Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe with Honey and Oats
These healthy pumpkin muffins are perfect for a fall breakfast! They’re made with whole wheat flour, so they’re a great way to get more whole grains in your diet.
And they’re sweetened with honey, which is a natural sweetener.
If you’re looking for a real food pumpkin muffin recipe, look no further!
This recipe was originally shared in October 2011.
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
It’s beginning to look a lot more like fall at our house!
All the trees are changing to their lovely autumn colors, and there is a hint of coolness in the air.
I love this time of year.
And I especially love pumpkin season.
As soon as the leaves begin to change, I start to plan my fall baking.
This healthy pumpkin muffin recipe is one of the first things I make.
I love it because not only is it an easy muffin recipe, but it’s such an easy fall breakfast idea.
And, it makes a great afternoon snack for the kids. I like to keep healthy muffins in the freezer to pull out any time we need an easy snack or breakfast.
Last week I made pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting to take to a hot dog roast, and it was so festive to be sitting with friends around a fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows!
After dark the children played games while the adults sat around the fire. Later, one of the guys got out his guitar and we sang some hymns.
There’s nothing like singing together by the fire with the moon and the stars out!
Even though I love taking those pumpkin bars to get-togethers, they’re not something we eat all the time.
For years I’ve been collecting and converting family-favorite recipes to make them healthier.
I now have a collection of healthy recipes that use real food ingredients.
In addition to these delicious muffins, I also make these homemade honey popcorn balls and this healthy caramel popcorn in the fall.
And healthy banana bread is another healthy quick bread recipe we love to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I first shared this healthy pumpkin muffins recipe in 2011. It’s been in my healthy muffin recipes stash for a long time!
Here’s why we love it.
First of all, this delicious pumpkin muffin contains no white flour or refined sugar.
(Learn how to grind your own wheat into flour here.)
These whole wheat pumpkin muffins are a perfect fall morning breakfast! Not really dessert, as they’re not overly sweet.
But they do taste simply delicious hot out of the oven with a pat of butter or cream cheese.
You can use canned pumpkin, but you can also use your own homemade pumpkin puree. Here’s an easy way to make your own in the oven!
After baking and cooling these pumpkin spice muffins, pop them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for later.
Then you’ll always have a quick breakfast or snack on hand!
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Notes
- Substitute homemade pumpkin puree for the canned pumpkin (here’s how to make your own!).
- You can use either white whole wheat flour or hard red wheat (I usually use the white wheat for these). Learn how to grind your own wheat into flour here.
- You could also try using whole wheat pastry flour, but I’ve only tested the recipe with hard wheat flour.
- Feel free to add chocolate chips to the recipe.
- You can use the vegetable oil of your choice for this recipe (I always use coconut oil).
- I have only made this recipe using buttermilk, but you could try substituting regular milk or a dairy-free milk like coconut milk.
- Make your own buttermilk substitute by mixing about 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice with a scant 1/2 cup of milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
Supplies Needed for This Recipe
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- Muffin pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Muffin cup liners
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe.
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (hard white wheat works best, but if using hard red wheat, you can substitute half with all-purpose flour, or use whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 cup oats (old fashioned or quick oats work fine)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon is my favorite for its full flavor)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup oil (I use coconut oil)
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup (8 oz) pumpkin puree (use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling)
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Beat the eggs in a small bowl with a fork or a small whisk.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add eggs and whisk all together until thoroughly combined.
4. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture. Stir until the batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
5. Divide batter into greased muffin cups.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
7. Remove from muffin tin and place each muffin on a wire rack. Allow to cool at room temperature and store in an airtight container.
Makes about 20 muffins
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Find More Pumpkin Recipes:
- How to Cook a Pumpkin
- Healthy Pumpkin Waffles
- Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Pie Granola
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour I use hard white wheat
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup oil I use coconut oil
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or grease them to prevent sticking.
- Beat eggs in a small bowl with a fork or whisk and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the liquid ingredients (and the beaten eggs) in a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, whisking until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Stir gently until all ingredients are combined into a smooth batter. Do not overmix.
- Divide batter into 20-22 greased or lined muffin cups. Fill cups 3/4 to almost all the way full.
- Bake at 400 degrees F. for 18-20 minutes.
- Remove muffins from the oven and remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
Your muffins sound delicious! Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!
Thanks for hosting, Lynda!
4littleladybugs~
I hope you like the recipe! 🙂
Collette~
Thank you so much for letting me know you liked them! I'm so glad they worked out for you! 🙂
Hi, Joy! I just want to tell you that I tried your recipe…& my family loved them so much that we've gone through 3 batches in the past week, lol! Thanks again for sharing this 🙂
I love anything made with pumpkin. I can't wait to try this recipe. 🙂
Pumpkin pie sounds delicious, Tanya! Isn't it great to have big girls to help in the kitchen? 🙂
Sound yummy! With 3 more pumpkins in the garden, I've been thinking about recipes I can use pumplkin in. 🙂 Last week one of my daughters and I (she did most of it) baked two pumpkin pies for the first time. They were so delicious and I don't really like pumpkin pie. 🙂 These were really good. 🙂
I'm looking forwared to sitting around the fire this weekend for our church bonfire. Your evening sounds lovely.
I will for sure have to try these.
gotjoy3~
Enjoy your church bonfire! I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time! 🙂
Grace Mae~
Sorry you can't have oats!
Heather~
Wow! You already made them! Thank you so very much for the feedback on the recipe (and on using the regular oats)–I'm glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
I know that quick oats are used, but can old fashioned be used instead? I don't purchase quick oats 🙁
The time spent by the fire must have been really sweet. A true enjoyable time with friends praising Our Lord.
Maria
Joy- I was on it this morning and already made these. YUM!! I did use regular oats (from Azure!) and they were just fine.
I really appreciate this recipe since it is normally difficult to find recipes that don't call for refined sugar that taste this good! 🙂
Sounds very good but right now I can't have oats. Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your family~
I just may have to make those today! They look amazing!
Sarah~
Loved hearing from you! If you try these I hope you like them!
Collette~
I know what you mean about trying to convert your own recipes to whole wheat and honey…I'm no good at that so I don't even try anymore! 🙂
Maria~
We don't usually purchase quick oats, either. We get ours (the old-fashioned kind) from Azure Standard (natural food co-op) in 50-lb bags. It probably depends on the kind of oats you have (I may have had the rougher steel cut oats on hand), but the last time I made these with old fashioned oats, the oats seemed kind of coarse and not soft. I don't know why because I think I've made these before with the old fashioned oats. I have been thinking of trying to soak the oats beforehand, which would serve a dual purpose of softening them up and also making them more digestible (Nourishing Traditions).
So, I said all that to say this: the original recipe calls for quick oats, but feel free to try the old fashioned kind! 🙂
I love how this recipe calls for whole wheat and honey. Sometimes I try substituting these into my recipes, but it doesn't always turn out right, lol! Looking forward to baking these 🙂
Your evening with your friends sounds so delightful, Joy! So glad that you were able to enjoy that.
And thank you for sharing this recipe. I look forward to trying it!