Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins are soft and fluffy with pumpkin spice, peanut butter and dark chocolate chips. They’re easy to make and dairy-free with a vegan option included in the recipe!

I love baking with pumpkin year round, but I definitely kick it up a notch this time of year.

In my defence (and yours too probably), we really have no choice but to go all in on pumpkin. Once you open a can of pure pumpkin, you need to use it within a few days, and the cans usually contain enough pumpkin for 2-3 recipes!

So, after making a pumpkin bundt cake and some pumpkin spice rice krispie treats, I had enough left to test these whole wheat pumpkin muffins. They’re a riff on these spelt banana muffins, but with a few obvious substitutions like whole wheat flour and pumpkin.

I’ve been enjoying these for breakfast with a generous smear of peanut butter, but you can enjoy them on their own or warm out of the oven with all the melty chocolate chips!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Super easy to make. There’s no electric mixer required. Just a few bowls, a whisk and a spatula.
• Great for meal prep. You can enjoy them for a quick breakfast or snack, and they stay moist and fluffy stored at room temperature for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
• Dairy-free with vegan option. There’s no dairy in this recipe, and you can substitute a flax egg to make the muffins vegan.

Details on a few ingredients

Pumpkin – You’ll want to use pure pumpkin for these muffins. This can also be called pumpkin puree. Make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling which is already sweetened and flavoured with spices. 

Banana – To add some natural sweetness without an overpowering banana flavour, you’ll need 1/2 a cup of mashed banana.

Pumpkin spice – These muffins are generously flavoured with 4 teaspoons of pumpkin spice. I normally make this homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe, but you can also buy it this time of year.

Peanut butter – I love the combo of pumpkin and peanut butter, but if it’s not for you, don’t worry. There’s just a hint of peanut butter in these muffins. You can also substitute almond butter if you prefer.

Whole wheat flour – Of course, whole wheat muffins need whole wheat flour! You’ll need 1 3/4 cups to make these muffins.

How to make whole wheat pumpkin muffins

In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.

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Stir in the chocolate chips and divide the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin pan.

Bake on 425F for 15-17 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Key recipe tips

• Measure the flour correctly. You’ll want to measure your flour using the spoon and level method. If you measure your flour by scooping it out of your flour container, it’ll be packed and you’ll end up with too much for the recipe.
• Dark pans vs light. I made these muffins in a lighter coloured pan. If you use a darker muffin pan, it may brown the bottom of your muffins a little quicker.
• Filling the muffin pan. You want to fill the muffin cups almost to the top so the muffins rise into a dome. Make sure you grease your muffin pan well for easy release or use muffin liners.
• Room temperature ingredients. Since natural peanut butter is stored in the fridge, you’ll want to bring it to room temperature so it mixes easily with the other wet ingredients. I also like to bring my egg and almond milk to room temperature.
• Mixing the batter. Just stir the wet and dry ingredients together until incorporated. If you over mix, your muffins may turn out dense and chewy.

Recipe substitutions and variations

• Another type of nut milk or dairy milk can be substituted for the almond milk.
• In place of coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar.
• Almond butter can be used instead of peanut butter.
• Replace the chocolate chips with chopped pecans or walnuts.

Can these muffins be made with another type of flour?

I’ve only tested this recipe using whole wheat flour but spelt flour will likely work too. While I sometimes substitute white for whole wheat flour in muffin recipes, a 1:1 substitution doesn’t always work, especially when using larger quantities of flour. White flour isn’t as absorbent as whole wheat, so if you use it, you will need to reduce the quantity of wet ingredients used.

Can these muffins be made vegan?

Can pumpkin pie filling be used instead of pumpkin puree?

Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added, so be sure to use pumpkin puree (or pure pumpkin). If you use pumpkin pie filling, it will result in muffins that are much sweeter and spicier. It may also affect the texture of the muffins.

Storage and freezing instructions

What can I do with leftover pumpkin puree?

Other muffin recipes to try

• Apple Spice Muffins
• Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
• Partridgeberry Muffins
• Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins
• Coconut Mango Muffins
• Raspberry Lemon Muffins
• Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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