Oat Flour Pumpkin Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Name: Oat Flour Pumpkin Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups oat flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/2 cup chopped pecans; 2 large eggs (beaten); 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1 cup pumpkin puree; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Published: Oct 14, 2023 by Colleen 59 Comments

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It's that time of year for all things pumpkin! These healthy oat flour pumpkin muffins are a delicious fall treat for a quick breakfast or snack.

Using pumpkin puree, these delicious muffins are perfectly fluffy with a tender crumb and they take only 30 minutes, start to finish. Get your pumpkin spice fix and add these gluten-free pumpkin muffins to your fall baking lineup!

A half dozen oat flour pumpkin muffins on a marble counter top.

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These healthy pumpkin muffins are one of the recipes I've been testing with oat flour. There are a lot of wheat flour alternatives, and they are all great for different recipes.

I love to use almond flour, especially in these blueberry muffins, or in desserts like cherry clafoutis. And buckwheat flour is perfect for banana bread or pancakes. I even use chickpea flour to make the batter for these buffalo cauliflower bites. But I think oat flour is my new favorite gluten-free flour. So stay tuned for more oat flour recipes!

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What is oat flour?
What's to love about pumpkin oat flour muffins?
Ingredient notes
How to make the delicious recipe; step by step
Tips and variations
More healthy muffins
Recipe
Comments

What is oat flour?

Oat flour is simply whole or steel-cut oats which are ground into a fine powder using a food processor. It's easy to work with and you can use oat flour in a 1:1 ratio to all-purpose flour for recipes. What I really love about oat flour is how nutritious it is. It's high in fiber, minerals, B vitamins and antioxidants.

An oat flour pumpkin muffin on its side on a counter top.

What's to love about pumpkin oat flour muffins?

Simple ingredients: Make these delicious, fluffy muffins with items you probably have on hand.
Easy: Pumpkin oat muffins take just 10 minutes to mix up, and 20 minutes to bake.
Healthy: Oat flour adds extra nutrition and pumpkin is loaded with vitamins and fiber, too.
Not too sweet: This recipe has no refined sugar, just a ½ cup of pure maple syrup, so it isn't overly sweet. It's a perfect breakfast along with some Greek yogurt and fruit. This gluten-free recipe is also dairy-free, so everyone can enjoy!

Ingredient notes

Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Oat Flour: You can buy oat flour, or you can make these oat flour pumpkin muffins with homemade oat flour (instructions under "Tips and variations" below, and in the recipe card). Whether you buy it, or make your own oat flour, be sure to check that the oats or oat flour are certified gluten-free if that is important. Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they can be processed in a facility that also processes other ingredients containing gluten.
Baking powder and baking soda.
Spices: The classic pumpkin pie spice ingredients are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. You can use those individually, or you can use a pumpkin spice blend. (Use two teaspoons).
Eggs: 2 large eggs for this recipe. For best results in baking, eggs should be at room temperature.
Pumpkin puree: Canned pumpkin puree is convenient and nutritious. Be sure to look for pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling. If you want to use fresh pumpkin puree, use the same quantity as instructed in the recipe. You won't be using the whole can, so you may want to try using the leftover pumpkin for making pumpkin bread, pumpkin hummus, or pumpkin soup.
Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup is a delicious complement to the pumpkin spices. You can substitute an equal quantity of honey. You can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar; just add these to the dry ingredients instead of the wet ingredients.
Oil: Use any neutral flavored oil for making these pumpkin oatmeal muffins. I recommend avoiding coconut oil for this recipe because it will impart its coconut flavor to compete with the pumpkin spice flavors.
Vanilla extract.
Pecans: Chopped pecans add a nice crunchy texture and a bit more protein to these delicious pumpkin muffins. However, you can use any other nuts, or omit them for a nut-free version. Or try one of the other add-in suggestions in the "Tips and Variations" section below.

All of the ingredients for making this recipe in glass bowls on a wooden board.

How to make the delicious recipe; step by step

Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices) along with the pecans, if using, (or any other add-ins) in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Divide the muffin batter between the prepared muffin tin cups.

Step by step process for making the muffins.

Bake 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, and enjoy!

Tips and variations

Don't over mix: The golden rule for perfect muffins is to mix the dry and liquid ingredients together until just combined. Over mixing will result in tough muffins with irregular shapes, like peaked tops and tunnels.
Mini muffins: Use a mini muffin pan to make this recipe into 24 mini muffins. Reduce baking time by 5 minutes.
Homemade oat flour: To make your own oat flour, use whole oats (not quick oats). Process the oats in a food processor or a high-speed blender for about a minute, until they turn into a fine powder.
Add-ins: You can omit the chopped pecans in this recipe, or use any of these instead; walnuts or any other chopped nuts, white or dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or raisins.
Storage: After cooling completely, store your oat flour pumpkin muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: Allow the muffins to cool completely, then flash freeze the them on a baking tray until solid, about 30 minutes. Pack into an airtight freezer-safe container or zip lock bag.

Baked oat flour pumpkin muffins ready to eat.

More healthy muffins

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5 from 60 votes (31 ratings without comment)