Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. Gluten free maple pumpkin steel cut oat breakfast muffins only take a few minutes to prep and bake, making them the perfect portable breakfast for busy mornings! These healthy treats also happen to be gluten free without sacrificing any flavor or texture.
Steel cut oat muffins are some of my most searched items because they’re simple and delicious, but they’re also a great to go breakfast – packed full of nutrients like fiber, potassium & Vitamin A from beta carotene, plus iron too! We love oats during the fall season, but overnight oats , oatmeal cups, and regular pumpkin steel cut oats get old to me after a day or two of eating them in a row. I never get sick of a delicious muffin! There’s no better way to enjoy a flavorful breakfast than by enjoying a delicious an oatmeal recipe, if you ask me.
Why you should make maple pumpkin steel cut oat muffins
If you’re looking for something just as easy as cereal, but far more fulfilling- look no further than these pumpkin steel cut muffins. This high fiber treat is made from oats that have been soaked overnight in almond milk or water to provide extra nutrients including protein! Our bodies can start reaping their benefits after just one serving thanks to this great ingredient list, which includes calcium magnesium iron & more – perfect way top get your day started off right. Plus, it’s pumpkin season and it just wouldn’t be right not to share these delicious muffins for a perfect start of the day.
Reasons to bake these muffins:
-Super simple to make
-Healthy and gluten free, baked with gluten-free steel-cut oats and gluten free flour
-Sweetened with maple syrup and optional brown sugar, coconut sugar, granulated sugar (you can use any sugar of choice)
-Easily adaptable – if you need to remove dairy or want to replace the egg with additional pumpkin or flax eggs
Benefits of pumpkin and these muffins:
I know that muffins contain sugar and flour and other ingredients some may deem as unhealthy, but I choose to see the glass half full and look at all of the amazing benefits these muffins DO have. Pumpkin and steel cut oats are both highly nutritious. Pumpkins are high in beta-carotene, a carotenoid that can be turned into vitamin A by your body.
Pumpkin’s antioxidants include alpha-carotene which neutralize free radicals before they cause damage to cells.
Steel cut oats are more nutritious and has a higher level of fiber than traditional rolled oats. It’s also an excellent source for alpha-amylase, which can help with digestion!
So, I feel really great about baking these muffins!
Additional toppings / optional ingredients:
Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, quick oats, old fashioned oats, raisins, cocoa nibs.
Tips for baking these muffins:
It is important that you use steel cut oats and not instant oats in this recipe, and follow as directed. The texture of the steel cut oats and rolled oats is different.
Soak your steel cut oats overnight in water or milk before making these delicious, nutritious muffins. This will create a super thick batter and result in a higher rise than they would without soaking! No dry bites here either – it’s all about the texture with this one 😉
These muffins taste even better the next day ! Bake them the day before you want to enjoy them as a healthy breakfast, if you have the time.
Ingredients needed to bake these maple pumpkin steel cut oat breakfast muffins:
- unsalted butter
- steel cut oats
- pumpkin puree
- milk or water
- 1 large egg
- pure vanilla extract
- maple syrup
- gluten-free flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- ground pumpkin pie spice
- salt
-See quantities in recipe card!
How to make maple pumpkin steel cut oat breakfast muffins
1. Cover your steel-cut oats with water or milk and let them soak overnight in your refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 218°C / 425°F
3. Prepare your muffin tin or muffin cups by setting cupcake liners.
4. Melt your butter
5. While your butter is melting, combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt) in a large bowl.
6. Pour your melted butter + maple syrup, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and soaked oats in with your dry ingredients. Your oats should have absorbed your milk or water. If not, strain the soaked oats from the milk or water it was soaked in and add it only your oats. Combine all ingredients until well combined.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop your muffin batter into your lined muffin pan. The batter should reach the top of the liner. If desired, add old fashioned oats on top for garnish. for more texture.
8. Bake for 8 minutes at 218°C / 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 177°C 350°F . Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Let muffins cool for at least 10 minutes.
Other healthy pumpkin recipes:
Maple pumpkin steel cut oat breakfast muffins
Ingredients
- wet ingredients
- 115 g ½ cup unsalted butter
- 112 grams 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 240 ml 1 cup milk or water
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 120 ml ½ cup maple syrup
- dry ingredients
- 80 g - 1 cup steel cut oats
- 156 g - 1 and ¼ cups gluten-free flour (or all purpose if you desire!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1. Cover your steel-cut oats with water or milk and let them soak overnight in your refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 218°C / 425°F
3. Prepare your muffin tin or muffin cups by setting cupcake liners.
4. Melt your butter
5. While your butter is melting, combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt) in a large bowl.
6. Pour your melted butter + maple syrup, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and soaked oats in with your dry ingredients. Your oats should have absorbed your milk or water. If not, strain the soaked oats from the milk or water it was soaked in and add it only your oats. Combine all ingredients until well combined.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop your muffin batter into your lined muffin pan. The batter should reach the top of the liner. If desired, add old fashioned oats on top for garnish. for more texture.
8. Bake for 8 minutes at 218°C / 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 177°C 350°F . Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Let muffins cool for at least 10 minutes.
DigDug says
These were so yummy! My husband was trying to add more steel cut oats into his diet but it took too long to make it every morning, so I was trying to find a way for him to not have to make it. I was grateful to find this recipe. I didn’t have liners, so was nervous, but I greased the muffin cups and was able to tap them out. I subbed out swerve + water for the maple syrup and it turned out great. They aren’t too sweet and are so fluffy. The oats are still chewy, but I think that might just be how the SC oats are? I think next time I will add in walnuts for more texture. I’m going to have one this morning with vegan cream cheese!
sarah says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this thoughtful comment. The addition of walnuts for texture sounds truly superb. They still do have a bit of a nutty crunch depending on the brand we use, but we quite like it. I am happy you did too! Very best, xo Sarah
Jes says
Baked these last week. I was confused by the amount of “1/2 cut pumpkin puree” listed in the ingredients, since all the other ingredients are listed by weight or volume. I gambled and made the batter using 1/2 of a 425 g can of pumpkin puree (~212 g). Muffins came out quite tasty, but if you could please provide some clarification as to the weight or volume of “1/2 cut pumpkin puree”, I would be very appreciative.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
sarah says
You’re so right about that Jes! That does seem confusing. Thanks so much for bringing that to my attention. I’m going to test the recipe with both 1/2 can pumpkin puree and 1/2 a cup because now I don’t know what yielded the best results for us. Thanks so much and I’ll update accordingly!
Cassandra says
Mine weren’t muffins they completely fell apart. A little disappointing.
I used coconut flour and followed as instructed. The taste is good so is there something I should change to make them more like a muffin? Mine are all crumbly
sarah says
Hey Cassandra, Im so sorry that happened. I’m sure that was so disappointing! The recipe calls for gluten free flour, which is not the same as coconut flour. Coconut flour is a type of gluten free flour, but contains no gluten and is not a 1:1 replacement for gluten free flour. If you need something without any grains, a good 1:1 replacement is “paleo flour” by Bobs Red Mill. I hope this helps!
With love, Sarah