Welcome to the epitome of fall baking! (Well, besides apple cake and apple crisp.) These are my super-moist, deliciously spiced, and extra soft pumpkin muffins. They’re adapted from my popular pumpkin crumb cake muffins and aren’t quite as sweet, making them the perfect “anytime” treat during the fall season. You could even add chocolate chips for extra tasty pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. No mixer required!
One reader, Nicole, commented: “Another winner, of course. We made the mini muffin version and they were so light, moist, and delicious. Perfect breakfast complement for this crisp fall morning! โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Holly, commented: “First time making these. Did half regular and half with chocolate chips, and they came out delicious and very moist. Even my picky daughter loved them… This recipe is definitely a keeper. โ โ โ โ โ “
Meet my favorite pumpkin muffin recipe, the sequel to my favorite zucchini muffins and banana muffins. I appreciate “simple” muffin recipes like these because sometimes we don’t crave all the bells and whistles of pumpkin cream cheese muffins… right? Over-the-top muffins are undoubtedly delicious, but I’m certain you’ll want to make today’s easy pumpkin muffins again and again. Why?
Here’s Why You’ll Love My Simple Pumpkin Muffins
- Reliable, easy recipe with basic ingredients
- No mixer needed
- Extra soft & moist
- Deep pumpkin spice flavor (you can use your homemade pumpkin pie spice!)
- Dairy free if using dairy-free milk
- Very adaptable recipeโadd chocolate chips, nuts, or dried cranberries; sprinkle with coarse sugar; or leave plain
How are these different from pumpkin cupcakes? My pumpkin cupcakes recipe is a favorite! In that recipe, you use less flour and milk with the same amount of pumpkin, so the cupcakes have a much lighter, airier texture. Today’s muffins are thicker and denser with just as much flavor.
Grab These 11 Ingredients:
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour in this recipe. If desired, you can replace half of the flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier, denser pumpkin muffin.
- Baking Soda: Helps the muffins rise. There’s no need for baking powder and, in fact, I’ve made these pumpkin cream cheese muffins with only baking soda before too. (Just leave out the baking powder in those; truly no noticeable difference in the outcome.)
- Cinnamon, Ginger, & Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin is tasty, but in order to really bring out its flavor, you need some warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice. You can use store-bought or try my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend. Pumpkin pie spice already includes cinnamon and ginger, but for the BEST, deepest flavor, I recommend using all 3. See recipe Note.
- Pumpkin Puree: You need 1 and 1/2 cups (about 340g) of pumpkin puree, which is most of a standard 15-ounce can. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. Just like with these pumpkin snickerdoodles, canned pumpkin is best, but you could use fresh puree if that’s what you have.
- Oil: The muffins taste dry and rubbery without some fat. Just as if we’re making pumpkin cake and pumpkin coffee cake, use vegetable oil. You could also use melted coconut oil.
- Brown & White Sugars: Pumpkin adds a lot of volume to the muffin batter, but doesn’t sweeten it at all. Using half white and brown sugars provide enough sweetening, and the brown sugar adds additional flavor.
- Eggs: Provide structure.
- Milk: Like most muffin recipes, the batter needs a liquid. You can use whole milk, buttermilk, or any dairy or nondairy milk you enjoy. I use orange juice in my pumpkin bread recipe, but using orange juice (for the amount of liquid needed here) wasn’t ideal here. The muffins were too citrus-y. You could, of course, replace *some* of the milk with *some* orange juice.
This is optional, but I love adding a little coarse sugar to the tops of the pumpkin muffins before baking. I do this in a lot of my muffin recipes (both online and in my book) because it adds a sparkly crunchโjust like real bakery muffins! You can use something like Sugar in the Raw or white sparkling sugar. And don’t forget my high-temperature trick, included in the written recipe and explained in the Notes below.
As instructed in the printable recipe below, grab a large bowl for the dry ingredients, a medium bowl for the wet ingredients, then whisk it all together. Expect a thick batter:
Fill the muffin liners all the way to the top:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
You can turn these easy pumpkin muffins into pumpkin chocolate chip muffins! Simply fold 1 cup (about 180g) of chocolate chips in the batter right before spooning into your 12-count muffin pan. Or try my mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
If you enjoy pumpkin + chocolate together, be sure to try my chocolate pumpkin muffins as well. For extreme chocolate and pumpkin lovers only!
More Pumpkin Favorites
- Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Bars
- Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Pancakes or Pumpkin Waffles
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread
- Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Coffee Creamer
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
Print
Easy Pumpkin Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These muffins are adapted from my popular pumpkin crumb cake muffins and aren’t quite as sweet, making them the perfect “anytime” treat during the fall season. You could even add chocolate chips for extra tasty pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. No mixer required!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60g/ml) milk (dairy or nondairy)
- optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ยฐF (218ยฐC). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then whisk everything together just until combined and no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425ยฐF, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Bake for an additional 16โ17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21โ22 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan before enjoying.
- Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions:ย For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Pumpkin Pie Spice & Spices: 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 1/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Do not leave out the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon that is also called for in this recipe. Depending how much you like ginger, you can skip or leave in the extra 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger that is also called for in this recipe.
- Can I reduce the sugar or oil? You can absolutely slightly reduce either or both, but understand that sugar and oil help produce moist, tender muffins and the results may be disappointing and your muffins could taste dry. For the oil, feel free to swap *some* for applesauce. You could also try substituting all or most of both sugars with coconut sugar.
- Other Optional Add-ins: Instead of chocolate chips, you can add 1 cup (about 130g) of chopped pecans or walnuts, or 3/4 cup (about 105g) of dried cranberries.
- Mini Muffins: For around 30 mini muffins, line mini muffin pans with liners or spray with nonstick spray. Prepare batter as directed and fill liners to the top. Bake at 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) the entire time (skip the initial high temperature) for 11โ13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Why the initial high oven temperature?ย Like I do for mostย muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so theyโre extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These Pumpkin muffins are deelish!! Perfectly moist, light and flavorful! I used the melted coconut oil, reduced the sugar by 1 tablespoon, and added chopped dates. Some of the best muffins Iโve ever had, definitely a keeper! Thank you!
My husband asked for apple-pumpkin muffins. Could I add chopped apple the same way you would add chocolate chips or would it be too wet?
Hi Cathy! We fear chopped apples would add a little to much moisture to this already moist bread, but you certainly could give it a try! You may also love our harvest spice bread (that can be baked as muffins – they have pumpkin, shredded apples and shredded carrots, but you could use all shredded apples instead).
These were super easy and really delicious. I substituted 2% Greek yogurt for half of the oil, and substituted a little over a quarter cup of the white flour with wheat flour. I also reduced the white sugar by just a little bit; I kept the brown sugar the same. Even with those change, these were super tender and delicious, not tough. Kids loved them. I also added some mini chocolate chips.
Supper tasty I ate them all within a day! There were a bit too dense and only tasted good warmed up but it could’ve been the fact my baking soda was over 17y old.
This was a great muffin. Made it for my grandchildren. Put chocolate chips in half the batter and they loved it.
Thank you for this recipe! Does it transfer well to a bread pan instead of muffins? What would you suggest for baking temp/time?
Hi Emma, you can use this recipe for pumpkin bread, which will give you the right amount of batter for a standard 9ร5 loaf pan. Enjoy!
So good I immediately made a double batch! Much better than a similar recipe I tried a week ago. Perfect balance of spices and flavours and delightfully fluffy. Thank you so much! My husband is a big fan! Saving this one. ๐
Best pumpkin muffins! I’ve made them three times. I love the amount of pumpkin puree in the recipe. I made them with freshly made purรฉe and I replaced the oil with melted unsalted butter. I have to admit I was skeptical at how well they would rise so I added about two tea spoon of apple cider vinegar to help boost the work of the baking soda and I kept doing it every time I baked them. They are so moist without being doughy and stayed good for the two days they lasted. Some muffins are already drier the day after..
This website is always a reference for baking! Thank you!
Delicious muffins! I substituted the canola oil for avocado oil. They turned out amazing. I made them with my 3 young kids and the recipe was really easy to follow. They were a win with everyone! Iโll definitely be making them again!
Fun fact: I didnโt have any canned pumpkin purรฉe, so I improvised. Instead, I used – wait for it … Gerberโs baby-food pumpkin purรฉe! Ha! Even though the batter turned out a bit thin, adding + two extra tablespoons of flour did the trick, and the result was ABSOLUTELY, INCREDIBLY DE-LI-CIOUS! They were soft, moist, and melted in my mouth – a beautiful symphony of flavors and perfect balance. And the notes and aromas from the spices – cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and a touch of pepper – were the very essence of autumn! I definitely have to make them again – and double the batch!
This recipe is a winner! Picked it on a whim to make with my toddler based on the high recipe rating, and it didnโt disappoint! I used melted coconut oil and traded all the sugar for coconut sugar like she mentioned in the notes. And I used the whole can of pumpkin (which may have been the same amount as in the recipe, but maybe a smidge more? I just hate having a little left over to throw away haha). Threw in some Trader Joeโs salted caramel baking chips and some dark chocolate chips, too ๐ Very good!
I have an egg allergy and substituted the eggs for 1/2 cup of 2% Fage Greek yogurt (1/4 cup of yogurt per egg), and they turned out perfect!
I’ve made these twice now and they are delicious. Very moist. They freeze well too.
Happy Halloween. We made yesterday and the pumpkin muffins were very easy to make. Moreover, according to family members, these are the best that we have had. We added the chocolate chips and these made for a delicious combination of tastes. We also did by the way use pumpkin pie mix because that was in the pantry. ๐ . The result was still great and very light muffins. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
These turned out beyond amazing! I used some fresh, very finely chopped ginger, added a hint of black pepper and used freshly made chunky pumpkin (butternut squash) pureรฉ. Also, a ton (!) of spices and taste-wise, they may very well be the best thing I’ve ever made.
Delicious! Perfect consistency.
I made these muffins and they’re absolutely scrumptious!
Quick question: would I be able to use nonfat plain yogurt or 2% plain yogurt instead of the milk?
Hi Julie, yogurt would be a little too thick, but you could thin it out to the consistency of milk if that’s all you have!
A friend of mine who lives an hr away, just texted me to say she is out of oil, and wants to know if she can sub melted unsalted butter in place of oil. She is considering using 2T more butter to make up for the fat in the oil.
Am I correct that melted unsalted butter would NOT be a sub for oil ( even if 2T more was used to make up the fat content in oil ? )
Hi GMJ, oil really works best for these pumpkin muffins. You can use a different oil, like melted coconut oil, instead.
Thanks Erin. Since I have only made these with oil, I told my friend I would double check for her. She volunteeres at a community soup kitchen. So she was trying to do with what they had on hand.
I just made these tonight and subbed butter, no problem. Didn’t use any extra, just melted a stick in the microwave and added my other liquid ingredients. I did make some other changes but muffins are more forgiving than most baked goods. They are absolutely delicious!
Hi, would this recipe work if baked in an 8×8″ metal pan instead? If so, would I need to adjust temperature and/or time?
Hi Patricia, you certainly could (I have done this myself a few times!) but we’re unsure of the bake time needed (bake at 350). Keep an eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness!