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.
I never comment on recipes (and I mean never!), but I’m making an exception because this recipe is AMAZING! These are the BEST muffins I’ve ever made! And I don’t mean just the best pumpkin muffins – these are the best of all the muffins I’ve made. I’ve used a lot of different recipes, but this is by far my favorite. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!
Thank you so much for such a sweet comment! I feel so honored 🙂 I am thrilled you enjoyed these!!
I made these last night and they are delicious, dense and moist!
I accidentally added the entire can of pumpkin, so I doubled the oat flour. I will be making these again.
Glad to hear these still worked and you enjoyed them! 🙂
I made these for my 2 year old because he is a very picky eater & they were a big hit! I have to sneak in veggies and fruits wherever I can so I decided to modify the recipe the second time around. I used 1/2 cup of pumpkin and blended 1/2 of a zucchini & a mushy banana. I also added 1/4 cup of quick oats in addition to the oat flour to help soak up the extra mixture. The result was a very delicious cupcake that my 2 year old can have for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Thank you Chelsea!
LOVE all your healthy additions and glad you enjoyed these! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Chelsea, was just wondering if this recipe would do ok baking in a bundt pan? Or should I just do as a cup cake?
Hi, I love the ingredients in this recipe though when I made them they were waaaaay too wet. Not sure why, maybe the size of the can of pumpkin. The recipe doesn’t specify, so I used 798 ml. Thinking maybe I should have used the small can. Will try again, ate them anyway ’cause they tasted great!
You aren’t supposed to use an entire can at all. The recipe indicates only using 1 cup. Hope that helps!
Chelsea –do you know how many calories and carbs are in these awesome muffins? A friend made some the other day and shared with me…and now I want more!!
I don’t know the carbs sorry Celeste! You can plug in the ingredients to an online calorie counter and that should give you the numbers. I think a few readers have calculated the calories and they come out to about 120 calories per muffin!
These are fantastic. I made a double-batch yesterday, and I’m going to make another batch today to bring to a friend. I have four picky eaters at home, and all four loved these muffins, AND, I felt good about the healthy ingredients. Thank you for sharing this!
Yay! SO great to hear!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Ruth and glad you all loved these! 🙂
Wow – I was not expecting these to be so good, but they truly are! I just whipped them out of the oven and cooled them down long enough to enjoy my first taste. Delicious! I will be making these regularly. Thank you!
can you tell me what size of can if pumpkin you used? I can get 2 different sizes so want to make sure I use the right one. Thanks
I don’t use an entire can, just one cup as the recipe indicates! Hope that helps! 🙂
These look amazing!!! Do you think I can also make them with sweet potato instead of pumpkin? I <3 sweet potatoes but would they be compatible?
I haven’t tried sweet potato, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work! I’d love to hear the results if you try it! 🙂