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.
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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
- 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.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl stir the dry ingredients together.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using.
Step 3: Divide the batter evenly between 6 standard size greased muffin cups.
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.
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
The best whole wheat flour to use for muffins is fresh milled flour from soft white wheat, hard white wheat or spelt.
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.
Yes, you can use homemade pumpkin purée, just make sure it is thickened up and not runny.
More Whole Wheat Muffins
📖 Recipe
Low Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) soft white wheat flour whole wheat pastry flour
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice see notes
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup (130 g) canned pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup (60 g) plain greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons (36 g) oil avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon 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 together 1 cup (120 g) soft white wheat flour, ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated cane sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt.
- Add ½ cup (130 g) canned pumpkin purée, ¼ cup (60 g) plain greek yogurt, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons (36 g) oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- 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
Nutrition
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.
Jodi
Today I made 3 dozen of these pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, exactly as recipe was written. They are delicious! My whole family loved them. I printed the recipe, as it will now be on regular rotation! Thank you!!!