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    Home » Muffins and Quick breads

    Healthy Low Sugar Pumpkin Muffins with Yogurt

    Published: Sep 16, 2023 by WholeWheatKitchen · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    These healthier low sugar pumpkin muffins are made with whole wheat pastry flour (soft white wheat) and yogurt. They are soft, moist and filled with the flavors of fall, and you only need one bowl.

    A pumpkin muffin with a bite taken out of it sitting on a muffin tray.
    Jump to:
    • What's Cool About This Recipe
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Instruction Photos
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage
    • How to Freeze
    • Tips From Our Kitchen
    • FAQ
    • More Whole Wheat Muffins
    • 📖 Recipe

    These easy low sugar pumpkin muffins are perfect for people who like to enjoy a sweet treat but don’t like them to be too sweet. These muffins will be on our fall baking list every year.

    As with most of our muffin recipes, these muffins are super easy to make in one bowl. Some of our other one bowl whole wheat muffins and bars are these moist carrot cake muffins, zucchini bars and blueberry applesauce muffins.

    When we began our healthier baking journey, one of the things we did besides using fresh whole wheat flour, was to lower the amount of sugar in our baked goods.

    You will find most of our recipes to be lower sugar, but some in particular are our low sugar pumpkin bread, low sugar no bake cookies, low sugar apple crisp and low sugar ice cream.

    What's Cool About This Recipe

    • Low sugar: There is much less sugar in these muffins than you will find in traditional muffins. 
    • Small batch: This muffin recipe makes 6 regular size muffins. It is perfect for using up leftover pumpkin from other baking projects. 
    • Whole grain: These muffins are made with 100% whole wheat flour.
    • Healthier: Because these muffins are made with reduced sugar and whole grains, they make a great grab and go breakfast or snack.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    Ingredients for low sugar pumpkin muffins in original containers on a tray.
    • Whole wheat flour: We use whole wheat flour milled from soft white wheat (whole wheat pastry flour), hard white wheat or spelt. 
    • Pumpkin pie spice: We like the convenience of using pumpkin pie spice, but you can also use a combo of Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and Allspice.
    • Baking soda
    • Salt
    • Canned pumpkin: Make sure you use pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. 
    • Organic cane sugar: We haven’t tried any other sugar, but coconut sugar or brown sugar should work just fine.
    • Plain greek yogurt: We use unsweetened and unflavored greek yogurt. Plain whole milk yogurt or sour cream will also work.
    • Egg
    • Oil: We usually use avocado oil or olive oil.
    • Vanilla
    • Ad-in’s: These are optional but you can add chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter or sprinkle the tops with pumpkin seeds.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Variations

    • You can bake this recipe in mini loaf pans. It will make 2 mini loaves (5x3x2). Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
    • Add mini chocolate chips to the batter and bake into mini muffins. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. Will make approximately 18-24 mini muffins. 

    Instruction Photos

    Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.

    Stirring flour and spices in a bowl.

    Step 1: In a large mixing bowl stir the dry ingredients together.

    Pumpkin muffin batter in a bowl.

    Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using.

    Pumpkin muffin batter in a muffin tin.

    Step 3: Divide the batter evenly between 6 standard size greased muffin cups.

    Baked pumpkin muffins in a muffin tin.

    Step 4: Bake at 400°F for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

    Tip: To remove stubborn muffins from the cups, let the muffins sit in the cups for 5-10 minutes. Turn the muffin tin on its side with the muffins facing away from you, and gently tap it on the cupboard. Turn it once and tap again, tap all four sides until the muffins release from the tin.

    Serving Suggestions

    Muffins are a popular breakfast food in our family, we usually serve them with something else. Some ways we like to eat them are.

    • Warm with butter or honey butter
    • With breakfast cereal
    • Serve with a side of scrambled or boiled eggs.
    • Frost the top with low sugar cream cheese frosting or whipped cream for a healthy pumpkin loaf cake.
    Pumpkin muffins on a towel.

    Storage

    Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

    Tip: Place a paper towel in the container with the muffins to soak up excess moisture and keep the muffins from going sticky.

    How to Freeze

    Wrap individual muffins (make sure they are cooled completely) in a few layers of plastic wrap and place in a resealable bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

    Tips From Our Kitchen

    For best results we recommend using fresh, fine ground flour.

    Double the recipe if you want 12 muffins.

    FAQ

    What is the best whole wheat flour to use for muffins?

    The best whole wheat flour to use for muffins is fresh milled flour from soft white wheat, hard white wheat or spelt. 

    Do pumpkin muffins need to be refrigerated?

    No, pumpkin muffins do not need to be refrigerated, although it won’t hurt them and they will last a little longer than at room temperature. 

    Can I use homemade pumpkin purée in pumpkin muffins?

    Yes, you can use homemade pumpkin purée, just make sure it is thickened up and not runny.

    More Whole Wheat Muffins

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      Healthy Whole Wheat Peach Muffins
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      Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins
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      The Best Moist Carrot Cake Muffins (made healthier)
    • Blueberry muffins sitting around on the cupboard.
      Best Ever Whole Grain Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

    📖 Recipe

    A pumpkin muffins sitting on top of a muffin tin.

    Low Sugar Pumpkin Muffins

    Do you need the perfect pumpkin muffins for your fall baking list? These are moist, perfectly spiced and super easy to make.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 muffins
    Calories: 206kcal
    Author: Jessica and Merissa
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    Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Whisk
    • Muffin tin

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (120 grams) Soft white wheat flour whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 teaspoons (5 grams) Pumpkin pie spice see notes
    • ½ teaspoon (3 grams) Baking soda
    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • ½ cup (130 grams) Canned pumpkin purée
    • ⅓ cup (70 grams) Organic cane sugar
    • ¼ cup (64 grams) Plain greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt
    • 1 large (55 grams) Egg
    • 3 tablespoons (36 grams) Oil avocado oil or olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) Vanilla extract
    • ⅓ cup Chocolate chips or chopped nuts optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the center or upper third position.
    • In a large mixing bowl stir the dry ingredients together.
      1 cup (120 grams) Soft white wheat flour, 2 teaspoons (5 grams) Pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) Baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • Add the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
      ½ cup (130 grams) Canned pumpkin purée, ⅓ cup (70 grams) Organic cane sugar, ¼ cup (64 grams) Plain greek yogurt, 1 large (55 grams) Egg, 3 tablespoons (36 grams) Oil, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) Vanilla extract
    • Fold in the chocolate chips or nuts if using.
      ⅓ cup Chocolate chips or chopped nuts
    • Divide the batter evenly between 6 standard size greased muffin cups.
    • Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
    • Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

    Notes

    You can use hard white wheat flour instead of soft white wheat flour.
    If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.4g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8.8g | Cholesterol: 32.5mg | Sodium: 170.8mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 12.4g | Vitamin A: 172.5IU
    Tried this recipe?Mention us @wholewheat_kitchen
    Course Breads, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American

    We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.

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    Hi, we're Jessica and Merissa. We are here to share recipes and teach people how to bake more nutritious breads and goodies by using whole wheat flour.

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