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.
Just pulled these out of the oven and they are delicious! I will be making them again and again and again. I have yet to make something you share and not love it. Thank you!
You are so welcome! Thanks for trying them and I’m glad you liked them 🙂 Have a great day!
Yummy!!! Made them as mini muffins, delicious!!
I am SO happy I came across these muffins. I’ve made them twice now and they’re just fantastic. I also made them without egg by substituting flax and water and it turns out great. These are a perfect example of a muffin that is both healthy, easy, and low in calories…a tall order!
Hey Bree! Thank you SO much for your comment and review 🙂 I am so glad to hear that you liked them and your review is so sweet – thanks! Also glad to hear the flax egg worked!!
Made these tonight and they were delicious. I used a mini muffin tin and was able to get 16 muffins. I only have one question. What brand of canned pumpkin do you recommend? I used Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin and didn’t notice until after I made them that 1 cup = 100 calories. Nonetheless I will definitely make these again. Thanks for a great easy recipe!!!
Chelsea, the calorie calculator you linked to shows 1 cup of 1 inch pumpkin cubes, not the mashed, cooked kind we buy in cans. My guess is that’s the discrepancy.
I’m sure that’s it!! And sorry about that! Thanks for the correction Patty!
How long did you cook the mini muffins for? Thanks!
Hey Chelsea! These look delicious & I’d Love to try them! Is there a reason you don’t use muffin liners?
Hi Amie!! I hope you get a chance to try them and love them!! The reason I don’t use muffin liners is this batter really, really sticks. I had to learn that from experience and the muffins wouldn’t come out of them!
This is the muffin recipe of my dreams. Definitely making it tonight!
Followed the recipe to the T and these were soso good. We finished all 8 of the muffins within minutes of them being done and my kids are already begging for me to make them again!
So glad to hear!! Thanks so much for the comment and review Clarissa 🙂
Delicious! Luckily I doubled the batch as my boyfriend ate about 6 after dinner last night. Love this recipe, I will make it many more times. Thank you 🙂
Thanks so much for the comment Allyson! So glad to hear you liked them!! 🙂
Ok what did I do wrong?? These were a crumbly, dry mess for me! 🙁 Albeit, a delicious crumbly, dry mess…
Hmm. I have no idea why. The mixture should be anything but dry; it’s actually quite wet. I’ve made this recipe half a dozen times and never had them dry. I wonder if you may have measured the ingredients incorrectly; maybe the pumpkin? Or really packed in the oat flour? Was the mixture dry before putting in the muffin tin? It should be pretty wet…
Does the recipe work with roasted butternut squash instead of the canned pumpkin?