Made with pure pumpkin, whole wheat flour, and extra cinnamon spice, these mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins are a cross between a muffin and a donut. Baked in a mini muffin pan and never fried!
To me, pumpkin knows no seasons. Whether it’s April, July, or October, it’s always a good time for pumpkin scones, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and today’s adorable mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins.
(Though I will admit, they all taste better when it’s getting chilly outside!)
Today’s mini pumpkin muffins are totally pop-able—it’s impossible to stop at 1!
Like my regular pumpkin muffins, today’s mini version are perfectly soft and spiced. This is a great place to use homemade pumpkin pie spice if you have a batch.
Why You’ll Love These Mini Pumpkin Muffins
- There’s pure pumpkin flavor because we’re using 100% pure quality pumpkin.
- These mini pumpkin muffins are a little dense, but they’re not heavy—like a cross between a bakery-style muffin and a cakey donut.
- The recipe is based off of my Nutella-stuffed cinnamon sugar muffins, and if you’ve made those before, you know they’re good!
- Super quick and easy to prepare for busy mornings.
- Bite-sized like my whole wheat mini pumpkin muffins. And definitely acceptable as a snack, breakfast, or dessert.
- Use whole wheat flour for a wholesome and satisfying flavor!
- A generous dunk in cinnamon-sugar because it’s SO GOOD.
Overview: How to Make Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
Like I mention above, these mini muffins are very quick and easy.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Mix the wet ingredients together, which includes pumpkin puree. If you have extra to use up, here are some recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree.
- Combine wet & dry ingredients.
- Fill mini muffin tins. No need for muffin liners!
- Bake.
- Make cinnamon sugar coating.
- Dunk and enjoy!
Helpful Tip: Make sure the egg and milk used in this recipe are at room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t evenly combine, which always affects the texture of the final baked good. Set both ingredients out about 30 minutes before beginning.
Try them Regular Size
Instead of mini muffins, you can bake regular size cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins using this muffin batter. I will say that today’s version isn’t quite as soft and pumpkin-forward as my regular pumpkin muffins though. Still, you’re going to get some excellent spice flavor and a nice hearty texture!
For 12-14 regular size muffins, prepare batter as instructed below and fill a 12-count muffin pan. For tall muffin tops, try my handy trick: bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C), then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total times these muffins take in the oven is about 20-21 minutes.
The initial high temperature helps create tall muffin tops. You’ll love them!
More Fall Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Cider Donuts (baked not fried)
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Scones
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins
- Banana Nut Scones
Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20-24 mini muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with pure pumpkin, whole wheat flour, and extra cinnamon spice, these mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins are a cross between a muffin and a donut. Baked in a mini muffin pan and never fried!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 60g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (170g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick; 60g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 24-count mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together. Add the egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and milk and whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk until just combined. Avoid over-mixing. Batter is thick.
- Using a small spoon, spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack, and allow mini muffins to cool in the pan until ready to coat.
- While the muffins are cooling, prep the coating. Combine the sugar and cinnamon a small bowl. Once the muffins are relatively cool, dip into the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Cover and store mini muffins at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Coated or plain mini pumpkin muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat up in the microwave (if desired) before enjoying.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice and ground ginger AND 1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and ground cloves. This is in addition to the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon—you will still add that.
- Regular Size Muffins: Makes 12-14 regular size muffins. Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners or spray with nonstick spray. Fill muffin cups all the way to the top with batter. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C), then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total times these muffins take in the oven is about 20-21 minutes. The initial high temperature helps create tall muffin tops. You’ll love it!
Keywords: mini pumpkin muffins, mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins
I took these for a gathering with friends and they were quite a hit! Easy to make and delicious. A cross between a muffin and a donut hole.
★★★★★
Good but add another tsp of pumpkin pie spice. If not, rather bland.
★★★★
How would they be in a silicone donut pan?
Hi Theresa, you could definitely use one. I’m unsure of the best bake time though.
I made these with my silicone donut pan and the cook time was the same!
These were amazing! perfect texture and the right amount of cinnamon. I do have a suggestion for your next recipe(if you are open to suggestions) Earl grey vanilla scones!
★★★★★
Grandkid Zoe & I loved these. We had fun making them together & even more fun eating them.
★★★★★
Has anyone tried replacing the egg with a flax egg? Does it still rise well?
We haven’t tested this recipe with a flax egg, but let us know if you do!
I have it works okay if you are allergic to eggs but if not i recommend using the real thing…
Quick, easy, delicious! Needed less than half the butter/cinnamon topping (I only made half, expecting this). I recommend the pumpkin scones!
★★★★
Made these yesterday (using regular flour because it didn’t have whole wheat). They were amazing!! My husband and mother were big fans. We are about to eat them day two. Will definitely make them again!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! If all I have is a bronwie pan (no bread pan or muffin tin), could I use the batter for pumpkin cake/cupcake/muffin/bars? Are there some batters that won’t work well for the pan?
Hi SK! You can use this pumpkin muffins batter for that pan, but it depends on the size. I also have this iced pumpkin coffee cake, this pumpkin cake batter which is baked in a 9×13 pan, and this pumpkin bread recipe can be baked in a brownie pan, too.
What happens if I leave the pumpkin spice out? I can’t use nutmeg because of my kids allergies. Can I just leave that out all together? Or do I need to replace it with something else? Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Kristin, You can make a DIY pumpkin spice – see recipe notes and simply leave out the nutmeg. Enjoy!
I use Sally’s Baking addiction a lot, it’s my go to baking website. I have to say that I’m a tad disappointed on this recipe. There’s a very faint pumpkin flavor to this recipe and I was hoping to get more of that fall pumpkin flavor that I think about all August and go in on autumn treats September 1st. any tips to achieve that without messing with the muffin texture?
★★★
Hi Morgan, Thank you for trying this recipe! You may wish to try this newer Pumpkin Muffin recipe (it’s my personal favorite!). There are instructions for making mini muffins in the recipe directions (see step 5) and you can skip the crumb topping and use cinnamon sugar if you wish. Let us know if you try them!
Can I use your trick to get the tall muffins by turning up the oven for 5 mins, then turning down to 350 with mini muffins. Love your trick but I prefer the mini sized muffins. How long to bake with minis?
Hi Colleen! That trick doesn’t work as well with tiny mini muffins– just bake at 350F the whole time. This recipe is written for the mini size. 🙂
Flavorful, moist, and So cute.
★★★★★
Hi Sally, I love these muffins right after I make them, but I can’t seem to keep them “dry” after storing. The cinnamon sugar always turns to mush the next day after being in a container over night. Is there a trick to keep the sugar dry and keep that “crunch”?
Hi Laura! If you only cover them loosely (not in a sealed container), I find they maintain the same texture as day 1. Yum!
You probably live in a place with much higher humidity. I am sure that would happen to me too. I think the fix is probably to do what Cat says and ” to butter the mini muffin tins and sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar. ” I have a feeling that if the cinnamon sugar and butter is baked on, it will keep its crunch.
Made these exactly following the recipe in cute little fall-shaped molds and they are delicious, perfect autumn treats. Moist, but not dense, and the cinnamon- sugar adds the perfect touch.
★★★★★
Made these, following the recipe exactly and they were pure pumpkin perfection! Thank you so much Sally!
★★★★★
Just made these mini muffins and they’re amazing. So cute because of their size and the texture and flavor is perfect! The cinnamon sugar topping adds a delightful crunch and compliments them so well. Thank you for another great recipe Sally!
These were so delicious and easy to make! My mom who HATES pumpkin ate about 6 on her own can’t wait to make them again.
So easy and SO good!!! Not too sweet and just perfect! super easy to make too! I got 51 out of doubling the recipe! 😀 another amazing recipe Sally!!
Can I use Bobs Gluten free all purpose flour?
You can try! I’m not a pro at GF baking, so I’m unsure. I can’t see it being an issue though.
It’s starting to feel a bit fall-ish here in the south and I was craving something pumpkin. Lo and behold I found these little gems of pumpkin-y goodness! The only change I made was to butter the mini muffin tins and sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar. This, combined with the butter-cinnamon-sugar topping, equals a little bite of pumpkin heaven surrounded by cinnamon-sugar crunch. It made it resemble a donut hole even more. Yum! Another winner, Sally (why am I not surprised?).
Hi Sally
I’ve just made a double batch of these beautiful babies for my daughter to take to work this evening (I squirreled away 4 to have with my afternoon cup of tea!). They are a crowd favourite and apparently frequently requested (just found that out last night). I always use fresh pumpkin (cooked and well mashed) because I have never seen canned pumpkin where I live in Australia. It’s got to the point that I buy and cook extra pumpkin to keep on hand in the freezer! Thank you for this wonderful recipe (and many others). I have also made a banana version that went down well. Cheers 🙂
These are so damn good! I’ve made them about four times now and my kids are nuts about them. I use regular flour and add 2 tlb of ground flax for a little extra fiber. I use cinnamon, clove and fresh ground nutmeg. I don’t even really like muffins but these are so perfect. I’m going to try adding a little molasses to the batter next for an even richer flavor. Best muffins ever!
★★★★★
I managed to wait until September to break out the pumpkin. This was the first recipe I used some of my can for 🙂 I woke up early this morning to make these (I made them in a regular size muffin tin and got 10) and was excited to eat them fresh from the oven with coffee at 9am! I had half of my cinnamon sugar topping leftover but that just guarantees that I will make them again!
Delicious! I used applesauce instead of butter. Came out great!!
I just made these muffins this morning….SO GOOD! Perfect fall recipe!
My daughter and I had a great time making these this morning. They were absolutely delicious…thanks for a great recipe!
If I don’t have wheat flour, can I use regular all purpose flour?
Yep, all-purpose flour is just fine. Enjoy!