Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin Recipe

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This whole wheat pumpkin spice latte muffin recipe is reminiscent of your favorite fall drink. Great for an on-the-go breakfast or enjoy it as an afternoon snack.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin Recipe

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin Recipe

Inspiration can come in the strangest places. Such as the drive-thru line at Starbucks. Okay, that’s not quite as romantic or whimsical as a wildflower-strewn meadow or the foot of the Eiffel Tower. But hey, this is real life. So, when I’m rushing between work and the kids’ school, stopping en route for a quick afternoon pick-me-up, the Starbucks menu is all I’ve got.

It’s hard to ignore a 3-foot tall picture of a steaming pumpkin spice latte, so I did what any logical person would do (ahem). I stole those flavors and turned them into a muffin recipe.

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and, of course, pumpkin and espresso. That’s a lot to stuff into one little pumpkin spice latte muffin. The spices were easy enough and, for once, I was thankful for the multitude of spice bottles, lying askew in my pantry. The pumpkin? Well, I cheated and used the canned version. Just plain pumpkin, please – not pumpkin pie mix.

As for the espresso…well, I could easily have asked for an extra shot at Starbucks, but decided to save my wallet $2.05 by using some of the instant espresso powder in my stash of baking supplies. It’s also fantastic for chocolate cakes, adding a depth of flavor with just a couple of teaspoons, without turning it into a mocha cake.

In keeping with all-things-healthy-and-light (you remember the blasphemy I wreaked on the Light(er) No-Bake Cookies with Dulce de Leche & Sea Salt, right? Hey, those were darn good.), I used whole wheat pastry flour in place of all-purpose flour.

Autumn Family Hike
Gratuitous fall photo. I just can’t resist those leaves.

Instead of the large glugs of oil typically found in muffins (cakes masquerading as breakfast fare), I used just 2 tablespoons of hearty-healthy canola oil, along with some fat-free plain Greek yogurt for moisture.

My kids adored this pumpkin spice latte muffin recipe. If you want to make them even more enticing to the younger crew, add some dark chocolate chips as a treat.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 12 liners in a muffin tin and spray the liners with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

Whole wheat pastry flour produces a much lighter muffin than one made with regular whole wheat flour. (Um, nope – this is not an ad for the product in the picture…just an example of a pastry flour you can use.)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin Recipe

In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder and hot water until espresso powder dissolves. Let it cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine pumpkin, yogurt, brown sugar, canola oil, egg and espresso powder mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin Recipe

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins Recipe

Other whole wheat muffins:

Whole Wheat Apple Spice Muffins
Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins
Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins

This whole wheat pumpkin spice latte muffin recipe is reminiscent of your favorite fall drink. Great on-the-go breakfast or enjoy it as an afternoon snack.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breads, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Whole Wheat Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 Muffins
Calories: 150kcal
Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

The Muffins:

The Topping:

Instructions

The Muffins:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 12 liners in a muffin tin and spray the liners with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
  • In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder and hot water until espresso powder dissolves. Let it cool to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine pumpkin, yogurt, brown sugar, canola oil, egg and espresso powder mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
  • For the topping: In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the batter.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
  • Remove muffins from the pan and allow to cool. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Points+), 3 (Old Points)

Nutrition

Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 63.9% | Vitamin C: 1% | Calcium: 3.9% | Iron: 5.8%
Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Comments

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Sep 26, 2012 at 8:43 am

      LOL. Thanks, Marla. You’ll just need to come for a visit to get that true fall feeling.

      Reply

  3. Lina says

    Sep 26, 2012 at 8:24 am

    I am definitely making these! I can’t resist a good pumpkin spice latte… Question– if I don’t have whole wheat pastry flour on hand and will use regular whole wheat flour, do the measurements change?

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Sep 26, 2012 at 8:45 am

      Hi Lina, you could use regular whole wheat flour. However, the texture of the muffins will be MUCH denser than if you used the ww pastry flour. An alternative would be replacing about half of the ww flour with all-purpose flour. I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply

  4. Jean (Lemons and Anchovies) says

    Sep 26, 2012 at 8:28 am

    I’m making these, too. They look and sound so good. Even better is that I have all the ingredients in my kitchen already. Isn’t espresso powder great? I wholeheartedly agree about adding it in chocolate cakes. And, yes, canned pumpkin, too. Nothing wrong with it at all. 🙂

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Sep 26, 2012 at 8:45 am

      Thanks, Jean! Oh yes, that espresso powder has come in handy on many occasions. I hope you enjoy the muffins as much as we did.

      Reply

  6. Alyssa | Queen of Quinoa says

    Sep 26, 2012 at 9:10 am

    So happy it’s finally pumpkin season! I’m totally getting obsessed. I went through three pumpkins this weekend and have jars upon jars in my fridge. Might just have to make some muffins when I get home 🙂

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Sep 26, 2012 at 11:20 am

      Thanks, Stacey! I was happy to be able to incorporate all of the flavors into one muffin.

      Reply

  10. Jen says

    Sep 26, 2012 at 10:15 am

    These look great! Where can I find espresso powder? I am in the US. Is it the same thing as instant espresso?

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Sep 26, 2012 at 11:21 am

      Hi Jen. Yes, it’s the same as instant espresso. I’m in the U.S. as well and typically buy the Medaglia D’Oro brand at a specialty store near my home.

      Reply

  13. MikeVFMK says

    Sep 26, 2012 at 11:59 am

    I can only guess how much I’d love these muffins. A whole lot!! It’s like a taste of fall wrapped in a muffin tin. And the espresso powder is right up my alley. Yay.

    Reply

  16. Linda says

    Sep 26, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    These look great Dara; I will be making these this weekend! Thank you for lowering the oil and using whole grain; you’ve done the science for me and I thank you.

    Reply

  25. Lindsay says

    Sep 29, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    Super pumped to make these when the sweet pumpkins are ready in the garden. Just wondering, has anyone passed this on to wheat-free eaters to get their thoughts on suitable flour replacement? I could experiment myself, but better not recreate the wheel.

    Reply

  26. kelley says

    Oct 1, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    Wow, these sound (and look) SO enticing. I don’t love pumpkin but I love the idea of a pumpkin latte and even more so, a pumpkin latte muffin! Nicely done on the recipe makeover- light and healthy and no one even knows!!

    Reply

  28. Rachael says

    Oct 4, 2012 at 8:52 am

    Hey! These sound fantastic!! For us folk that are allergic to dairy…what would you substitute the yogurt for??

    Thanks!

    Reply

  30. amy says

    Oct 15, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    I tried making these with 1/2 WW flour and 1/2 regular. They stuck to the paper muffin cup and weren’t done in the middle! My baking skills are not up to par but what went wrong, I followed the directions otherwise? Maybe try spraying the muffin tin? This has happened to me before! I like the flavor?

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Oct 16, 2012 at 8:29 pm

      Amy, did you spray the muffin cups? I believe that is stated in the steps – I’ve had the same sticking problem in the past and find that spraying the paper cups really helps.

      Reply

  31. threeundertwo says

    Oct 16, 2012 at 6:15 pm

    I made these today and they’re fantastic! The kitchen smells wonderful now too. Just a note – mine took a little less than 25 minutes and you left out the step of adding the topping.

    Thank you so much! Found this via pinterest.

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Oct 16, 2012 at 8:28 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the heads-up about the missed step…it’s fixed now.

      Reply

  32. Erin @ Texanerin Baking says

    Nov 18, 2012 at 11:47 am

    I don’t know how I missed these. They sound and look amazing! I love the ingredients and that there isn’t too much fat in them, although I don’t mind healthy fat too much. I tried the pumpkin espresso combo for the first time yesterday and it was heavenly. Can’t wait to try these!

    Reply

  35. Colleen says

    Oct 6, 2018 at 3:09 pm


    So good! Pumpkin, spices, espresso… you can’t go wrong. I made these awhile ago, but I remember they were super delicious. Love your blog!

    Reply

  36. Colleen says

    Jan 18, 2019 at 2:01 pm


    Hi Dara! I loved these muffins and I’d love to feature them in a Favorite Recipe Roundup I’m doing for my blog, Bakes and Blunders (www.bakesandblunders.com). I sent you an email about it last week and I’m just following up on it. Please let me know by Mon Jan 21 so that I have enough time to finish the post. Thanks and keep up the great baking!

    Reply

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