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! ★★★★★“
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. ★★★★★“
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 recipe—add 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 crunch—just 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.
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 425°F (218°C). 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 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21–22 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: 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 350°F (177°C) the entire time (skip the initial high temperature) for 11–13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I do for most 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 they’re 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
I’d like to adapt this to my fresh milled flour. I wonder would einkorn or soft white work?
Hi Vicki, we haven’t tested it, but let us know if you do.
Do you have a recipe for homemade pumpkin puree, I’m in Ireland and can’t get canned pumpkin puree.ove your recipes 💗
Hi Mairead! Other readers have reported making fresh pumpkin puree this way: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-puree-recipe-1922629
Warning: Do not try this recipe, you will become addicted.
I made these to hand out to neighbors and they were too incredible, I decided I didn’t want to gift them and was eating like 5 a day 😀
Sadly true. I make mini muffins, the save about 6- 7 and give the rest away. OR freeze the rest in my basement freezer LOL
I make muffins every single week and these are some of the best Ive ever made. They’re fluffy, light and delicious. I added some freshly picked cranberries to this pretty close to perfect recipe.
Can I use an egg substitute? If so, what do you recommend?
Thanks you!
Hi Andrea, we haven’t tested these muffins with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you try anything.
I used 3/4 cup of unsweetened Apple sauce in lieu of eggs and it was fantastic!
Awwww man!!! I COMPLETELY forgot to turn the oven down to 350°!! I left them the entire time at 425°. Will they be too dense? I guess I’ll find out soon enough. This was the first time I literally had ALL the ingredients to make these, including (more than) sufficient to make the homemade pumpkin pie spice!
Omitted ginger since I didn’t have any — these were delicious!
These are BY FAR the best pumpkin muffins I’ve ever had!! I added chocolate chips to them and they were sooo delicious! Super moist and perfectly spiced and flavored. I couldn’t recommend this recipe enough!
Great muffins
These are the best muffins!! I made them with measure for measure gluten free flour and they still came out perfectly moist and delicious. They froze well and tasted wonderful straight from the fridge. Thank you for anther great recipe!
Excellent muffins in every way!
Hello, these pumpkin muffins sound delicious! I’m wondering if I can switch out the flour to King Arthur gluten free flour?
Hi Marie, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but some readers have reported success with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup.
Yes you can make these G.F. using King Arthur’s MEASURE for MEASURE.( not the regular GF flour) I do it frequently with any of Sally’s muffin recipes, b/c 1 person I bake for is alergic to wheat. Plus when I take these to group events I always take them G.F. No body can tell the difference…( some people bet me the could tell the difference,& lost their bet LOL) BUT I use 120g per cup SO since this recipe has
1 3/4C it works out to be 210 g.
If you do not have a scale just carefully measure into the measuring cup and level off. Sally has a demo on it.
I often switch out King Arthur’s Measure For Measure flour for any of Sally’s muffin or quick bread recipes. In fact, I keep it in stock for when I am baking for a crowd.210People are always amazed when they taste them. Most can’t believe they are GF
NOTE: I use the gram wt of the brand I am using. Gram wt for both Measure For Measure OR their All Purpose Flour is 1 cuo= 120 g. So for this recipe i used 210g for 1 3/4 C
The pumpkin muffins are excellent they rose beautifully. They are moist, tender light and fluffy. The only thing that I would do different is, I would add a little more spice for my taste. Other than that for me they’re perfect.
Can I use this recipe to make 6 large muffins?
Hi Katie, Absolutely. You can follow the baking times and instructions from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide. Let us know how they turn out if you give it a try!
Loved this recipe! Might be my set up or election, but it took about 35 minutes to cook all the way
Sally do I need to drain frozen pumpkin puree for the recipe?
Hi Debbie, if your pumpkin is extra watery after thawing, we recommend blotting the excess moisture away with paper towels. If you use canned pumpkin puree that hasn’t been frozen, no need to blot for this recipe. Hope this helps!
Can I use mashed bananas in place of oil?
Hi Samantha, we haven’t tried that, so aren’t sure of the result.
Love the recipe but when I take them out of the oven they’re tall then flatten and the top becomes soft very moist and sticky not cracked and firm like your picture shows. I follow the directions and use a scale. How can I prevent this and have them come out looking like yours?
Hi Rose, Was your baking soda fresh? We find it starts to lose its effectiveness after about 3 months of opening. Be sure to fill the cups to the top, too, as that will help them to get the nice domed top during that initial high burst of heat. If they still seem excessively moist after cooling, it could be that they need a bit longer in the oven—we’d try extending the bake time by a minute or so. We hope this helps for your next batch!
This recipe is amazing. The texture of the muffins is so light, fluffy, and moist, and the flavour is great. I will be making these again for sure. Perfect fall recipe.
I am from Australia where canned pumpkin puree is not a thing – has anyone ever tried to make these with just grated pumpkin? I suppose similar to the zucchini bread muffins. Do we think it would still work? and would I need to adjust anything to accommodate that change? any help would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Hi Laura, we don’t recommend grating the pumpkin, but you could definitely try making your own pumpkin puree. We don’t have a recipe, but other readers have reported making fresh pumpkin puree this way: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-puree-recipe-1922629. Let us know what you try!
Hi Laura, I’m from Sydney Australia and these muffins were beautifully with pre-roasted butternut pumpkin. All I do is once I have roasted the butter nut pumpkin. I purée it in my food processor then add the remaining wet ingredients wiz it up one more time. And there you have it quick and easy and it’s a perfect substitute.
I felt these had a great flavor, but a bit dry. Next time, I will add a tad more pumpkin.
I don’t have any vegetable or coconut oil, do you recommend any other oil substitutes? Like olive oil? Thank you!
Hi Samantha, olive oil will work in a pinch. Enjoy!
I make this recipe almost weekly … basically the moment we are about to run out. It’s an excellent recipe that is so easy to make with a scale. We always add chocolate chips. I have now scaled up the recipe to use a full tin of pumpkin with 3 eggs and it comes out perfectly! Thanks for such great recipes.
Do you keep all other amounts the same, just scaling up the eggs and puree amounts?
Interesting. 🤔 Did you increase any of the dry ingredients?
Can you half the sugar in these?
Hi JW, we don’t recommend that here—the sugar plays an important role in the overall taste, texture, and structure of the muffins, and halving it would change the results significantly.
This Easy Pumpkin Muffin recipe is the best the rise of the muffins is awesome definitely a keeper more than a five star
I agree! The rise surprised me
Sally’s Simply Pumpkin Muffins is another family favorite. The thick batter
creates the softest and lightest most flavorful treat. These muffins are
pure comfort and have the right amount of spice to brighten your day
These muffins are delicious! I’ve made them twice and will continue to make them. I included chocolate chips as stated in the recipe. This addition gave them the wow factor. I did substitute buttermilk for regular milk, because I had some to use, before expiring. Also, when I make them next time, I’m going to add cream cheese chips as an alternative to chocolate chips. It should be good because pumpkin and cream cheese are a perfect pairing. This recipe is a must have in my house from now on.
good afternoon, muffins are in the oven baking right now but I was only able to get 10 muffins out of this recipe…i have been baking for many years…not sure what happened?
i was able to get 12 regular sized muffins and 10 mini muffins
Great recipe, Great website. You put food network to shame girl! Killing it!
I barely got 11 and I measured with a scale but they’re currently in the oven and look great
These muffins are my favorite all year round! They are so moist and full of flavour and not too sweet. Thanks so much for sharing that amazing recipe.
Great flavor! I didn’t get very much rise, any suggestions?
Hi Reggie, we’re glad you enjoyed them! Was your baking soda fresh? We find it starts to lose its effectiveness after about 3 months of opening. Be sure to fill the cups to the top, too, as that will help them to get the nice domed top during that initial high burst of heat. We hope this helps for your next batch!