Even made with whole wheat flour these easy pumpkin muffins are light, warmly spiced, and deliciously moist. They keep fresh for days thanks to the use of olive oil making them the perfect lunch box filler. With a bullet-proof recipe I've been using for school lunches for years, these vegan muffins are wholesome, simple and ready in around 30-minutes.
Jump to:
- Why These Healthier Pumpkin Muffins Work?
- Why Use Wholewheat Flour in Baking?
- Are Pumpkin Muffins Healthy?
- What Type of Pumpkin Works Best for Baking?
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Fresh Pumpkin (Step-by-Step Guide)
- How To Store Pumpkin Muffins
- FAQs
- More Plant-based Baking
- Make This Recipe
- Leave a Comment
Why These Healthier Pumpkin Muffins Work?
This recipe uses whole flour, raw sugar, olive oil and fresh pumpkin (cooked) to create a more wholesome muffin recipe.
If you love pumpkin like I do, check out some of my favourite pumpkin recipes.
Why Use Wholewheat Flour in Baking?
Using whole wheat flour instead of plain flour doesn't work in every recipe, but it does in warmer flavoured baked goods like these pumpkin muffins. While white flour has the fibre-rich bran and germ removed, wholewheat flour keeps the entire grain including all the available fibre. Whole wheat flour adds protein and fibre to an otherwise basic muffin recipe plus, it adds a nutty depth of flavour that works with those warming pumpkin spices.
As a general rule, wholewheat flour requires around ¼-cup more liquid than white flour as it absorbs more water with the bran and germ intact.
Are Pumpkin Muffins Healthy?
As a nutritionist, I think muffins are best enjoyed as a treat or snack. These homemade pumpkin muffins are made with healthier ingredients including whole wheat flour, fresh pumpkin, raw sugar and olive oil while still delivering the soft, bakery-style muffin experience. But they are still muffins.
What Type of Pumpkin Works Best for Baking?
The best pumpkins for baked goods are dense and sweet with a high starch content (less water). In Australia look for Kent (Jap), Queensland Blue or Butternut pumpkins. Sugar pie pumpkins and Japanese Kabocha pumpkins are a popular choice globally.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Fresh cooked pumpkin. While you can use canned pumpkin puree (see text box below) we don't have access to it in Australia, so this recipe is tailor-made for Aussie bakers. And I love using the fresh pumpkin.
I roast a big wedge of Kent pumpkin wrapped in foil (so it doesn't brown) at the start of each week (190℃ or 375℉) for an hour or so and use it for these muffins, pumpkin overnight oats and pumpkin smoothies.
Can you used canned pumpkin puree in this recipe? Yes. Replace the cooked pumpkin with 1 cup (250g) plain pumpkin purée. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices. No other changes to the recipe are needed.
Whole wheat flour. Known as wholemeal flour here, it is available in most grocery stores. Nothing fancy here.
Olive oil. I use olive oil instead but have used neutral flavoured oils too. It's up to your preference. Avocado oil does change the flavour of the recipe slightly leaving an aftertaste.
Raw sugar. I use raw granulated sugar and caster sugar in all of my cooking. Brown sugar is a popular choice in pumpkin-inspired recipes but I don't think this recipe needs it. Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added so if I can get away with using raw sugar, I do.
Vanilla extract. Add another layer of warmth and depth.
Pumpkin spices. The recipe using cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice. If you have a pumpkin spice mix, you could use that too.
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Fresh Pumpkin (Step-by-Step Guide)
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Steps 1 and 2.
Combine your wet ingredients in a bowl (or blender jug) and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Step 3.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (I am sorry, I didn't take a photo of this) and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Don't overwork your batter, just stir until all the flour is incorporated into the batter.
Step 4.
Spoon the batter evenly between the lined muffin tray moulds and pop into a pre-heated oven (170℃, 340℉)
How To Store Pumpkin Muffins
On the counter: I cooler climates, you can wait for the muffins to cool and transfer them to the kitchen counter in an airtight container for up to 5-days.
In the fridge: In warmer weather, cool muffins before transferring them to a sealed container to store in the fridge for up to 5-days.
In the freezer: Allow the muffins to cool before popping them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and in the freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours or warm in the microwave for 20–30 seconds before serving. Toppings may soften slightly after freezing.
FAQs
These pumpkin muffins are made with whole flour, so they are not gluten-free. Texanerin Baking has a gluten-free pumpkin muffin recipe although it contains eggs, so you may need to play around with substitutes.
You can use neutral flavoured oils in muffins and they will work the same way as olive oil.
Your muffins are done when they have a lovely domed top and a skewer comes away mostly cleanly from the centre of the muffin.
Pumpkin muffins freeze beautifully. Allow the muffins to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours or warm in the microwave for 20–30 seconds before serving. Toppings such as seeds to nuts may soften slightly after freezing.
Yes. Replace the cooked pumpkin with 1 cup (250g) plain pumpkin purée. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices. No other changes to the recipe are needed.
I have tested these pumpkin muffins with a ¼-cup less sugar and they worked out great. They were a little denser, but still had a great dome and were delicious.
Usually, muffins fail to rise due to out-of-date baking powder, wrong oven temperature or overworking the batter. Baking powder is best used within 6-months of purchasing, a thermometer will help set oven temps accurately and stir the batter just until all the flour is incorporated and then stop.
More Plant-based Baking
Sign up to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Insta for all the latest news. If you like this recipe, please check out my cookbook "Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family" It's full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.
Make This Recipe
Pumpkin Muffins (Whole Wheat + Vegan)
Equipment
- 1 immersion blender or stand blender
- 1 muffin tray twelve mould
- muffin liners
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 375 g whole wheat flour 375g (wholemeal flour)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon all-spice ground
- ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup cooked pumpkin pressed into cup (see Note 1)
- 1 cup raw sugar 205g - can be reduced to ¾ cup (see Note 2)
- ½ cup olive oil 125ml
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup soy milk or oat milk
Optional toppings
- course sugar for crunch
- pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170℃ (338℉) and line a 12-mould muffin tray. (See Note 3)
- Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl and blend until smooth with an immersion blender. You can do this step in a stand blender also.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl before adding the blended wet ingredients.
- Stir the two until the flour is incorporated. Tip: to make sure I don't over-mix my cakes and muffins, I use a silicon mixing spatula and mix from the bottom (where the flour likes to hide) in an upward motion. This grabs all the hiding flour without overworking the batter.
- Once combined, spoon the batter into the lined baking moulds filling them almost to the top. Sprinkle with course sugar or pumpkin seeds (optional) and bake in the oven for 24-27 minutes, or until they are domed and a skewer comes away from the centre clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to sit for 5-minutes before transferring to a cooling tray. Depending on the climate where you live, store in a sealed container on the kitchen counter or in the fridge for 5-days.
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information is an estimate only and is automatically calculated using online tools. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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