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.
These look delicious and will definitely be making them soon! Just wanted to clarify, your baking time next to the prep time says 11 minutes, however the instructions say 18-22 minutes (which I assume is the correct time). Could you tell me which one it is? Thanks!
Hmm not sure why it says 11 minutes, I’ll update that 🙂 Yes 18-22 minutes and then check with a toothpick (if it comes out clean they should be done!)
The calorie count is wrong!!!!!
It is 82 calories per muffin if decided into 9 muffins!
I thought his was to good tone true so checked the recipient against a calorie counter for recipes. And got a much different calorie count. (Caloriecount.com)
Yes if you read the other comments, it’s been updated. The pumpkin calorie count was off throwing everything else off. The post has been updated.
Sounds delicious! Can I use regular flour instead of oat flour? And if so, would the measurement change? Thanks!
I haven’t actually tried regular flour in these ever so I’m not sure. I believe it would be the same, but can’t say for sure without further recipe testing. I do have a new pumpkin recipe on my site (search: pumpkin muffins) that use regular or white whole wheat flour. You could make those and add chocolate chips to them 🙂
Thank you so much, i’ll give them a try! Craving a late-night snack.
Probably a dumb question, but is canned Pure Pumpkin Puree what we use here? Or is there something different I should be looking for?
Not a dumb question 🙂 Yep just canned pumpkin puree 🙂 I recommend a good quality (not water-y) brand for best results! 🙂
Great, thanks! My 4-YO son is VERY excited to make these with me.
Sounds like fun!! I hope you both love them 🙂
These muffins were delicious and super moist, just as promised. The only downside, as others have commented, the stated nutrition is incorrect. When I made these each muffin (I divided them into 8) was 115 Calories, 2g fat, 22g carbs, 3g protein. This is not for all the muffins as stated in the blog, but for each one. The honey alone is 128 Calories! I even substituted 3 Tbsp of egg whites for the whole egg and only used 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. I will be making again, but will make a few adjustments.
So glad you enjoyed them!! Yes the calorie count will change depending on how many muffins you make and if you put in more/less batter per muffin! 🙂
Fantastic! I made them for my bookclub and sent the recipe to everyone after they were gobbled down! I’m making another batch for the family tonight. Excellent recipe!
Yeah!! SO great to hear!! Glad everyone enjoyed these 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I’ve made these twice and am planning on making them again this weekend! They are AMAZING. Just a heads up, I used the large muffin tins and was only able to fill up four, at 3/4 the way full. I recommended doubling or tripling the recipe! Thanks for these- we adore them!
Yay!! So glad to hear you’ve been enjoying these! 🙂 And I love the idea to use large muffin tins — yum!! Thanks for the comment!
I love these muffins! They are easy to make and taste delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!
That’s great to hear, I am thrilled you’ve enjoyed these muffins!! I hope you enjoy the next recipe you try! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Made these about an hour ago and they are FANTASTIC. I was really impressed. They are easy to make and super delicious.
Yeah!! So great to hear!! I’m glad you loved these 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Just made these! They are so good! LOVING how healthy they are…and planning more ways to use pumpkin! Definitely an underrated vegetable, health wise. I even subbed your oat flour for almond flour to make these grain free. 🙂 Thanks! I featured these on my tumblr today.
So glad to hear you enjoyed these!! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!