Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Muffins

What better way to enter the fall season than with these warm, aromatic, pumpkin spice oatmeal 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 marshmallow latte. The kids love them, too!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Muffins

• flour - All purpose flour works great.
• brown sugar - I like the flavor of brown sugar for fall-flavored muffins.
• pumpkin pie spice mix - Usually consists of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
• vegetable oil - I like to use canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil or avocado oil.
• pumpkin purée - You can either use canned pumpkin purée from the supermarket or fresh purée. I have instructions for both. To make your own purée you will need 1 pumpkin - peeled, seeded and roughly chopped.
• oats - You can use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats.
• cranberries - I use dried rather than fresh.

*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.

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.

How to Make Pumpkin Muffins

Chef's Note: If you are making your own fresh pumpkin purée instead of canned, follow the step below (otherwise skip straight to making the muffins).

For Fresh 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.

For the Muffins

Step #1. Mix the Dry Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.

Step #2. Add the Wet Ingredients. Add the eggs, oil and pumpkin purée to the dry ingredients and combine.

Step #5. Serve. Let them cool for a few minutes and serve the pumpkin spice oatmeal muffins. They taste great when served warm with some butter.

Tips For Success

• Sweeten with Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a deeper, caramel-like flavor that is perfect for Autumn, plus extra moisture.
• Use Pure Pumpkin Purée: Opt for 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices.
• Don't Overmix the Batter: Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Cool Properly: Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Storage & Reheating

• Room Temperature: 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.
• Freezer: 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.
• Reheat: 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.

More Fall Treats to Enjoy