Healthy Pumpkin Muffins are made without butter, oil or flour! These naturally gluten-free pumpkin muffins are moist, flavorful and perfectly pumpkin spiced.
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
These nutritious pumpkin muffins are healthier, with less fat, calories, and sugar than traditional ones. We substitute refined flour with blended old-fashioned oats, use honey instead of sugar, and include a high proportion of canned pumpkin, which is rich in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants.
The muffins feature dark chocolate, which provides essential fats and antioxidants, making them a fun choice in these muffins.
Ingredients
- Canned Pumpkin: Provides moisture and flavor, making up the base of the healthy pumpkin muffins. Use any leftovers in this healthy pumpkin bread.
- Sweeteners (Honey, Light Brown Sugar): Add sweetness and help make the texture even better.
- Vanilla Extract & Egg: Enhance flavor and bind the ingredients.
- Leaveners (Baking Soda, Baking Powder): Help the muffins rise and become fluffy.
- Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Pumpkin Pie Spice): Add warmth and depth to the flavor.
- Oat Flour: Replaces traditional flour, adding a wholesome texture and nutrients.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Introduce pockets of rich, melty flavor.
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.
Tips For Success
- Non-stick Muffin Pan: Use a high-quality non-stick pan for easy removal. Here’s my favorite muffin tin.
- Pumpkin Type: Choose solid-packed, thick pumpkin like Libby’s for best flavor and texture.
- Sugar Adjustment: Increase sugar to taste, especially if you’re not accustomed to healthier baked goods. You can vary from 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup based on preference.
- Precise Measuring: Level off dry ingredients and ensure liquids like pumpkin and honey are fully transferred into the mixing bowl for these healthy pumpkin muffins.
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
- Pumpkin Protein Shake
- Pumpkin Overnight Oats
- Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Steamer
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Low-calorie, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins are made without butter, oil, or flour! These naturally gluten-free pumpkin muffins are moist, flavorful, and perfectly pumpkin spiced.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar (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) (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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.
- WET INGREDIENTS: Combine the pumpkin, honey, brown sugar (See Note 2), vanilla, and egg in a bowl. Beat until combined.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: In another bowl, stir together the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and oat flour.
- MIX TO COMBINE: Add the dry to the wet, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- BAKE: 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 and then remove them from the muffin pan onto a cooling rack.
- STORAGE: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. Muffins are best when used within 1-2 days.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use high-quality pumpkin that isn’t overly watered down (I prefer Libby’s). Make sure to use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Note that this recipe only uses 1 cup of pumpkin, not the entire can!
Note 2: If you aren’t used to healthier baked goods, use 4-6 tablespoons brown sugar in these muffins. I typically use a packed 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup)
Note 3: Oat flour is just old-fashioned or quick oats that have been blended in a food processor or blender until they reach the consistency of flour. Make sure to measure the oat flour AFTER blending, not before. Level the measuring cups after being completely filled with oat flour (don’t loosely measure).
Storage: Store muffins in an airtight container. Best within 1-2 days.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4121IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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?