It’s finally cooling down and beginning to feel like fall, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m pretty sure I did a literal jump for joy when I broke out my long sleeved shirts this past weekend, and another when I made hot coffee for the first time since April. I love this time of year.

Of course, food is half the reason I love fall (the other half is sweaters). I can’t wait to go apple picking, bake pies, and put cranberries in everything. But, of course, pumpkin is the real star of the show right now, and these muffins showcase it beautifully.

These Pumpkin Oat Muffins are the perfect breakfast or snack this time of year. They’re chock full of pumpkin and spices, with a tender crumb and a little extra texture from old-fashioned oats. Chocolate chips bring them over the top!

I’m not usually one to have chocolate with breakfast, but I’m making an exception for these. The muffins themselves are lower in sugar than most–the sweet chocolate evens out the flavor and plays beautifully off the pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t want to use chocolate chips, I highly recommend swapping them for an equal volume of toasted chopped pecans.

My favorite thing about this recipe? It’s super easy. It comes together in minutes, and there’s no mixer required! All you’ll need here is a whisk and a silicone spatula. In fact, using a mixer would make these muffins tough. By using some elbow grease and limiting the number of stirs to 20 or less, the gluten in the flour doesn’t develop, leaving us with soft, tender muffins.

But enough shop talk. Put these Pumpkin Oat Muffins on your to-make list this season! Have one or two with your morning coffee, and get your days started right!

Pumpkin Oat Muffins
makes 16 standard muffins

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 12 cup standard muffin tin, or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Stir in light brown and granulated sugars, followed by oil, pumpkin purée, and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients, and whisk no more than 15-20 times to combine. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to fold in oats and chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Repeat baking process with remaining batter, filling any unused muffins cups halfway with water to prevent the pan from warping.

Muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Note:

If you don’t have buttermilk, you may use a combination of regular milk and vinegar. Put one teaspoon of white or apple cider vinegar in a liquid measuring cup, and then fill with milk to the 1/3 cup mark. Let sit five minutes before using as written. Do not use skim or fat-free milk.