Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins (one bowl!)

4.98 from 81 votes

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins (one bowl!)

These healthy pumpkin oatmeal muffins are tender, moist, and full of that warm fall flavor. Made with pumpkin puree, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, applesauce, and just a little brown sugar, they're an easy one-bowl breakfast recipe that's perfect for meal prep, lunchboxes, and stocking your freezer for busy weekday mornings breakfasts.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: fall muffins, rolled oats, whole wheat flour

Servings: muffins

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Taesha Butler

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
¼ cup avocado oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1¼ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup rolled oats
¼ cup mini chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease with oil.

Since this muffin recipe uses less added oil than most traditional muffin recipes, I find that silicone liners or disposable liners with a natural food-grade silicone coating (I like If You Care baking cup liners) work best to prevent sticking. If using traditional paper liners without a coating, lightly spray them with cooking spray before filling so the muffins release more easily after cooling.

Add pumpkin puree to a large bowl, along with applesauce, eggs, oil, vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk together well.
Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Whisk together again to incorporate everything.
Add the flour and rolled oats to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix, as this can result in dense muffins.
Finally, fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
Bake until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. If you have a kitchen thermometer, cook until the muffins have an internal temperature of 200℉. This will ensure they are cooked through, but not overcooked.
Allow them to cool in pan for 15 minutes before enjoying. Once cooled completely, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in your freezer for up to a month.

Notes

Recipe testing notes from Taesha:

I've tested these with both oat flour and cup-for-cup gluten-free flour for GF. I found that the oat flour worked best for my preference but both worked. Be sure to let your batter rest for 15 minutes before portioning onto the muffin tin so your flour can hydrate if swapping in the whole wheat flour for either gluten free option.
If you need these to be egg-free, I've successfully made these muffins several times subbing in 2 flax eggs
If you need these to be gluten free, be sure that the rolled oats are certified gluten free as well as the oat flour (should you use that for your flour swap)
If you don't have avocado oil, any neutral oil like vegetable oil will work. I have also made these with melted unsalted butter and loved how they came out.

Nutrition