Try these whole grain pumpkin blueberry muffins and see why pumpkin and blueberry just belong together. Try it!

We’re just going to ignore the fact that I’m talking about a pumpkin recipe in May and pretend that it’s a thing, ok? Great.

I’ve always been a little sad for pumpkin that it gets relegated to bottom level grocery store shelves and virtually forgotten (dare I say, blacklisted) for nine months out of the year.

A blueberry pumpkin muffin on a white muffin liner.

Admittedly, I’m kind of a closet pumpkin baker throughout the less popular pumpkin seasons. I don’t really broadcast about those days I make pumpkin chocolate chip bread in May or pumpkin pancakes in July. But it happens. Often.

Pumpkin is a very favorite flavor of mine and I guess I want to come clean about loving it all year round (I know some of you will have my back on this one since I kind of outed myself on Instagram about it last week).

I feel lighter already. We better move on before I start confessing all sorts of things to free my soul.

Blueberry pumpkin muffins in white liners on a cooling rack.

Not only are we going there with pumpkin in May but we’re also throwing blueberries into the mix. Blueberries and pumpkin. Pumpkin and blueberries.

It’s not your every day, totally-last-summer combination (at least it’s new for me) but it really works. These whole grain muffins are fluffy and soft and the juicy bits of blueberry compliment the pumpkin flavor quite nicely.

Simple to make, they even taste better a few hours (or the next day) after baking which is usually the case with pumpkin baked goods.

I mean, I don’t want to sound all bossy, but I should know since I keep my pantry stocked with pumpkin puree year round. Adding a tasty, nutritious muffin to your repertoire is never a bad thing.

Try these; I’m dying to know what you think of the pumpkin + blueberry combo. It’s a winner in my book.

A blueberry pumpkin muffin with a bite taken out on a white liner.

One Year Ago: My Favorite Breakfast Smoothie
Two Years Ago: Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dipping Sauce
Three Years Ago: Blueberry Coconut Cake with Lemon Sauce

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Whole Wheat Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins

4.58 stars (26 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅔ cups (237 g) whole wheat flour (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • ¼ cup buttermilk (see note)
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted
  • ¾ cup (159 g) brown sugar (see note)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, buttermilk, coconut oil (or butter), brown sugar and egg until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the center of the wet mixture and toss the blueberries right on top of the flour mixture.
  • Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together gently but quickly until just combined (over mixing might cause the muffins to be dense instead of light and fluffy). It’s ok if the batter is slightly lumpy; it will be thick.
  • Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners (lightly grease the paper liners, if using). Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the tin and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Notes

Flour: my preference when using whole wheat flour in baking recipes is to use the hard white wheat variety. Any whole wheat flour can be used but red wheat will make the muffins slightly more dense and hearty. All-purpose flour could be subbed for the whole wheat, if needed.
Buttermilk: you could try using yogurt or sour cream in place of the buttermilk but I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how it would work. Making your own buttermilk is really easy if you don’t keep it on hand. If you buy/make milk kefir, I’ve made these muffins using that instead of buttermilk, also, and it works great.
Sugar: also, these were deliciously and lightly sweet with the 3/4 cup brown sugar. You could certainly try cutting back the sugar even more or subbing in honey or another type of sweetener – have fun experimenting!
Serving: 1 Muffin, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 204mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 16g
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Recipe Source: slightly adapted from a recipe sent to me by a longtime reader, Lindsey R (thanks, Lindsey!) – added nutmeg, cut down on the sugar and oil a bit