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Walnut-topped pumpkin oatmeal muffins cooling in daylight.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins (Easy With Greek Yogurt)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Author: Nico Pallotta

  • 1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz / 425 g can – not pumpkin pie filling
  • ½ cup (120 g) Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil or canola, avocado, or light olive oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup (100 g) rolled oats
  • 1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons (12 g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg + optional ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (70 g) raisins optional – or dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts optional – or pecans, for topping

  • Mix wet ingredients: Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin pan or spray muffin liners with oil.
    In a large bowl, whisk 1 can pumpkin puree, ½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
    Step 1 Pumpkin puree, yogurt, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla whisked until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients: Add 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir with a spoon until just combined. Don't over-mix!
    Fold in ½ cup raisins if using.
    Step 2 Rolled oats, flour, and spices stirred into thick pumpkin muffin batter.
  • Fill the muffin pan: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. It's okay if they're quite full.
    Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top and add a little brown sugar if you like.
    Step 3 Twelve muffin cups filled with pumpkin batter and topped with chopped walnuts.
  • Bake and cool: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 25-28 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
    Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. They'll firm up as they cool.
    Step 4 Baked muffins with golden walnut tops cooling in a muffin pan.
Substitutions
  • Pumpkin puree → Thick homemade pumpkin puree. Avoid pumpkin pie filling.
  • Greek yogurt → Low-fat Greek yogurt or Skyr for more protein.
  • Brown sugar → Coconut sugar.
  • Vegetable oil → Canola, avocado, or light olive oil.
  • Egg → Flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes). Muffins will be denser.
  • Vanilla extract → Maple extract.
  • Rolled oats → Quick oats for a softer texture.
  • All-purpose flour → Replace half with whole wheat flour.
  • Baking powder and baking soda → Best not omitted.
  • Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves → 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice.
  • Salt → Fine sea salt or table salt.
  • Raisins → Chocolate chips or dried cranberries.
  • Walnuts → Pecans or pumpkin seeds for a crunchy topping.
 
Tips
  • Use pure pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Don't skip the oil: A little keeps muffins tender and brings out the warm spices.
  • Choose rolled oats: They add a hearty bite. Quick oats make softer muffins.
  • Use thick Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt or Skyr works best. Regular yogurt can make the batter too wet.
  • Don't overmix: Stir just until the flour disappears to keep muffins tender.
  • Expect thick batter: Don't thin it with milk or water.
  • Don't overbake: Check at 26 minutes. A toothpick should have a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
  • Cool completely: Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to let the centers set.
  • Serve slightly warm: A few seconds in the microwave brings back their softness.
  • Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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