Pumpkin Muffins
Posted Sep 24, 2021, Updated Jun 19, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Everyone who tries them absolutely loves them, just like Michelle:
Best pumpkin muffin recipe I’ve tried! I won’t be looking for another one!
– Michelle
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 stronger 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 work well. You can use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour to make them gluten-free.
- 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 only takes 5 minutes to mix and 25 to bake! Let’s walk through it together step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for additional guidance.
Begin by mixing the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt together in a small bowl. Then set it aside to use later.
Next, whisk the pumpkin puree and melted butter together until combined. I like to do this to ensure the melted butter doesn’t solidify again.
Then, add the brown & granulated sugar and whisk until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is uniform throughout.
Next, add eggs and vanilla and whisk or stir to combine.
Finally, add the 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.
Pumpin Muffins Recipe FAQs
Yes! As long as you purchase a can that reads “pumpkin puree” and has one ingredient listed – pumpkin.
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!
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
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 Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin, set aside.
- Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt in a small bowl. Then, set it aside.
- Whisk the pumpkin puree and melted butter in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk until the sugars are dissolved.
- Then, whisk in eggs and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture and whisk or 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. ( NOTE: for high altitude, reduce baking time. I bake them for 15 to 18 minutes and I live 5,000 feet above sea level).
- Let pumpkin muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer them 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. I using homemade pumpkin puree, drain the water out.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil, canola oil or ghee can be used in place of butter. You can replace half the butter with applesauce.
- Light Brown Sugar. dark brown sugar works well.
- Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar or coconut sugar are good substitutes.
- All-purpose flour. bread or pastry flour works well in this recipe. Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour to make them gluten-free.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. Use store bought or make your own!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used the original recipe and the rest of your Muffin tins must be huge or something because my yield was wayyy over 12. Admittedly I did plan to make 2 batches of mini muffins and 2 batches of regular muffins but I ended up making 24 mini muffins (4 batches of 6) and 18 regular muffins (3 batches of 6). This lead the the grand total of 42 muffins. Luckily the other guys and gals at the picnic I’m bringing these too have massive appetites. Hopefully these will go well with some tea and the other foods but it most likely will. The muffins are delicious anyway.
These have become a favorite in my house. I often use whole wheat flour and sub coconut oil for the butter, with very good results. Great recipe!
Thank you, Amber!
Hi! These turned out great BUT I did end up with about 18 muffins rather than 12, and I did use a 1/4 measuring cup. Idk but not complaining! I make a ton of these and store them for mornings when I’m running late.
I’ve been making these for a few months now and they are perfect! I usually put chocolate chips in but decided to try them with crushed walnuts on top. I can’t get over how perfectly moist they are every time. Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been given others but my loyalty still lies with this one.
Thank you, Amber!
Made it gluten free with almond and csava flour and agave👍😋
Didn’t look like those pictured at all.
But they do taste good.
Feel free to share a photo with me and I can help you troubleshoot!
You know what doesn’t work??!! Almond flour. DON”T substitute that. What a drag. Not anyones fault but my own… I tried it and failed… (miserably!)
Hey Gina! I’m so sorry that happened, but almond flour is not a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour. I suggest trying my paleo pumpkin muffins if you’d like a pumpkin muffin with almond flour.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for sure! Very moist & delicious 😋. I added one cup of the chocolate chips. Definitely make these again😊👍🏻
Thank you, Rhonda! Love the addition of chocolate chips!
Made these as mini muffins with gluten-free flour, and topped with a dollop of cream cheese frosting. The muffins had a beautiful crumb and were on the less-sweet side. They were a huge hit at our World Chase Tag viewing party, enjoyed by the best WCT athletes in the world!
Thank you so much, Gertie!
These muffins have great flavors. I doubled the recipe and baked them in two batches – luckily. The first batch turned out to be very dense, hardly rose at all and took 30 minutes until I was sure they were cooked through. Tasty, but not light and fluffy. I think my baking powder may have been dead even though it was not expired, so I added a teaspoon of baking soda to the second half of the batter. Those rose as expected and were definitely done in 20 minutes, maybe 15. I think all of my recipes for muffins that do not include milk use baking soda rather than baking powder, so I will make that substitution next time. Otherwise, great recipe!