little indulgence, you may spread some Biscoff or Nutella too.
→ Storage – To store these muffins, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You may also wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and freeze these muffins for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to eat, place them in the refrigerator to thaw and then lightly toast as usual.
More Fall Desserts:
- Moist Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts
- Banana Rum Cake
- Pumpkin Bread with Saffron Cream Cheese Frosting
- No-Bake Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
- Apple Walnut Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
Pumpkin Oat Muffins (Refined Sugar-free, Gluten-free)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour, I like Bob's Red Mill
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice, store-bought or make your own
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder, gluten-free
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pure pumpkin, I like Whole Foods organic canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 organic eggs
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, or any tasteless oil
- 4 ounces unsweetened applesauce, I use Whole Foods 4 ounce containers
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
Add-ins
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Garnish
- 5 pumpkin seeds per muffin
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F, Spray Muffin Tray & Mix Dry Ingredients. Spray a muffin tray with coconut oil or avocado oil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients – oat flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl – pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, eggs, oil, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix well until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients to Wet & Add-ins. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well, but do not over mix. Next, add rolled oats and chopped pecans. Fold ingredients into the batter.
- Scoop Batter into Tray & Bake. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop pumpkin batter into each muffin holder. Top each muffin with 5 pumpkin seeds. Place into the oven for 27-28 minutes at 350 degrees. Perform the toothpick test by inserting a toothpick to make sure your muffins are ready. Once ready, wait to cool before removing them from the muffin tray.
Notes
- Pumpkin – Use “pure” pumpkin from a can. I love Libby’s, Whole Foods Organic pumpkin, or Trader Joe’s organic pumpkin. Feel free to use any unsweetened pure pumpkin can.
- Pumpkin Spice – You may buy pumpkin spice or make your own. To make your own, check out The Pioneer Woman’s Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Rolled Oats – For this recipe don’t use quick oats or steel-cut oats, you must use rolled oats.
- Oat Flour – For a gluten-free option, I used oat flour, but feel free to use gluten-free white flour.
- Applesauce – Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce to avoid additional sweetness.
- Pecans – You’ll need chopped pecans for this recipe, however walnuts would be a great substitute.
- Chocolate Chips (optional) – If you love chocolate, you may add a 1/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Egg-Free – Swap the eggs for flax eggs. Here’s a great Flax Egg recipe for it.
Hi these look great…can I use frozen pumkin puree? Also i dont have pumpkin spice what can I swap it with? Looking fwd to making these
Hi Anjali, sure, you can try it, but I would make sure the pumpkin puree is thawed. You can make your own pumpkin spice with the following ingredients:
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
2 teaspoons ground ginger.
1 teaspoon ground cloves.
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
If you don’t have any of those ingredients either, simply use cinnamon powder as a substitute for that fall flavor.
Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.
I made these muffins for my family and they were delicious. I didn’t need butter or anything extra on mine, my husband and kids needed some honey on top because they prefer more sweetness. I enjoyed some for work the next day. Thanks for such a great recipe. Anu
Thanks Anu. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Yes, this recipe can be a less exciting for the kids, but glad you liked them. Thanks for sharing your input. xoxo
Loved the recipe – easy, delicious and healthy. I’ll need to try it again once I figure out why the muffins came out a bit dense. I did use all 12 cup-holders instead of 9, so the muffins were a bit smaller. Will definitely be baking this again.
Hi Abha. Sorry they were a bit dense. Yes, please try making 9 muffins instead of 12 muffins next time. Thanks for sharing. Good luck. 🙂
Just tried these muffins and they are so good. Thanks for a healthy dessert recipe. My family loved them. 🙂
Hi Kim! I’m so glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂