What better way to enter the fall season than with these warm, aromatic, spiced pumpkin muffins? Beautiful orange pumpkin with bits of red cranberry and brown oats are combined into a delicious baked good. Enjoying one of these muffins is how I love to start my autumn mornings alongside my coffee. The kids love them, too.
Part pumpkin pie, part oatmeal, and all delicious, they're an easy way to warm up with something great to eat. This muffin recipe is not only delicious but satisfying (I think you'd also love my orange chocolate chip muffins).
Here I'll cover how to make them from scratch, loaded with fresh ingredients and spice that would feel like an autumn indulgence even in the dead of winter (though you could certainly enjoy these whenever you like). Let's get making these pumpkin cranberry muffins!
Ingredients & Tools
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup pumpkin purée - canned or fresh*
- ½ cup oats
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- Silicone muffin mold or muffin pan with liners
- Mixing bowl
*If you are making your own fresh pumpkin purée, follow step 1 below (otherwise skip to step 2):
- To make your own purée you will need 1 pumpkin - peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins
Step #1. Prepare Pumpkin Purée (Optional)
Heat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the chopped pumpkin pieces out onto a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake the pumpkin for 1 hour, until soft. Using a blender, purée the pumpkin until smooth.
You will only need 1 cup of the purée for this recipe. The remaining pumpkin can be frozen for later use for up to 3 months.
Step #2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.
Step #3. Add the Wet Ingredients
Add the eggs, oil and pumpkin purée to the dry ingredients.
Step #4. Add Oats & Cranberries
Add the oats and cranberries and mix well.
Step #5. Bake the Pumpkin Muffins
You can either grease individual muffin silicone cups or place muffin liners in a muffin pan and scoop the batter in. Sprinkle some more oats and cranberries on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
Step #6. Serve
Let them cool for a few minutes and serve. They taste great when served warm with some butter.
Recipe Tweaks
There are a ton of different ways you can change up these muffins to your particular taste.
- Swap the cranberries for another dried fruit like blueberries or raisins.
- Add some chocolate for some extra sweetness.
- Toss in some chopped or puréed apples for a bit more complexity in flavor or to take some apple pie inspiration.
- Add some chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- Maybe even experiment with adding bits of goat cheese. The combination is amazing in my cranberry goat cheese shots, and might even work in this recipe.
- Experiment away and see what might happen.
Storage
- They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days but they will become dry over time this way.
- I like to freeze my muffins and pull them out for breakfast. They taste great warmed up in the microwave straight from frozen, cut open and served with butter.
- To store in the freezer, let them cool completely, transfer them to a freezer bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months for best quality.
I hope you enjoyed these oatmeal and cranberry pumpkin muffins, fresh out of the oven. Let me know what you thought in the comments and please share the recipe!
Do you enjoy baking with oats? Find out the difference between Steel Cut Oats VS Rolled Oats.
Looking to further enhance your cooking skills? Check out...How to Make Apple Crisp
📋Recipe
Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Muffins:
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup pumpkin purée - canned or fresh
- ½ cup oats
- 1 cup dried cranberries
For the Pumpkin Purée - Optional (if making from scratch)
- 1 pumpkin - peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Purée (Optional Step):
- Heat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the chopped pumpkin pieces out onto a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake the pumpkin for 1 hour, until soft. Using a blender, purée the pumpkin until smooth. (You will only need 1 cup of the purée for this recipe. The remaining pumpkin can be frozen for later use for up to 3 months.)1 pumpkin
Pumpkin Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.2 cups flour, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix, 1 pinch salt
- Add the eggs, oil and pumpkin purée to the dry ingredients.2 eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup pumpkin purée
- Add the oats and cranberries and mix well.½ cup oats, 1 cup dried cranberries
- You can either grease individual muffin silicone cups or place muffin liners in a muffin pan and scoop the batter in. Sprinkle some more oats and cranberries on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out dry. Let cool.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- They can be left out at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
- I like to freeze mine and pull them out for breakfast. They taste great warmed up in the microwave, cut open and served with butter.
- To store in the freezer, let them cool completely, transfer them to a freezer bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months for best quality.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Leave a Reply