Pumpkin Oat Muffins, Naturally Dairy-free
These Pumpkin Oat Muffins are moist, wholesome, and full of Fall flavors. They are a lighter breakfast or snack and are naturally dairy-free since they are made with olive oil.
If you know us, you know we love baking with olive oil. Olive oil chocolate chip cookies, olive oil brownies, and now these satisfying pumpkin oat muffins. They are filled with oats, pumpkin puree, olive oil, and cinnamon.
They are the essential Fall baking recipe, and you need to add these lighter pumpkin muffins to your to-bake list. We just love eating them covered in almond butter with a warm coffee or pumpkin hot chocolate.
What makes this recipe great
- Simple to make. These muffins come together easily and are made with simple pantry ingredients.
- Moist and fluffy texture. Olive oil keeps the muffins tender and soft without any dairy or butter.
- Great for meal prep. These muffins store and freeze well, making them ideal for fast breakfasts or snacks on the go. Just microwave and go!
- Naturally dairy-free. They are great for anyone looking for a dairy-free breakfast or snack option. They can also easily be made gluten-free.
- Family-friendly. They are a lighter muffin that kids and adults will both love.
Recipe ingredients
- Flour– unbleached all-purpose flour is what works best in this recipe.
- Rolled oats– use old fashioned oats for this recipe. Keep a bit on the side to sprinkle on top of the muffins before baking.
- Sugar– classic white sugar or cane sugar both work here.
- Baking soda– this helps the muffins rise while baking.
- Nutmeg and cinnamon– these Fall spices add warmth to the muffins and work well with the pumpkin flavor.
- Eggs– these help bind the batter together.
- Canned pumpkin puree– make sure to use pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Olive oil– this is used to replace butter in this recipe and helps make the muffins moist.
- Water– a little bit is used for the batter here.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- Instead of all purpose flour, you can use gluten-free flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Instead of cane sugar, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Instead of cinnamon and nutmeg, you can use pumpkin pie spice.
- You can add chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or nuts to the batter before baking.
Step by step instructions
Step 1
Step 1: Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Step 2
Step 2: Mix the eggs, pumpkin puree, olive oil and water together.
Step 3
Step 3: Mix the bowl of wet and dry ingredients together.
Step 4
Step 4: Add the pumpkin oat batter to the muffin tins. Sprinkle with rolled oats and pumpkin seeds.
Step 5
Step 5: Bake the muffins until a toothpick comes out clean.
Expert tips
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats. This gives the muffins our favorite texture. Fast oats can make them dense, while steel-cut oats won’t soften enough while baking.
- Pick a mild olive oil. A light or “mild” extra-virgin olive oil adds moisture without overpowering the pumpkin flavor here.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir by hand until just combined. Overmixing can make the muffins tough instead of soft and fluffy.
- Make them your own. Add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries to the batter prior to baking.
- How to store: Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Can we make these pumpkin oat muffins gluten-free?Yes you can. Use a gluten-free flour blend at a 1:1 ratio.
Can we substitute another oil for olive oil?Yes, feel free to use avocado oil or vegetable oil at a 1:1 ratio.
Do we need to use fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree?Canned pumpkin puree is just right here. If you are using fresh pumpkin puree make sure it is drained well so the muffins don’t get soggy.
Prep 10 minutesCook 25 minutesTotal 35 minutesMakes 12
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- optional- pumpkin seeds and rolled oats to sprinkle on top of muffins before baking
Method
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Make sure the oven rack is on the top third of the oven. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. You can also line it with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, rolled oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together with a fork.
- In another bowl, add the eggs, pumpkin puree, olive oil and water. Mix with a fork.
- Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into a bowl of wet ingredients until pumpkin oat batter forms. Don't over mix.
- Evenly distribute the muffin batter into each muffin tin. Sprinkle with some oats and/or pumpkin seeds ( if you want).
- Bake for 23-26 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
- Instead of all purpose flour, you can use gluten-free flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Instead of cane sugar, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Instead of cinnamon and nutmeg, you can use pumpkin pie spice.
- You can add chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or nuts to the batter before baking.
