Make these healthy (and so easy) Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins to share with the kids for breakfast or snack—with or without chocolate chips!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
You know I love a healthy muffin recipe and these pumpkin muffins are a staple in our house in the fall and winter. (Though no shame if you love pumpkin all year round!) They are so easy to make in a blender or food processor and you can make them with one arm if you have a kiddo on your hip—which is handy because I know how real life goes.
And they are super moist and not very crumbly, so make a perfect breakfast or snack for kids…and us parents.
These muffins have a base of oatmeal, so contain a lot of fiber and B vitamins. Add in the protein from milk and eggs and the Vitamin A from pumpkin and you have a balanced meal in muffin form. I love the hint of pumpkin pie spice too!
TIP: These taste like a cross between baked oatmeal and a traditional pumpkin muffin.
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients:
- rolled oats
- pumpkin puree
- milk (dairy or nondairy)
- maple syrup (or honey)
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- pumpkin pie spice
- baking soda
- chocolate chips, optional
TIP: To make these gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making these muffins. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Add the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Portion into a muffin tin.
- Top with chocolate chips and bake.
TIP: You can serve these cold, at room temperature, or even slightly warmed.
Storing Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
These muffins are super moist and store well in the fridge or freezer—which is handy for pulling out quick breakfasts and snacks all week long. I also love them as a simple lunch component paired with fruit and a simple veggie for lunch.
Best Tips for Success
- These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed. Dice into smaller pieces for younger kids.
- Dairy-free: Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pie filling.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if desired. (Do not use honey for kids under age one.)
- For mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out cleanly.
- If you love the flavor of pumpkin pie, use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
- To make these by hand without a blender or food processor, use store-bought oat flour and mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin if desired.
- You may also like Healthy Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Bars, Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I’d love to hear from you if you try these muffins, so please comment below!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard size muffin tin.
- Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Divide among the prepared muffin tin. You want each cup to be about ¾ full. Top with chocolate chips if using.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
- These muffins can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed. Dice into smaller pieces for younger kids.
- Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree.
- Dairy-free: Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Egg-free: Use a store-bought egg replacer like the kind from Bob's Red Mill or Just Eggs. (Flax or chia eggs can be used, but the texture may be more like baked oatmeal than a muffin.)
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if desired. (Do not use honey for kids under age one.)
- For mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out cleanly.
- If you love the flavor of pumpkin pie, use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
- To make these by hand without a blender or food processor, use store-bought oat flour and mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin if desired.
These are so good, easy to make, clean ingredients! I made some for me with nuts and chocolate chips or dried cranberries for the kids.Teenagers ate them up!Thank you for this!
I love this recipe. I use raisins instead of chocolate. And sometimes add pecans. One thing I noticed is that I kept thinking it was undercooked. But it was just cooked oats and a different texture. Once they cool it doesn’t seem undercooked anymore. Delicious and perfectly chewy and moist. Today I tried to make the batter into pancakes. Kids loved it- I didn’t so much. I also used half the batter and baked it in a 9” cake pan. That turned out great. Happy kids can eat as much as they want
These were perfect! I was looking for a treat I could have on my weight loss journey and one that my husband would enjoy. This is a win on both counts!
These were super easy to make and was a fun activity for my toddler since it was just dumping all of the ingredients together and putting them in the blender. Truthfully, I ate most of them since I am a hungry, breastfeeding mom who is constantly craving snacks! I was wondering though if adding cinnamon or ginger spice would give them more of a flavor kick?
Great recipe! My almost 2 year old has been very picky lately and she devoured these! Will definitely make again.
This is my 3rd time making them and I just love how easy and yummy they are. I keep ground up oats in a jar, so I just use 2 cups of that and mix all ingredients in a bowl. I also mix the chocolate chips right into the batter. Super easy and delicious fall muffin!
These are very gummy and bland. We threw them away. I followed the recipe to a T and made no substitutions.
The only reason I know that would happen is that the baking soda wasn’t fresh or active, so I hope that helps for next time!
These are delicious! I like how moist they are. I used almond milk for ours as the alternative to milk. And we topped most of them with Enjoy Life chocolate chips! This batch made a full pan of mini muffins plus 9 standard muffins (or close to it). They don’t really rise (not a problem) so the muffins are about the same that we filled them too.
My kids loved these. I was out of syrup so I used honey and they were great. And chocolate chips are definitely yummier than Carob 😃
I imagine that is true, ha!
This recipe is wonderful for the season. We used diced dried cranberries instead of chocolate for my son who doesn’t like it. We also used half the amount of maple syrup and they were delicious!
I call these a win, they’re just called the wrong thing, in my opinion. They’re baked oatmeal pumpkin cups, or breakfast muffins. Next time I’ll double or triple the pumpkin pie spice and reduce the syrup a bit. Guiltless snacky snacks for mama!
Absolutely delicious! So moist and toddler approved. Also such a easy recipe with all ingredients we already had in the house!
I loved this recipe so much! I have a nephew who is allergic to eggs. How could I substitute the eggs? Thank you!
Have you ever tried using coconut oil or butter in this recipe? I was surprised to see none in the ingredients. Thank you! Can’t wait to try these out!
I haven’t ever added it but I’m sure you could add 2 tbsp melted if you want to try it that way.
These are amazing! Making them to bring to work tomorrow—do they have to be refrigerated or can they sit on the counter overnight? (I personally preferred them straight from the oven and didn’t like as much after refrigeration)
They’re fine on the counter overnight!
The muffins came out sort of gummy in the middle, I used 2 t of pumpkin spice and they were bland. It is possible that the consistency of the muffins was due to mistakenly buying Steel Cut Oats, which were like pellets not flakes. I am a new grandparent and have recently started baking toddler food and it is an adjustment in my baking and my expectations on how they muffins turn out.
Using the rolled oats called for in the recipe would yield better results. (That’s not a toddler food issue, that’s just because they are much, much harder to grind and won’t be the same flour-like texture.) I hope that helps.
Would this still taste good without maple syrup/honey? Could I add a banana instead? Making for a 1 yo. Thanks!
I think that would be fine!
Your recipes always turn out great, unfortunately this one feels like something is missing or off in the measurements. As many have pointed, it turned out very mushy and broke as I got it out of the pan. Just wanted to share.
I just made them last week and they were fine for me, and I’ve been making the recipe the same way for a few years and it’s always been this set of measurements. That said, you must use fresh/active baking soda. If yours isn’t working properly, it won’t bake through properly. I hope that helps and thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for your response!
The recipe was so easy to make, I really hope it works in the future and it did taste yummy except for the broken bits. I will try fresh baking soda next time.
I just tried this also and when blended it’s very liquidy. I haven’t put them in the oven yet, going to try adding more oats and blend. I think the measurements are off as others stated?
I just made the recipe this week and it worked just fine. Did you use the standard or metric option?
Are the calories counting Choco chips or no?
No since they’re optional.
I cut this recipe in half to use up 1/2c of pumpkin purée that I had leftover. Kept the maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice close to the original recipe, used a mini muffin pan, and topped with mini chocolate chips. So good! I’m wishing I made the whole recipe but knowing that we will be making them again! I used a food processor and kept the oats on the chunkier side. For some reason recipes on this site that use oats turn out perfectly and any recipe that uses flour is a flop. Not sure why.
I dont have a blender, will this work if I just stir them together?
If you don’t grind up the oats, they will be much more textured and more like baked oatmeal cups. It should still work though.
Thank you for responding, I’ll try it!
These are really good! Followed the recipe exactly. I used my food processor and it was so easy. My whole family loved them and they were gone in a day. Safe to say I will be making these weekly lol.
Just made these for the first time and they are delicious! Super easy to make and very moist!
My 2yo LOVES these muffins. We do them plain and with chocochips. Great recipe
Anything I can use instead of pumpkin pie spice?
Cinnamon
I noticed when I put the ingredients together that it was very liquid so I did wonder how they were going to bake in 20-22 min. I wound up cooking them for 30 min, took them out of the oven. Was going to eat one this morning however when I cut it open, it’s clear they’re not sufficiently cooked. Drat!
The most likely explanation for this recipe not cooking through is the baking soda not working properly. I’m sorry that happened!
Unfortunately I have had the same problem. I have tried 3 batches since yesterday and all flopped. I opened a new box of baking soda for the 3rd and final batch without success. I have been using your recipes for over 2 years and this is the first that has truly failed. Not sure what I am doing wrong!
Oh no! Are you baking at altitude? I can’t think of any other reason that would happen if the baking soda is working.
Nope . We are in Florida- sea level.
So here is an interesting update. I was pretty disappointed after the 3rd batch failed. My husband found them discarded on the counter and not knowing any better, put them in the fridge. I found them then next day and now they are perfectly solidified. They are not crumbly like a store-bought muffin but also No longer wet and mushy in the middle. I heated one up in the microwave and it held its consistency. Not sure what happened but they taste great. And now I feel bad that I may have tossed out 2 other perfectly good batches.
I will say though that when mixing, the batter is pretty wet and liquidy and in the 3rd round , I even added more oatmeal.
great muffins as always! my 19 month old loves them. next time i would like to omit the added sugar would they still taste ok or can i use something else instead?
I haven’t tried it with these yet, but you can probably use an overripe banana in place of some of the pumpkin. I do that often – I’ve made some with just pumpkin and banana and no added sweeteners.
These are delicious! I was looking for a healthier item for my husband to have with his coffee in the morning and this fit the bill. He loves them. I made a minimal change: added walnuts to the batter base and puréed them with the rest then topped with chopped walnuts. Will definitely make these again since they are yummy and sooooo easy to make.
Absolutely the best pumpkin muffin recipe out there! I have made this countless times, so easy, quick and just so good!
I make these often and recently I made them with Coach’s Instant Steel Cut Oats from Costco and I liked them better than with rolled oats.
For some extra veggies I add a zucchini and about a cup or two of spinach to the mixture. You may beee to add a little more oats so the batter isn’t too watery. Turns out great and doesn’t affect the taste one bit.
Very moist, flavorful and truly quick to mix/ make. Appreciate sweetness of the muffin is not overpowering. Will make these for guests as prep/clean-up is not time consuming but the muffin is delicious!
These never rose? Are they not supposed to?
They are supposed to and the mostly likely explanation is that the baking soda wasn’t fresh or active.
I made these for the first time this past weekend and they turned out so delicious! I wanted to use a whole 15-oz can of pumpkin, so I doubled all the other ingredients, and they came out perfectly. I made some of them mini muffins for my son and baked those for about 22 minutes. I added dark chocolate chips to the regular-sized muffins and baked those for about 25-27 minutes.
These muffins came out delicious… but flat. What could I have done wrong?
Maybe check that the baking soda is fresh?
I don’t have a blender. I will buy oat flour. Do I use that instead of the oatmeal? And how much oat flour do I use?
Use the same amount of oat flour as the oats in the recipe. They are very similar when measured. Enjoy!
A go-to recipe for us! I use whatever squash we have, roasted and puréed, and they taste great. A healthy option that takes like a treat!
I was fully expecting these to be a bit on the dense side, but they are absolutely light and fluffy! I added dried cranberries to half of the muffins and chocolate chips to the other half; I prefer the cranberries, but these muffins would be delicious plain, as well. Great recipe, thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that!
My muffins NEVER turn out. Ever. I thought I was cursed. But I made these and they’re perfect. You’re magic!
I’m so glad to hear it!
Hi!! Maybe a silly question but is one can of pumpkin a 15 oz can or a 29 oz can? Can’t wait to make these! Thanks!!
15 oz!! Enjoy
Although the recipe says 1 cup, so you need to measure that from a 15 ounce can.
These were great! Flavor was perfect (used maple syrup and opted to add extra pumpkin pie spice!). I totally forgot to add the eggs and realized too late, they’re still so tasty but just suuuuuper moist!
Each on of your recipes I have made have been a hit at our house! With this one do you think it would be possible to use flour instead of the oats, whole wheat or all purpose?
Hi- I haven’t tried this recipe with flour and I’m not sure it wouldn’t be dry if you used the same amount of flour. This recipe, which I realize is called a cupcake, is a delicious muffin without the frosting and is made without oats. https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/mini-pumpkin-cupcakes/
These are currently baking, I can’t wait to try! Just curious if anyone has added protein powder to this at all? Looking to beef up the protein for my pre-k toddler as breakfast is a fight and I want her full for school! Thanks!
I haven’t done that but I bet you could (or add 1/4 cup hemp seeds to the batter when blending)
Is there anything I can use instead of maple syrup?
You can use honey instead
Just made these and they’re delicious! My kindergartener devoured two full-sized muffins as an after school snack. I added the extra tsp of pumpkin pie spice and tested my baking soda before using. They were kind of wet in the middle when they were still very warm from the oven, but now that they’ve cooled they’ve solidified more. They are still very moist, but in a good way- my husband said they remind him of bread pudding. Love that they only take a couple of minutes to throw together. I’ll definitely make them again!
If you love pumpkin, you’ll be sure to love this! So moist and tasty! Next time I’ll be taking Amy’s advice and add extra pumpkin spice – my husband and my 15 month old love these! I gave my son my he leftover pumpkin purée with hemp seeds and he devoured it as a snack!
Kiddos (and I!) love all of your recipes! Each time I run into the problem of the muffins sticking to the bottom of the greased cupcake tin or the liners (pretty significantly). The food is fantastic and we wish we could enjoy all of it! Any advice would be super appreciated. Thanks (:
Ah yes, I actually never mention using liners with muffins since they typically don’t have enough fat (like a cupcake) to come off easily. You could spray them lightly with nonstick spray, try parchment paper liners, which are a little more nonstick, or just coat your muffin pan with nonstick spray (I use classic Pam) and pop them out. I hope that helps save the rest of the muffins in the future!
These turned out great! I added the extra teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice as suggested in the comments and am glad I did. I sprayed the muffin tin with non-stick spray, baked for 20 minutes, and cooled in the muffin tin for 10 minutes. I didn’t have any issues with doneness or sticking to the tin- they popped right out to finish cooling on a wire rack. My husband, three year old, and I all gobbled them up! I’ll be making another batch to keep in the freezer for quick breakfasts or snack to send with to preschool. Thanks for an excellent recipe, will become one of my go-tos!
Love these! Perfect breakfast food – not too sweet. My blender is broken so I left the oats whole and they still turned out well, just a little chunkier and I had to bake a little longer. My kids loved them!
Super wet and undercooked. I’m not sure why. My baking soda is new. The batter made 24 mini muffins and 6 regular sized muffins. At 375, I baked the mini muffins for 17 minutes (after checking them at 14 and 16 minutes) and the full sized muffins for 22 minutes. I think the mini muffins will be ok to serve my kids but they are super duper moist inside. The minis have a mild flavor and I like that they are not too sweet. We don’t give our toddler chocolate so I didn’t use chocolate chips.
My husband tossed the big muffins because they crumbled on the outside and were not fully cooked on the inside. I let my gas range fully preheat and even let it sit for 5 minutes while I finished prepping. I like that there is no flour in this recipe but maybe the oats aren’t enough to bind this recipe?
Hi- I am sorry you had this experience. I haven’t had this happen and the only reason that I know it would is the baking soda, so I am unsure of why. The oats, when blended, bind just fine with the eggs and pumpkin. I wonder if you could test your baking soda by putting a little in a bowl and drizzling with vinegar to see if it fizzes?
Will this recipe work without eggs?
I don’t think so, but a replacer like Just Eggs might
Yes we used just eggs and it came out just fine!
Started the oven at 425 for 5 minutes and dropped it to 350 for the last 16. They puffed up like crazy.
Why did you change the temperature as it was written in the recipe?
Can I use pumpkin puree in this recipe instead of the spice or as well as the spice?
If your pumpkin puree has spices in it, I wouldn’t add more I don’t think.
Would I be able to use a flax egg to sub for the egg? My son has an egg allergy.
Thanks!
If you used that in this recipe, they may turn out more like baked oatmeal. You could try a store bought egg replacer here like the one from Bob’s Red Mill
Pretty good but the consistency was not like a muffin, it came out more eggy and I even baked them 7 minutes longer than the directions.
Hi- In that case, it is most likely related to the baking soda not being as fresh or active as it should be. It should have muffin consistency. I’m not sure why baking soda can be so finicky!
Delicious! My kids request these all the time! Thank you for a great, easy recipe!
These are delicious and so easy to make. My two year old absolutely loves them.
These are even more moist than I imagined! They are delicious!! I made the mini muffins and sprinkled a few mini chocolate chips on top…because I was actually going to stir in and forgot, lol. They turned out perfectly. It was great for a bedtime snack last night for my 4 year old!
I’m so glad!
My 2 year old and husband really enjoyed these muffins. I love that this was easy to make, and that it uses oats instead of flour. I thought the flavor was a little bland, but I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice so I used a combo of cinnamon and nutmeg. I think I should have doubled it. Also used honey instead of maple syrup. (I don’t like to buy pure maple syrup because it is so expensive. What maple syrup do you usually use?) I think I overcooked them because the outsides were a little tough and the interiors were very soft. It was hard to tell when they were done because the fork I inserted never came out perfectly clean. Overall, I love that they’re easy and healthy and my daughter loves them!
Made these this morning when I had an insomniac 5-year-old up at 6 am who was looking for something fun to do! They are delicious, and I can’t believe how good they taste even without sugar and flour. I actually added some more chocolate chips and stirred them in the batter before baking. Mine rose beautifully and turned out perfectly tender and cooked at 20 minutes.
I am so glad!
Has anyone tried this as a bread, in a loaf Pan? Wondering about the density and cook time based on other reviews.
I think an 8×8 inch pan would be a better option than a 9×5 inch pan, but I haven’t tried it in a regular loaf pan so I can’t say for sure.
Love the ease of this recipe. I did find the batter still very wet even after cooking for the 22 min. Wish I had read the tips sooner and added that extra pumpkin spice! Otherwise it just tastes like a pumpkin muffin. Over all, good for gluten free. Just not sure about the wet muffin.
And my baking Soda was pretty fresh 🙂
I am going to have to do more research on baking soda. I can’t seem to recreate this issue at home so I’m not sure what the issue is. I didn’t realize baking soda could be so finicky!
My daughter (5) need to take a nut-free snack to Kindergarten everyday so we are working our way through some muffin recipes and keep a rotation in the freezer. These have been everyone’s favorite so far!
We will definitely make them regularly. They keep her tummy nice and full until she gets home for lunch time.
I’m so glad they’ve been a helpful snack for school!
Love so many of your recipes!!! Can’t wait to try these with home grown pumpkin! Just curious – do you think I could sub plain Greek yogurt in place of milk? Thanks!
Yes totally, you can use 1 cup Greek yogurt. (They may be a little flatter on top but they are delish!)
Love these! Made the mini muffin version baking at the same temp but just 14 minutes. Kid tested. Dishes approved!
Big hooray and I’m so glad to hear that!
Could I make these with flax eggs? My daughter is allergic to eggs.
This recipe won’t work that well with flax eggs (it would likely work, but the texture would be much more like baked oatmeal). This other recipe would be a better option for using an egg substitute: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/
These are great, can I use quick cook rolled oats since it all just gets blended together? I bought a big tub accidentally.
Yes, that should be just fine!
Can I use paper liners?
You can, though they may stick a little.
I was hoping to make these tomorrow with some leftover pumpkin purée I have, but realized I only have about half a cup left. Any suggestions on what I could use to make up the other half? Would applesauce work? Thanks!
Hi-I know that mashed ripe banana would work. Usually applesauce is a good substitution for pumpkin but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for 100% that it will work. I think it should though!
These are so good! Wow. Thank you!
I’m so glad!
Just made these for breakfast and they’re delicious. Skipped the chocolate chips, and will try with a little extra pumpkin pie spice next time! I love how hearty and full of fiber they are!
So fast to make and delicious!
Mine came out uncooked in the middle, even after keeping them in the been for extra time. Any idea why that would happen – I followed the recipe as is and used the blender..
Maybe check your baking soda? If it’s expired or not fresh, that could cause it.
I really want to try these but need to make them by hand. When using store bought oat flour, would the measurement still be 2 cups, or is it less?
Two cups should be right. Whenever I’ve tested it at home, 2 cups of rolled oats makes just about the same about of oat flour.
Very interested to cook this, but have no Pumpkin purée on sale in my country. How to make one from scratch?
Easy-peasy. I cut pumpkin in small chunks and cooked them in just a few tablespoons of water until it evaporated and pumpkin became a purée.
I also omitted syrup and chocolate chips (due to my strict no-sugar diet), and muffins are still very enjoyable 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that!
These look delicious! I love how your recipes are so perfectly simple that it’s easy to tell just by reading them how good they will turn out! I was wondering could you use plain Greek yogurt in place of the milk? If so, how much yogurt would you use. Thanks in advance!
Sure, you can use Greek yogurt. Use 6 ounces and know that they will be a little flatter on top and may appear like they’ve sunken a bit but they will otherwise look/be exactly the same! (I’m not sure why that happens with using yogurt in these but it’s a nice way to add more protein.)
Any ideas on what I can use instead to make this egg free?
These muffins turned out very dense and moist, but tasted good. (Looking back at the ingredients, I am not surprised they are so dense.) I think the chocolate chips are a must!
Yes, they’re hearty due to being all oats:)
Can you add spinach to this for some added greens?
Yes though the color might look a little strange? Not sure if it would turn out green or gray. Let me know if you try it!
Loved this recipe! Pop them in the microwave in the mornings for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Oh yea, I give some to the baby too with her milk.
Super easy to make and absolutely delicious! Made some with chocolate chips (for me!) and the rest without (for my 1 year old son!)! We both really enjoyed them!