Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

Add the oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices to the blender. Pulse until the oats are ground up and resemble coarse sand. You may have to take the blender off the base a few times and shake it to make sure all the oats are blended.

Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla to the blender. Pulse again just until the ingredients are combined. If needed scrape the sides in between pulses to ensure it's well mixed. This should only take a few pulses. Do not over-blend as it can cause the muffins to be rubbery.

Stir in chocolate chips or other additions, if desired. Pour the batter into the prepared liners. If you're using traditional liners, and not parchment paper liners, you might want to spray them with cooking spray before adding the batter. Bake for 21-26 minutes or until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before storing. Muffins will keep for about 3 days at room temperature, or longer if refrigerated. See notes for freezer instructions.