I’m sharing my Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins, made with simple baking ingredients, real pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and a buttery streusel, so they’re an easy grab and go breakfast or snack throughout pumpkin season.

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I love how these Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins sneak canned pumpkin puree into your morning without making it feel like dessert. They’re soft, quietly spiced with pumpkin pie spice, and the old fashioned rolled oats add a little chew that keeps you curious about the next bite.

I started calling them Pumpkin Oat Muffins Easy because they actually behave when mornings are chaotic, and they double as Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins on those too busy days. I messed up my first batch, used too much liquid and still they turned out good, so you wont be afraid to try them.

Ingredients

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Old fashioned oats: adds chewy texture, fiber for digestion, slow carbs, keeps you full longer
Milk: protein and calcium, adds moisture, makes muffins tender and richer
All purpose flour: backbone of crumb, mostly carbs, gives structure and light chew
Pumpkin puree: lots of vitamin A, moistness and subtle sweetness, earthy flavor
Brown sugar: adds caramel like sweetness, a bit of moisture, helps browning
Eggs: bind ingredients, add protein and lift, make muffins soft and tender
Cold butter for streusel: creates crumbly topping, adds richness, little salt balances sweetness

Ingredient Quantities

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup milk (whole or whatever you’ve got)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup all-purpose flour for streusel

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar for streusel

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats for streusel

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (for streusel)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for streusel

Pinch of salt for streusel

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups, set it aside.

2. Put 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats in a bowl, pour 1 cup milk over them, stir and let soak about 10 minutes so the oats soften.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, set the dry mix aside.

4. In a large bowl whisk 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter) until smooth, then whisk in 2 large eggs until combined, stir in 1 cup canned pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

5. Add the soaked oats and any leftover milk to the wet mixture and stir to combine, it will be a thick batter.

6. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no big streaks of flour remain, dont overmix or the muffins will get dense.

7. Make the streusel: in a small bowl combine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt; cut in 1/4 cup cold cubed unsalted butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly.

8. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full (you can mound them a bit if you want taller tops) and sprinkle a generous amount of streusel on each muffin, press lightly so it sticks.

9. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, rotate the pan halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly.

10. Let muffins cool in the tin 5 to 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool more; store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer, microwave briefly to reheat.

Equipment Needed

1. 12 cup muffin tin, plus paper liners or a little nonstick spray
2. Small, medium and large mixing bowls (at least 3)
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Whisk and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon
5. Fork or pastry cutter for the streusel
6. Cooling rack
7. Toothpick or cake tester
8. Oven mitts and a timer

FAQ

Q: Can I use quick oats or instant oats instead of old fashioned rolled oats? A: Yeah, you can, but expect a softer, almost cake like crumb. Quick oats soak faster so the texture changes. If you want something closer to the original, pulse quick oats a few times in a blender to make them finer, or just use what the recipe calls for when you got time.

Q: Can I use fresh pumpkin or canned sweet potato instead of canned pumpkin puree? A: Sure. If you use fresh pumpkin roast or steam it until tender then puree and drain off excess water, measure 1 cup after that. Sweet potato works the same. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, its too sweet and spiced already.

Q: Do I have to soak the oats in milk first? A: It's a good idea. Letting the oats sit in milk 10 to 15 minutes makes them tender and stops the muffins from being dry or gritty. You can soak longer or even overnight. If you skip it the muffins will still bake but they'll be chewier.

Q: Any tips for getting the streusel crunchy and not soggy or sinking? A: Use cold butter and rub it into the streusel flour and sugar with your fingers or pulse it in a food processor until crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel on top right before baking. Press it down lightly so it sticks, and don't overload each muffin or the topping can slide off.

Q: Can I make these gluten free or dairy free? A: Yes. Swap a 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend and use certified gluten free oats for GF. For dairy free use plant milk and vegan butter or oil. GF blends sometimes need a touch more liquid so add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk if batter seems too thick.

Q: How should I store and reheat the muffins? A: Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 2 days, refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze cooled muffins wrapped tight for up to 3 months. Reheat from room temp 10 to 20 seconds in the microwave or 10 minutes in a 325 F oven; from frozen wrap in foil and warm in the oven about 15 to 20 minutes.

Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Old-fashioned rolled oats: swap with quick oats 1:1 — they make a softer crumb, or use certified gluten-free oats 1:1 if you need GF. Want oat flour instead? Blitz 1 cup oats into flour and cut about 1/4 cup from the AP flour.
Milk (whole or whatever you’ve got): use unsweetened almond, soy, oat or cashew milk 1:1 for dairy free, or make a quick buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes.
Vegetable oil or melted butter: swap with melted coconut oil 1:1, or go lower-fat with applesauce 1:1 (muffins will be a bit denser and less crisp on top), or use mashed banana 1:1 for extra flavor.
All-purpose flour: sub up to half with whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for nuttier flavor, or use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend to make them GF. If using spelt, use 1:1 but you might want slightly less liquid.

Pro Tips

1) Let the oats soak longer if you want a softer, almost cake-like crumb — 20 to 30 minutes is fine. If you like a little chew though, keep it closer to 10. You can also pulse the soaked oats once or twice in a blender for a smoother batter without losing all texture.

2) Measure flour the easy way: spoon it into the cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and makes dense muffins. And when you mix the batter, fold just until mostly combined, don’t beat it to death.

3) Keep the streusel butter really cold. Use a fork, pastry cutter, or rub with your fingertips fast, then chill the crumb for 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm so it doesn’t melt into the batter and disappear.

4) Watch your oven, every oven bakes different. Rotate the pan once halfway through and if the tops are getting too dark, loosely tent with foil for the last few minutes. Pull them when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, not completely dry.

5) For best storage, cool completely then put in an airtight container with a slice of bread or a paper towel to keep moisture even. Freeze extras wrapped individually and reheat in a 325F oven for a few minutes to crisp the streusel again, or microwave briefly if you’re in a hurry.

Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins Recipe

Recipe by Kate Sinclair

0.0 from 0 votes

I'm sharing my Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins, made with simple baking ingredients, real pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and a buttery streusel, so they're an easy grab and go breakfast or snack throughout pumpkin season.

Servings

servings

Calories

306

kcal

Equipment: 1. 12 cup muffin tin, plus paper liners or a little nonstick spray
2. Small, medium and large mixing bowls (at least 3)
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Whisk and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon
5. Fork or pastry cutter for the streusel
6. Cooling rack
7. Toothpick or cake tester
8. Oven mitts and a timer

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup milk (whole or whatever you've got)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour for streusel
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar for streusel
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats for streusel
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (for streusel)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for streusel
Pinch of salt for streusel

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups, set it aside.
Put 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats in a bowl, pour 1 cup milk over them, stir and let soak about 10 minutes so the oats soften.
In a medium bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, set the dry mix aside.
In a large bowl whisk 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter) until smooth, then whisk in 2 large eggs until combined, stir in 1 cup canned pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Add the soaked oats and any leftover milk to the wet mixture and stir to combine, it will be a thick batter.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no big streaks of flour remain, dont overmix or the muffins will get dense.
Make the streusel: in a small bowl combine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt; cut in 1/4 cup cold cubed unsalted butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full (you can mound them a bit if you want taller tops) and sprinkle a generous amount of streusel on each muffin, press lightly so it sticks.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, rotate the pan halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly.
Let muffins cool in the tin 5 to 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool more; store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer, microwave briefly to reheat.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.