These pumpkin muffins are made with rolled oats, almond flour, and tapioca flour. They’re sweetened with maple syrup and spiced with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. You can also top them with a maple glaze and chopped pecans.
- They have a soft, slightly hearty texture.
- They freeze well, so you can make a batch and keep them in the freezer for whenever you want a snack or dessert.
You can also make these muffins gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats.
What makes these pumpkin muffins different
In these muffins, instead of all-purpose flour, I use a combination of rolled oats, almond flour, and tapioca flour.
First, I blend the oats into oat flour. Then, I combine it with the almond flour and tapioca flour. The result is a soft muffin with a slightly hearty texture.
To sweeten the muffins, instead of white or brown sugar, I use maple syrup. It also adds a hint of maple flavor that works well with the pumpkin and spices.
To keep the muffins moist, I add plain yogurt and extra virgin olive oil to the batter. The yogurt also adds some protein.
Ingredients for pumpkin oat muffins
- Rolled oats – Blended into oat flour to form the base of the muffins. You can also use certified gluten-free oats.
- Almond flour – Adds richness and helps create a tender crumb.
- Tapioca flour – Gives the muffins a lighter, less dense crumb.
- Pumpkin puree – Adds pumpkin flavor and moisture. Make sure you use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup – Sweetens the muffins.
- Plain thick yogurt – Adds moisture and some protein. You can use full-fat, low-fat, or non-fat yogurt. For a dairy-free option, you can use a thick coconut yogurt.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Helps keep the muffins moist after baking.
- Eggs – Provide structure and bind the ingredients together.
- Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg – Create a warm spice blend to flavor the muffins.
- Vanilla extract – Complements the pumpkin and spices.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Work together to help the muffins rise.
- Fine salt – Enhances the flavor of the muffins.
Tips for making pumpkin oat muffins
These tips will help you get the best texture when making pumpkin oat muffins:
- Blend the oats finely. Blend the rolled oats in a blender or food processor until they resemble flour. The finer you blend the oat flour, the smoother the texture of the muffins will be.
- Use thick pumpkin puree. Regular canned pumpkin puree is generally thick. If you use homemade puree, make sure there is no excess liquid. Watery puree can make the batter too wet.
- Don’t overmix. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined, making sure no pockets of dry flour remain. Overmixing can make the muffins denser.
- Let the batter rest. Rest the batter for 10 minutes before baking. This allows the oat flour to absorb moisture and thicken the batter. During testing, I found that this gave the muffins a more cohesive and even crumb.
- Check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Substitutions and variations
- Oat flour: If you prefer not to blend the rolled oats yourself, you can use 180 g of store-bought oat flour.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Instead of using the individual spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg), you can use 4 teaspoons of a premixed pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Dairy-free: To make these muffins dairy-free, you can use thick coconut yogurt instead of dairy yogurt.
- Oil: Instead of extra virgin olive oil, you can also use a neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
- Mix-ins: For extra texture and flavor, you can add chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips to the batter.
How to store pumpkin oat muffins
Store these pumpkin oat muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze them without the glaze. You can thaw them overnight in the fridge, then add the glaze after thawing.
Pumpkin Oat Muffins Recipe
Recipe video below. These pumpkin muffins have a soft and slightly hearty texture. They’re made with rolled oats, almond flour, and tapioca flour, sweetened with maple syrup, and warmly spiced. You can top them with a maple glaze and chopped pecans.
- Serves: 12 muffins
- Prep time: 30 mins
- Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats (gluten-free if needed – see Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (48 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (31 g) tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb soda)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (260 g) pumpkin puree (see Note 2)
- 1/2 cup (158 g) maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (80 g) plain thick yogurt (dairy-free if needed – see Note 3)
- 1/4 cup (55 g) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla extract
Maple glaze (optional)
- 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1 tablespoon (20 g) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (27 g) pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Blend the oats into oat flour
Place the rolled oats into a blender or food processor and blend until finely ground.
- Mix the dry ingredients
Add the blended oats and remaining dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients
Place the wet ingredients into a bowl. Whisk well until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold together until just combined. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes (see Note 4). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) conventional.
- Bake the muffins
Divide the batter between 12 standard muffin cases. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the maple glaze
Mix the powdered sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Transfer to a small piping bag or zip-top bag, snip a small opening in the tip or corner, and pipe the glaze over the cooled muffins. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans while the glaze is still wet. Let it set at room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Oats – Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they can be exposed to gluten during processing. If you need to avoid gluten, you can use certified gluten-free oats.
- Pumpkin puree – You can use canned or homemade puree. If using canned, make sure it’s pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. If using homemade, make sure it’s thick and not watery. I use this Homemade Pumpkin Puree recipe with butternut squash. For best results, weigh the puree in grams.
- Yogurt – Make sure the yogurt is thick and not runny. Full-fat, low-fat, and non-fat all work well. For dairy-free muffins, you can use a thick coconut yogurt.
- Resting the batter – Letting the batter rest for 10 minutes allows the freshly blended oat flour to absorb moisture and thicken the batter. This gives the muffins a more cohesive and even crumb.
- Storage – Store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the muffins without the glaze and add it after thawing.
Recipe video
Watch the recipe video to see how to make Pumpkin Oat Muffins.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can make these pumpkin muffins gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they can be exposed to gluten during processing.
Yes. You can make these pumpkin muffins dairy-free by using coconut yogurt instead of dairy yogurt. Make sure the coconut yogurt is thick rather than runny so it doesn’t add too much moisture to the batter.
Yes. You can use 180 g of store-bought oat flour in place of the rolled oats. Make sure you still let the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking.
