Pumpkin Muffins
Posted Sep 24, 2021, Updated Sep 13, 2024
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These are the best pumpkin muffins. They are moist, buttery, soft and loaded with fragrant fall spices with just the right amount of sweetness. Use fresh or canned pumpkin to make these easy pumpkin muffins – no mixer required.
The transition of the seasons from summer to fall always prompts me to break out the pumpkin puree and start baking. Everyone needs a classic pumpkin muffin recipe in their repertoire, and this is mine. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients – no mixer required!
These pumpkin muffins are moist, buttery, soft and loaded with fragrant fall spices with just the right amount of sweetness. Enjoy them with a slather of cinnamon honey butter and a warm cup of coffee to make any chilly fall morning nice and cozy.
Pumpkin Muffins: Ingredients & Substituitons
Let’s discuss the ingredients in these pumpkin muffins, as well as possible substitutions.
- Pumpkin puree. This recipe calls for 15 oz pumpkin puree, which equals one can or 1 ½ cups. If you have fresh homemade puree, feel free to use that as well! Just be sure you have drained the water out of it so that it’s thick and isn’t runny.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil, canola oil or ghee can be used in place of butter with great results. You can substitute part of the butter with applesauce, but I prefer it with butter.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you want a more molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar. Any white granulated sugar works great in this recipe. I use organic cane sugar.
- All-purpose flour. Bread flour and pastry flour also work well in this pumpkin muffins recipe! You can use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour for a gluten-free version as well!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. Use store bought or make your own with this recipe: Homemade pumpkin pie spice.
How To Make Pumpkin Muffins
These pumpkin muffin recipe comes together in one bowl in five minutes.
Combine Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
Combine Wet Ingredients & Sugars
Begin by mixing together the pumpkin puree and melted butter.
Next, add brown & granulated sugar and stir or stir until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Add Eggs & Vanilla
Next, add eggs and vanilla and whisk or stir to combine.
Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients
Add dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth. If desired, add mix-ins and stir until evenly distributed.
Mix-in Suggestions
- Chocolate chips
- cinnamon chips
- nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.)
- rasins
- dried cranberries
- white chocolate chips
Bake
Pour ¼ cup of the pumpkin muffin batter into each well of the muffin tin, and smooth out the top.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are set and a cake tested inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs. (I bake mine for 20 minutes).
Cool
Let pumpkin muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove them and transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve
Serve these pumpkin muffins warm with a slather of cinnamon honey butter or homemade pumpkin butter. I like serving them alongside an egg dish like this egg casserole or frittata, or with a pumpkin smoothie!
Store/Freeze
Store the pumpkin muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in a single layer in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
FAQs about Pumpkin Muffins
Yes! As long as you purchase a can that reads “pumpkin puree” and has one ingredient listed – pumpkin.
These muffins are so light and fluffy.
One 15 oz can of pumpkin usually equals 1 1/2 cups.
Yes, they are the same thing.
How do you make pumpkin muffins from scratch?
Follow this recipe!
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Best Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup mix-ins (optional) chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin puree and melted butter until smooth.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk until combined and there are no lumps.
- Add eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.
- If desired, add mix-ins like chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, walnuts, etc. and stir until evenly distributed.
- Pour ¼ cup of the pumpkin muffin batter into each well of the muffin tin, and smooth out the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are set and a cake tested inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs. (I bake mine for 15 minutes but I am 5000 ft above sea level).
- Let pumpkin muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove them and transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp allspice
- Pumpkin puree. This recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of pumpkin puree, which equals one, 15 oz can of pumpkin puree. If you have fresh homemade puree, feel free to use that as well! Just be sure you have drained the water out of it so that it’s thick and isn’t runny.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil, canola oil or ghee can be used in place of butter with great results. You can substitute part of the butter with applesauce, but I prefer it with butter.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you want a more molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar. Any white granulated sugar works great in this recipe. I use organic cane sugar.
- All-purpose flour. Bread flour and pastry flour also work well in this pumpkin muffins recipe! You can use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour for a gluten-free version as well!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. Use store bought or make your own!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband wanted muffins today. I asked which kind and he said carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I said how about pumpkin muffins with cream cheese. He said why not. I found your recipe and he adored them. I subbed flour for gluten free flour from NOW. Other than that everything was your recipe. Def will make these again and again. Maybe make bars or cake or something.
Thank you so much Mary! I’m so glad you both loved them!
Delicious. Topped them with salted pepitas in an attempt to copy Starbucks pumpkin muffins.
Delicious Definitely will make again
Thank you, Melinda!
This is the first time I liked anything with pumpkin in it! These are delicious and easy to make! I started with a leftover pumpkin from Halloween! Even my picky sister loved them!
Thank you so much Lois!
The BEST homemade pumpkin muffins-way better than the box mix. I made mini muffins inatead of regular size and cooked them for 11-13 mins and they came out so fluffy and delicious!
Side note: don’t make the same mistake I did and (wrongly) assume the listed serving size is for MINI muffins insteadof regular. I tripled the recipe and got about 120 mini muffins out of it when I only needed half that much. Good thing we like pumpkin muffins in this house!
Great recipe! Added about 1/2 cup coconut, turned out great
Thank you Amy!
Just made these muffins and they are so good! Perfectly spiced and so soft like little pumpkin pillows. I subbed the white sugar for 1/2 cup of maple syrup & they have just the right amount of sweetness.
Thank you so much Stephanie!
Quick question: if I am replacing the salted butter with canola oil, would I want to increase the amount of salt I add to the recipe? Maybe 3/4 tsp instead of 1/2? These sound delicious and I’m definitely adding pumpkin purée to my next grocery list!
I made this recipe today and they were delicious! Moist, not too sweet and not greasy. Thank you! It was my 1st time baking pumpkin muffins and this will always be my recipe, my whole family loved them.
Thank you so much Verenice! I’m so glad you and your whole family enjoyed these muffins as much as we do.
Buttery, moist, rich, not too sweet…..yum my new favorite recipe!
Thank you Sarah!
The most delicious and moist pumpkin muffins. Definitely less sweet than other recipes, but the perfect flavor! My whole family loved them!!
I’m so glad you love them, Kerry!
I made these pumpkin muffins as party favors for my son and daughter-in-law’s October baby shower. They are super tasty and easy to make. Only changes I made were using mini/muffin tins( one batch made 45 little muffins) and adding mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.