Pumpkin oatmeal muffins have a completely different vibe than most of the “pumpkin spice” offerings you see in autumn. A massive, sweetened coffee drink topped with frothy milk or whipped cream says “I’m treating myself,” while a pumpkin oatmeal muffin says “I go to the gym.”
That doesn’t mean they’re no fun, of course. The crumbly topping on these oatmeal pumpkin muffins leaves them still feeling like a treat, even though they hold their own against many of our other popular healthy muffin recipes for sheer nutritional value.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
- Flour: Although the pumpkin, oatmeal and warm spices are the stars here, it’s the flour that binds up the other ingredients and creates the muffins’ texture.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar is a sweetener, but it also gives the muffins a mild butterscotch-y flavor.
- Baking powder: Baking powder reacts with heat and moisture to create gas, which leavens the muffins.
- Pumpkin pie spice: The pie-spice mix is a blend of warm spices like cinnamon and mace. It’s an easy way to add those flavors without one of them dominating the others.
- Baking soda: Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients in the muffin batter, to create gas and leaven the muffins. It also helps them brown as they bake.
- Egg: The egg in a muffin recipe acts as an emulsifier, helping the wet, dry and fatty ingredients blend together smoothly. It’s a good idea to use room-temperature eggs when baking to improve the texture of baked goods.
- Canned pumpkin: The thick puree brings moisture, flavor and nutrition to the muffins. It also replaces much of the oil that other recipes call for.
- Milk: The milk in this recipe helps thin the muffin batter.
- Oil: A muffin batter needs some fat, in this case canola oil, to soften and enrich the texture of the finished muffins.
- Old-fashioned oats: Oats give the muffins a pleasing textural contrast and pack in lots of healthy fiber.
- Raisins: Raisins give the muffins a contrasting texture and bright pops of flavor.
- Butter: The butter here combines with part of the flour, brown sugar and pie spice to make a crumb topping for the muffins.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the batter
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl combine the egg, pumpkin, milk and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until they’re just mixed. Stir in the oats and raisins.
Step 2: Prep the muffins for baking
Grease 18 muffin cups or line them with paper muffin cups, and fill them two-thirds full with the muffin batter. In a small bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar, flour and pie spice, then cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle 1 rounded teaspoon of the topping over each muffin.
Step 3: Bake
Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4: Cool and serve
Let the muffins cool in the pan for five minutes before removing them to a wire rack. The muffins are best when served fresh and warm.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin Variations
- Flake out with other grains: Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best-known form of flattened grain, but there are plenty of others. Your local bulk food store might have flakes of wheat, rye, barley, rice or many more. They all have slightly different flavors and textures, and this is a quick and easy way to change up the recipe.
- Change the fruit: Raisins are often paired with old-fashioned oats, because their textures work well together. That said, swapping the raisins for other dried fruit, fresh fruit or berries can refresh the recipe in a hurry. Consider options like dried, fresh or frozen blueberries or cranberries, diced dates or dried apricots, or diced fresh apples.
- Tweak or swap the crumble topping: The recipe’s crumb topping adds a bit of life and zest to the muffins, so why not add some zest to the topping? Fresh or dried lemon or orange zest both liven up the muffins surprisingly well. If you’d rather not bother with the crumble topping at all, alternatives include crushed breakfast cereal, cake crumbs, and chopped or sliced nuts. Another option is coarsely crumbled cookies—old-fashioned gingersnaps would go especially well with the pie spice.
How to Store Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
The best way to store leftover muffins is in a single layer in a container with an airtight lid. It helps if you put a sheet of paper towel in the bottom, to absorb any moisture the muffins lose. You can keep them at room temperature if the add-ins aren’t perishable (the oats and raisins here, for example), or in the fridge.
How long will pumpkin oatmeal muffins keep?
These healthy pumpkin oatmeal muffins are tasty and nutritious, but they’re too low in fat to stay soft for long. They’re best on the day they’re made. You can stretch that to two or three days by storing them in an airtight container and gently reheating them before eating. They’ll remain food safe past the third day, but they’ll be dry and unpleasant unless you dunk them in your coffee or tea.
Can I freeze pumpkin oatmeal muffins?
Yes, you can. Our recommended method for freezing muffins is to transfer them to a sheet pan once they’ve cooled completely, then freeze them on the sheet. Once the individual muffins are frozen, they can be bagged for the freezer or vacuum-sealed. They’ll stay good for two to three months in the freezer, and even longer if you use a vacuum sealer.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffin Tips
Can I make these muffins gluten-free?
Yes, absolutely. The sturdy texture of muffins is relatively easy to replicate in a gluten-free version. Just replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend, and be sure to buy oats that have been certified gluten-free (oats are naturally gluten-free but can be contaminated in harvest or processing). If you’re especially sensitive, you may also want to buy spice brands that are certified gluten-free.
Why are my pumpkin oatmeal muffins so chewy?
You may have been heavy-handed when measuring the flour, so it’s actually more than the recipe calls for (try the scoop-and-level method for better results). Your baking powder may be old and not leavening the muffins adequately (test baking powder before you bake, if you’re not sure of its age). The other probability is that you’ve overmixed the muffin batter. A muffin batter shouldn’t be smoothly blended, like a cake batter. The wet and dry ingredients should be barely mixed, and you’ll see a few small dry spots in your bowl. That’s perfect. As you scoop and bake them, the dry ingredients will finish hydrating.
Can I make my own pumpkin puree instead of using canned?
You sure can if you want to, but you might not want to. A lot of experts argue that you’re better off just using the canned kind. Good brands of canned pumpkin are a high-quality product, with consistently good flavor and texture in every can. If you do want to make your own, we have a pumpkin puree recipe for you, but remember that every batch will be different with the homemade kind. You’ll need to tweak your batter on the fly to adjust for variations in its moisture level, so this is an option best left to experienced bakers.
