Looking for a way to use up 1 cup of pumpkin puree? Turn it into these pumpkin oatmeal muffins! They're packed with wholesome oats, warm fall spices, and topped with a delicious cinnamon oat streusel! I love to grab one for a quick breakfast or snack, especially when I'm on the go!
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Make these muffins ahead of time & freeze them so they're ready to go at a moment's notice! This recipe makes a dozen and only takes about an hour to whip up.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They're so easy to make! The batter comes together in about 15 minutes, and you don't need any fancy equipment (not even an electric mixer!).
- The oat streusel topping stays perfectly crumbly and adds a tasty texture contrast to the tender muffins.
- They're hearty and filling. Thanks to the oats mixed right into the batter, these keep you satisfied longer than regular muffins.
- Make them ahead of time and enjoy them all week!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need these ingredients to make this easy pumpkin oatmeal muffin recipe:
Ingredient Notes:
- Kefir is my secret ingredient for ultra-moist muffins! It adds a subtle tang and keeps these oatmeal pumpkin muffins tender for days. You can find my favorite, Lifeway Kefir (who sponsored this recipe), in the dairy section of most grocery stores. I make my pumpkin cheesecake muffins with it, too!
- Brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper flavor than just white sugar alone! You can use light or dark brown sugar depending on what you have in your pantry.
- Pumpkin pie spice typically includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It's what gives these pumpkin muffins their warm, cozy fall flavor!
- Vegetable oil helps keep these muffins moist for days. You can use another neutral oil if you prefer.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Don't have kefir? Feel free to substitute an equal amount of buttermilk!
- Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips into the batter (with the oats) for a sweeter treat. Pumpkin and chocolate are an amazing combo (people love it in my chocolate pumpkin muffins)!
- Add an extra crunch by folding in ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter for extra texture and nutty flavor.
- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves in its place.
- For mini muffins, divide the batter among 24 mini muffin cups and bake for about 12-15 minutes at 350°F.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to Make These Muffins
Step 1: Make the oat streusel topping by combining the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small/medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until it resembles wet sand. Set this aside while you make the muffin batter.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. This ensures all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed so they rise properly.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, kefir, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and both sugars until everything is combined well.
Step 4: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just a couple of flour streaks remain. This prevents over-mixing the batter so the muffins turn out nice and tender.
Step 5: Gently fold in the oats until everything is combined evenly throughout the batter.
Step 6: Fill your muffin pan (lined with parchment cups or lightly greased) equally with the pumpkin batter. Each muffin cup should be about ¾ full! I like to use a large cookie scoop for this.
Step 7: Sprinkle the oat streusel equally over the top of each muffin. They should be covered almost completely!
Step 8: Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 18-23 minutes). The tops should be golden and spring back when gently touched. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients! This helps everything mix together smoothly and creates a more even texture. Take your eggs and kefir out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
- Don't over-mix the batter! Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until you can barely see any flour streaks. Over-mixing develops gluten, which can make your muffins tough and dense.
- Don't over-bake them. Start checking at 18 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched. Over-baking will make them dry.
- Let them cool before storing. Warm muffins will create condensation and get soggy, which can make them go bad faster. Similar to my cinnamon streusel muffins, these stay very moist when stored properly!
Common Questions
No, pumpkin pie filling often includes extra spices and sweeteners. I recommend 100% pure pumpkin for this recipe!
I don't recommend it. Quick oats are more processed and will change the texture of both the muffins and the streusel topping. Old-fashioned oats give you the best chewy texture, in my opinion!
This usually happens from over-mixing the batter or using too much flour. Make sure you're measuring your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, or better yet, use a kitchen scale and weigh it in grams!
You can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. If you use all whole wheat, the muffins will be denser and have a stronger whole grain flavor.
You can find Lifeway Kefir in many grocery stores in the refrigerated dairy aisle, or on lifewaykefir.com/where-to-buy!
Storage
Room Temperature
Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions
Place the cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature for about an hour or microwave for 30-45 seconds until warmed through.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Muffin pan with liners
Ingredients
Oat Streusel Topping
- ⅓ cup (41.67 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter measured then melted
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup (80 g) Lifeway Plain Organic Whole Milk Kefir room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1 cup (84 g) old-fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and fill a muffin pan with liners (or grease with nonstick spray).
Oat Streusel Topping
- In a small/medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix in the melted butter until completely combined.⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup old-fashioned oats, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, kefir, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and sugars until combined well.2 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ⅓ cup Lifeway Plain Organic Whole Milk Kefir, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones with a spatula just until a couple of flour streaks remain.
- Fold in the oats until everything is combined evenly.1 cup old-fashioned oats
- Distribute the muffin batter equally throughout your muffin pan (each muffin cup should be about ¾ full).
- Sprinkle the oat streusel topping equally across the muffin tops.
- Bake on your oven's middle rack until a toothpick comes out clean (about 18-23 minutes).
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
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Chris says
Delicious and perfect for the fall & holidays! I love how the tops have a cinnamon oat streusel, it gives these the perfect texture. I really like holiday spices so the pumpkin pie spice balances everything well. Highly recommend.
Chris (Kayla's husband)