Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Oats – Moist & Easy

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Moist pumpkin muffins with oats, quark and chocolate – an easy fall recipe for baking with kids and a delicious idea for the lunchbox. The muffins are made with pumpkin purée, sweetened with maple syrup and are wonderfully moist. Perfect for a little snack at school, an afternoon snack or a cozy fall day with the Minis!

When fall begins, it’s not only our decorations that become more autumnal – my Minis’ lunchboxes also get a little fall update. And since muffins are always a hit with my Minis, this time we’re combining two favorites: pumpkin + muffins = pumpkin muffins!

This time, however, I didn’t want to bake classic sweet pumpkin muffins, but rather a version that also works wonderfully as a healthy snack for school. That’s why our pumpkin muffins contain pumpkin purée, ground oats and low-fat quark, among other ingredients. They are sweetened with a little maple syrup – and because a little chocolate makes almost every recipe even better, a few dark chocolate chips naturally have to go into the batter as well. That makes them perfect as a snack for school.

The result is wonderfully moist pumpkin muffins that taste deliciously of cinnamon and fall and went straight into my Minis’ lunchboxes. And the best part: the batter is quick to mix together. This also makes these muffins a great recipe if your Minis want to help with the baking or would like to try making the recipe on their own.

Why We Love These Pumpkin Muffins

These little fall muffins have earned a place in our recipe collection for several reasons:

• they are made with pumpkin purée and oats,
• low-fat quark makes them wonderfully moist and high in protein,
• they are sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar,
• cinnamon and nutmeg give them a wonderful fall flavor,
• little pieces of chocolate make them especially delicious for my Minis,
• they are easy to prepare ahead and take with you, and
• they fit perfectly into a lunchbox for school or kindergarten.

And as an added bonus, this recipe is a wonderful way to use up any leftover pumpkin purée.

Recipe for Moist Pumpkin Muffins with Oats

Of course, the Minis can once again lend a helping hand with this recipe: even while weighing the ingredients, children are introduced to quantities and numbers in a playful way. When pouring, stirring and dividing the muffin batter, they can practice their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. I also especially like it when the Minis are gradually able to take over individual steps on their own.

With these pumpkin muffins, children can, for example:

• weigh the ingredients,
• mix the dry ingredients together,
• crack the eggs,
• stir the batter,
• fold in the chocolate chips, and
• divide the muffin batter between the muffin cases.

And when it comes to sneaking a few chocolate chips, motivation is usually pretty high at the very latest.

 

Ingredients

• 120 g pumpkin purée
• 120 g low-fat quark
• 40 g maple syrup
• 2 eggs (L)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 g ground oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch of salt
• 60 ml milk
• 50 g dark chocolate chips

Baking accessories

Mixing bowl, small bowl, kitchen scales, measuring cup, whisk, muffin tin and paper muffin cases, tablespoon, teaspoon, cooling rack.

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F and place the muffin cases into the cups of the muffin tin.
• Combine the pumpkin purée, low-fat quark, maple syrup, eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
• Mix the ground oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl. Add them to the wet ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Use a tablespoon to divide the muffin batter evenly between the muffin cases. Fill each case about ¾ full.
• Bake the pumpkin muffins for approximately 20 minutes. Since every oven bakes differently, use a skewer to check that the muffins are completely baked through.
• Leave the baked pumpkin muffins to cool on a cooling rack and then enjoy!

Preparation in pictures

Which Pumpkin Is Best for Pumpkin Muffins?

For sweet pumpkin recipes, I particularly like using Hokkaido pumpkin. It has a pleasantly mild, slightly nutty flavor and can easily be turned into pumpkin purée. Butternut squash is also generally suitable for sweet baking recipes.

The most important thing for this recipe is that you use pumpkin purée rather than simply grated pumpkin. The purée is distributed evenly throughout the batter and helps make our muffins wonderfully moist.

How to Make Pumpkin Purée for the Muffins

You can easily make pumpkin purée yourself: simply cook the pumpkin until soft and then blend it until smooth. The purée should be nice and creamy and not too watery.

Mini Tip: If you’re preparing pumpkin anyway, make a little extra pumpkin purée at the same time. You can use some for the muffins and store the rest in portions for other pumpkin recipes. This will save you plenty of time the next time you bake.

Why Are These Pumpkin Muffins So Moist?

Pumpkin purée and low-fat quark give the muffins their wonderfully moist texture. Because we use ground oats instead of traditional wheat flour in this recipe, the texture is slightly different from that of a classic, very fluffy muffin made with a simple cake batter. But that is exactly what we particularly like about these pumpkin muffins: they are moist, filling and still wonderfully easy to handle – perfect for on the go and for the lunchbox.

Pumpkin Muffins for the Lunchbox

For me, muffins are one of the most practical ways to add something homemade to a school lunchbox. They are already portioned, easy to transport and can be prepared wonderfully in advance.

That’s why our pumpkin muffins don’t just taste delicious fresh from the oven – they also regularly find their way into our lunchboxes the next morning. For example, I combine them with fresh fruit or vegetables and – depending on what else goes into the lunchbox – a small savory snack. This makes the pumpkin muffin an easy addition to a varied school lunch.

Can You Make the Pumpkin Muffins Ahead of Time?

Yes! That’s exactly why I love recipes like this for the lunchbox. You can bake the pumpkin muffins the day before and, once they have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. That means there’s no major baking session needed in the morning – after all, there’s already enough going on in our house before school, and it’s definitely not the right time to start up the oven.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Muffins?

Muffins are also wonderful for freezing. First, let them cool completely and then freeze them well wrapped. For lunchboxes, it’s especially practical to freeze the muffins individually. That way, you can always take exactly the number of muffins you need out of the freezer.

This makes these pumpkin muffins with oats perfect for a little lunchbox meal prep.

Conclusion: Our Pumpkin Muffins – a Delicious Fall Snack for Kids

I love recipes that can easily be incorporated into our everyday family life. And these pumpkin muffins are exactly that kind of recipe.

For me, they combine three things I particularly love:

• baking with my Minis,
• seasonal baking in the fall, and
• an easy snack for the lunchbox.

The pumpkin purée and quark make the muffins wonderfully moist, oats form the base of the batter, and cinnamon and nutmeg provide that typical fall flavor.

And the chocolate chips? According to my Minis, they are of course absolutely essential.

My Minis and I hope you and your Minis have lots of fun baking together and, of course, enjoy your muffins!

Yours, Lia

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Halloween-Baking with kids – Would you also like to have a spooky Halloween baking event with your kids and friends? I've put together great baking highlights for Halloween for you here! From muffin and baking cups to matching edible decorations, you'll find spooky Halloween cake decorations in this list! Have fun browsing!*

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