Healthy Pumpkin Muffins are made without butter, oil or flour! These naturally gluten-free pumpkin muffins are moist, flavorful and perfectly pumpkin spiced.
author’s note
You’d Never Believe These Are Healthier!
Pumpkin season hits and I always have half a can of pumpkin lurking in the fridge. I wanted a muffin that used a lot of pumpkin, not just a spoonful, and still baked up light and fluffy.
After a few test runs with oats, honey, and warm spice, this is the Healthy Pumpkin Muffins recipe I reach for.
No butter, no oil, no refined flour, just simple pantry staples that bake into soft, pumpkin-packed muffins. I usually toss in dark chocolate because melty pockets of chocolate make these feel extra special.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps or tips |
|---|---|
| Canned pumpkin puree | Use solid-pack pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. If it seems watery, blot with paper towels. |
| Old-fashioned oats (blended to oat flour) | Use certified gluten-free oats if needed. Store-bought oat flour works. Weigh for best results. |
| Honey + light brown sugar | Use all honey or a honey–maple mix. Adjust sweetness to taste. |
| Eggs | Room-temperature eggs mix in more evenly. |
| Pumpkin Pie Spice + cinnamon + nutmeg | A ready blend works great. Add a pinch of ginger for extra warmth if you like. |
| Dark chocolate chips | Mini chips spread more evenly. Swap for chopped pecans, walnuts, or raisins. |
Featured Comment
“Just made these muffins last night for the first time and they are absolutely amazing!! So so delicious! The perfect pumpkin muffin recipe – flavourful and great texture! What a perfect recipe. I’ll be making another batch today to bring to my sister. Thank you so much for sharing”
– Monica
How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Prepare: Preheat oven and grease a muffin pan.
- Mix: Combine wet ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together dry.
- Combine & Bake: Mix together wet and dry ingredients, stir in dark chocolate chips, fill muffin cavities, and bake until tops are set.
- Cool & Store: Let cool before removing from the pan and store in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within a few days.
Storage
Leftovers?
Room Temperature: Store muffins in an airtight container. Best within 1-2 days.
Refrigeration: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temp before eating.
Freezing: Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a bag or container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or microwave before serving.
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes:
Shakes And Smoothies
Pumpkin Protein Shake
Desserts
Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
Desserts
Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin see note 1
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar see note 2
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon oat flour regular oats that have been blended, see note 3
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 cavities in a muffin pan with nonstick spray; do not use muffin liners with these; they stick to the liners. Press excess liquid out of the pumpkin with paper towels.
- Combine the pumpkin, honey, brown sugar (see note 2), vanilla, and egg in a bowl. Beat until combined.
- In another bowl, stir together the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and oat flour.
- Add the dry to the wet, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the mixture evenly among 9 muffin cavities and place a few (3–4) extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake for 19–24 minutes or until the tops of the muffins look dry (not gooey) (My oven takes 23 minutes). Remove and allow to cool for 3–4 minutes, then remove them from the muffin pan onto a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tips For Success
- Do not overmix: Mix until the dry bits just disappear.
- Let the batter rest: Two to three minutes helps the oats hydrate for a softer crumb.
- Fill cups almost full: Oat-based batters do not spread much.
- Check doneness early: Every oven runs a little different, so start checking at 18 minutes.
- Non-stick Muffin Pan: Use a high-quality non-stick pan for easy removal. Here’s my favorite muffin tin.
Awesome recipe!!! I wanted to try it but didn’t have chocolate chips so I used butterscotch chips and they turned out amazing! Rave reviews from everyone who tried them!!
Yay! So happy to hear! Thanks Elle! 🙂
These are great! I did add some applesauce – about 1/4 c. for more moisture. I would love to see the nutritional info.
I’ve made these muffins several times, and they’re delicious, but they always come out a bit too dense, despite my efforts to mix as little as possible. Have you tried putting the wet into the dry, instead of vice versa?
Hmm, you can certainly do that. Are you making any ingredient changes in the recipe?
A very belated response, but nope! I follow the recipe as written.
I did try putting the wet into the dry today, and I didn’t see a noticeable difference in terms of texture. I might also be overbaking them, so I’m going to try another batch tomorrow for less time and see how it goes…
P.S. Happy holidays!
What sort of choc chips did you use? I couldn’t find any so tried to make my own with a dark choc bar. They have come out a little bitter, it was a 70% coco it was all that was in the shop. Made these again a few years ago and my husband still talks about how yummy they were. Thanks!
So happy you’ve enjoyed! I use dark chocolate 🙂
Just made these muffins last night for the first time and they are absolutely amazing!! So so delicious! The perfect pumpkin muffin recipe – flavourful and great texture! What a perfect recipe. I’ll be making another batch today to bring to my sister. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
So happy to hear these were a hit 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment Monica! 🙂
Can you please post the nutritional info for these healthy choc chip pumpkin muffins? I’m on WW points plus and need to figure out point value
I would like to know if this can be made without the egg? Can a flax or chia egg be used instead? Or anything else to help bind everything? Has anyone tried this?
This is one of the few Pinterest recipes that I find myself making over and over. My daughter loves them in her lunches. Over time, I gave up making oat flour and now I just use 1 cup of gf flour instead. It works great. I also freeze them and they defrost well. Thx for for a great healthy snack recipe that my kid will actually eat!
Ahh I’m so happy to hear this! And it’s great to know that gf flour works well too! Thanks so much for your comment Mindy! 🙂
Hey there!! I’m sure this question was already asked but do you think almond flour could be used instead of oat?? 🙂
I don’t bake much, but when I do I make these because my kiddos beg for them!!!
I’ve added flax at time for bonus nutrition!
LOVE hearing that! Thanks for the comment Jenna 🙂
I’m a little late to this party, but what are the macros per muffin???