These pumpkin muffins are easy to make. Thanks to a blend pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and a generous amount of pie spice, they are delightfully moist, tender, and bursting with flavor. The recipe includes an optional oat-streusel topping for a little extra sweetness and a bit of crunch.
Each fall, pumpkin lattes and loaves of bread get all the attention. But today I want to talk about pumpkin muffins.
When I feel like baking something “fall-ish”, it’s pumpkin muffins I make, not bread. The reason for this is simple: they’re fast to make and have the same wonderful flavor and texture as pumpkin bread.
Ingredients
The key to this recipe is to use canned pumpkin. Not pumpkin pie filling. While they’re similar, canned pumpkin is just pumpkin. No other ingredients are included. It gives the muffins a great taste and texture.
- Canned Pumpkin. You need one (15-ounce) can of pumpkin for these muffins. Be sure to use canned pumpkin—sometimes it’s labeled pumpkin puree—and not a can of pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkin.
- Brown Sugar. The muffin’s sweetness comes from brown sugar. You can use either light brown or dark brown. Both work great. Dark brown sugar, with its higher molasses content, gives the muffins a slightly richer flavor compared to light brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Spice. Is a blend of the spices traditionally used in pumpkin pie. The blend tends to vary by brand. During testing, I used Penzey’s Pumpkin Pie Spice which contains cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mace, and cloves.
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the muffins a nice texture.
- Oil. Use your favorite flavorless (neutral) oil, like vegetable oil or canola oil. It makes the muffins soft and tender.
- Eggs. Use large, room-temperature eggs.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda. The combination gives the muffins lift and helps with browning.
- Salt. Use fine (table) salt. It mixes easily into the batter and enhances all the other flavors.
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins. It’s as easy as 1,2,3!
- Make the batter. This is a simple batter. First, whisk the dry ingredients together. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir until the batter is thick and creamy.
- Fill the Pan. Scoop the batter into two 12-cup muffin pans. I like to use a muffin scoop for this task. Not only does it simplify the process of filling the pan, but it also ensures that each muffin cup gets an equal amount of batter. As a result, every muffin is uniform in size and requires the same baking time.
- Bake. A batch of these muffins takes about 20 minutes to bake. Look for a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin to come out clean.
Recipe Variations
Pumpkin Crumb Muffins. Included with the recipe is an oat-based streusel topping. Made with brown sugar and a little flour, it adds a really nice crunch and a bit of added sweetness to the muffins.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip: Love pumpkin chocolate chip muffins? I got you! Stir chocolate chips into the batter after mixing. Since this recipe makes 24 pumpkin muffins, I often stir in chocolate chips into half the batch. I fill my first pan and then add about ½ cup of chocolate chips to the remaining batter. Then I sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
Pumpkin Nut Muffins. If you love nuts, stir one cup of chopped walnuts into the batter.
How to Store Leftovers
Store the cooled muffins in a resealable container at room temperature for up to five days. If you want to freeze the muffins, let them cool completely. This step is crucial as freezing hot muffins can lead to dryness. Place the cooled muffins in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
Easy Pumpkin Muffins
Easy-to-make and not too sweet, these soft and tender pumpkin muffins are perfect for fall. (Plus, the recipe uses an entire can of pumpkin!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (13 ½ ounces; 387 grams)
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¾ cups packed brown sugar (12 ¼ ounces; 347 grams)
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs (about 8 ounces; 226 grams, out of shell)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil (5 ¼ ounces; 148 grams)
Crumb Topping (Optional)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (2 ¼ ounces; 65 grams)
- ½ cup oats, instant or quick-cook (1 ½ ounces; 42 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar (3 ¾ ounces; 106 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted (3 ounces; 85 grams)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
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Whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
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Add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and oil. Mix until smooth. The batter will be thick. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Stir in any flour that was clinging to the bottom or sides of the bowl.
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Crumb Topping (Optional Step). Stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice. Add the melted butter. Stir until crumbly.
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Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling them about ⅔ full. If using crumb topping, sprinkle it onto the tops of each muffin.
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Bake until the muffins golden brown and set. A toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins should come out clean, about 20 minutes.
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Remove the pans from the oven. Allow the muffins to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store the cooled muffins in a resealable container for up to five days. Freeze them in a freezer container for up to three months.
Recipe Notes
Variations.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip: Stir one cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
Pumpkin Nut Muffins: Stir one cup chopped walnuts into the batter.
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