Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
These pumpkin oatmeal muffins are soft, full of warm spices, and perfect for fall. They’re one of our most popular muffins and are so easy to make!
Best Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
These pumpkin oatmeal muffins have been a longtime reader favorite. They’re soft, lightly spiced, and just sweet enough but not so sweet that you can’t enjoy one with breakfast.
I usually make a batch early in the season, then end up baking another as soon as the first one disappears. They’re that kind of muffin.
These pumpkin muffins pair well with all sorts of fall flavors. Try them with a cinnamon maple steamer or even a pumpkin smoothie.
They’d be great alongside something savory like our sweet potato sausage hash or sausage and potatoes skillet.
If you’re looking for more muffin ideas, check out our banana oatmeal muffins or apple cinnamon muffins.
How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. You can either grease a standard muffin pan or line it with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until it looks fluffy and light, about 2–3 minutes. Then mix in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until everything is smooth and combined.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until everything is incorporated. Mix just enough so there are no streaks of flour.
Use a spatula to gently fold in the oats. Once they’re mixed in, scoop the batter into your prepared muffin pan. I fill each one about halfway to two-thirds full.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean when they’re done. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Can I swap the butter for oil?
Yes, you can use a neutral oil like vegetable or canola in place of the butter. It slightly changes the flavor and texture. Oil gives a more tender crumb, while butter adds rich flavor. Readers have had success using both.
What if I don’t have pumpkin pie spice?
You can mix your own using spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and even allspice. One reader used 2 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon and a teaspoon of allspice and loved the result.
Can I mix in other fruits or nuts?
Yes, absolutely! You can add chopped walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, blueberries, or even a little crushed pineapple.
What can I use if I’m short on pumpkin purée?
If you don’t have the full cup of pumpkin purée, mashed banana makes a good substitute for the rest. One reader used ¼ cup of pumpkin purée and ¾ cup mashed banana and said it turned out delicious.
How to Store Leftover Muffins
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can also refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze them for about a month. Thaw at room temp or warm them slightly in the microwave before serving.
More Muffin Recipes
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Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin pan or line with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter⅔ cup light brown sugar
- Add the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and fully combined.1 cup canned pumpkin purée1 large egg1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 cup all-purpose flour1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice2 teaspoons baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Make sure not to overmix.
- Gently fold in the oats.1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about halfway to two-thirds full.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Suggested Equipment
How to Video
Notes
Nutrition
Meet Kim
Hi, I’m Kim Vargo! I love making scratch-made desserts and classic dinners that bring back a little nostalgia. Whether it’s a stovetop meal or a simple pasta bake, I’m all about good food made without the extra fuss.
I only had 1/4 C of pumpkin, so I filled the rest of the C with mashed bananas and put 2 tsp of pumpkin spice. Plus I added 3 dark chocolate chips on top to half of them. So delicious! Thanks for a great recipe to experiment with.
Hi, Doris!
Thank you so much for the comment and for rating the recipe. 😊 Your substitutions sound amazing! We’ll have to give that version a try sometime. Have a wonderful day! 😊
These are incredible – so light and tender! My husband, my baby, and I all *loved* them.
I had to make a couple of changes because I didn’t have everything on hand, but nothing huge: used olive oil instead of butter, reduced sugar to 1/2 cup, and used half whole wheat flour. I also used about 2 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon and one heaping teaspoon of allspice since I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice.
These are going into our regular fall breakfast rotation. I can’t wait to make them again!
Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe card! We’re glad to hear everybody liked the muffins and that the substitutions worked out well. Thank you again and have a lovely day 🙂
Made exactly as written. Absolutely delicious and came together quickly. Wasn’t sure if we’d like the full 1 tbsp. of pumpkin pie spice, but they were perfect. Will definitely be making again.
Good morning Michele, thank you for commenting and rating the recipe! If you’re hesitant about any spices in our recipes, feel free to reduce them, substitute them, or leave them out altogether. We’d rather you modify the flavors to your liking. It’s better than making something you won’t enjoy. Have a lovely day 🙂
This is an excellent recipe! It’s neither to sweet, nor too spice-heavy. And I like the fact that butter is used instead of oil. I made it a few times just as is, but then added chopped walnuts and “some” unsweetened applesauce to add some additional moisture since I added the walnuts. I started making these to help with some (ahem) digestion issues, but now I make them just because my family and I enjoy them so much. Thank you so very much!
Thank you Pat! Kim and I are thrilled you and your family enjoy the muffins. The walnuts and applesauce sound like tasty additions. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
DELICIOUS!! I followed your recipe… except for a few add ins. I added 1/3 c toasted chopped walnuts, 1/3 c fresh blueberries, 1/3 c dried cranberries, and substituted fresh ground flax seed for a bit of the flour. Warmed in microwave, spread with plant butter and served with a steaming mug of coffee. The muffins are moist and just the right amount of pumpkin. Truly a breakfast muffin. 😋
Thank you Kathy! Toasted walnuts, blueberries, and dried cranberries sound like tasty additions. Thank you again for commenting and providing some great ideas. Have a lovely day 🙂
These were awesome! My 4 year old loved helping me. We couldn’t find “pumpkin spice” but did find apple pie spice and we put a couple chocolate chips on top. His idea, not mine but such a good idea. Thank yoU!
Thanks so much, Carly!
Apple pie spice is a great substitute to pumpkin pie spice, so that was a good swap. Chocolate chips were also a awesome idea! Yum! We’ll have to add some the next time we make these muffins. Have a wonderful day! 🙂
These are so good. I added a small can of crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup of slivered almonds, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup of chia seeds just to add some breakfast heft. Thanks!
Thank you, Terri! Those extra additions sound great. Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the muffins. Have a great day 🙂
Hi! I’d love to make these to use up some pumpkin I have left from last season. Could you use regular granulated sugar instead of the brown sugar? Thanks!
Hi Rose!
Yes, granulated sugar will work in place of the brown sugar. The color and texture of the muffins may be slightly different since brown sugar has more moisture and is darker in color. It will still work. Have a wonderful day! 🙂
I’m definitely going to make these muffins but I think there might be a typo in the recipe. Did you mean to put 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice or should that be 1 teaspoon?
Thank you!
Hi Marsha!
Thanks for asking! It’s 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. Our recipes are usually a little heavier on the warming spices, so we encourage our readers to adjust those to meet their tastes. It definitely won’t mess up the recipe to reduce the pumpkin pie spice to 1 teaspoon. The flavor just won’t be as strong. Hope that helps. Happy Holidays! 🙂
I made a double batch but since my can of pumpkin was 15 oz., I added 1 oz of molasses to make up the difference needed. Also used 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves and 1 tsp freshly grated ginger as I had no pumpkin pie spice. This is an easy, delicious muffin.
The muffins are delicious but I put the ingredients in a recipe calculator and it came out to 179 calories each which makes me sad because I was so excited that the calories you listed was so low.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Hi Donna!
Thanks so much for providing that information! We use a third party calculation service, and sometimes it does miscalculate. I’ve rerun the information in the recipe, and it came out almost exactly with the same calories you provided. We’re happy you enjoyed the muffins and are sorry the information was incorrect. It should be fixed now. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
I made these gf and dairy free!! Added raisins, walnuts, and shredded coconut to make like a morning glory muffin. So yummy will be making again!!! Might try xylitol instead of brown sugar to see how that tastes.
Hi Alex!
Those sound like some great substitutions! Did you happen to use the same amount of GF flour? I’d love to make a GF batch for us and was just curious. We haven’t tried any alternate flours with this recipe yet. Thanks for trying the recipe and coming back to comment! We hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
These sound delicious. Are they freezable?
Good Morning Erin, that’s a good question. While I’ve never frozen them, I’m sure they can be stored in your freezer once they’ve cooked and cooled. Most muffins, when properly stored, will last about 2 months. I hope this information helps and I wish you a lovely day 🙂