Pumpkin Muffins

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Sink your teeth into the ultimate fall treat: pumpkin muffins topped with a can’t-resist pecan streusel!

Pumpkin muffins on a wire rack.

Of all the baking recipes I’ve shared over the years, my grandmother’s pumpkin bread remains the most popular. First published in the 1963 edition of McCall’s Cook Book, this recipe has truly withstood the test of time. Like most sweet quick breads, it’s easily transformed into muffins. In this pumpkin muffin recipe, I use nearly the same batter—which, by the way, is so delicious that there are always negotiations over who gets to lick the bowl and beaters! I then spoon it into a muffin tin and crown each with a cinnamon-spiced pecan streusel for an irresistible crunch. Even my kids, who claim I “ruin everything with nuts,” love the topping.

“These are the best muffins I have ever made! Thank you so much for this recipe. We host a family reunion every October and these will be on the breakfast menu!”

Kerri

What You’ll Need To Make Pumpkin Muffins

Muffin ingredients including eggs, canned pumpkin, and baking soda.
  • ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: Provides structure and texture to the batter and forms the base of the streusel. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
  • BUTTER: Used in the batter for richness and flavor. Additionally, it binds the streusel ingredients together, helping create a crumbly texture.
  • DEMERARA SUGAR: Adds sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor to the streusel topping. Also called turbinado or raw cane sugar.
  • CHOPPED PECANS: Provide crunch and nuttiness, enhancing the texture and flavor of the streusel.
  • BAKING POWDER AND BAKING SODA: Act as leavening agents helping the muffins rise.
  • CLOVES, CINNAMON AND NUTMEG: These pumpkin pie spices add warm flavor notes characteristic of pumpkin treats.
  • GRANULATED SUGAR: Adds sweetness and contributes to a moist texture.
  • EGGS: Add richness and help bind the muffin ingredients together.
  • CANNED PUMPKIN PURÉE: Provides moisture and pumpkin flavor. Make sure to purchase 100% pure pumpkin — not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

Begin with the streusel topping: Combine the flour, butter, demerara sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Small bowl of streusel topping ingredients.

The mixture will be quite wet. Set aside. (Note: If you want to plan ahead a bit, the streusel topping can be made up three days ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready for use.)

Spatula mixing streusel topping.

Move on to the muffins: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Whisk well and set aside.

Whisk in a mixing bowl of dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at low speed until just blended.

Electric mixer with a bowl of beaten butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Eggs in a bowl with beaten butter and sugar.

Continue beating at medium speed until very light and fluffy, a few minutes.

Electric mixer in a bowl with a yellow mixture.

Add the pumpkin.

Pumpkin in a bowl with a yellow egg, butter, and sugar mixture.

Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary.

Orange mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer.

Add the flour mixture.

Pile of dry ingredients in a bowl with an orange mixture.

Mix on low speed until just combined.

Electric mixer in a bowl with pumpkin muffin batter.

Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, transfer the batter to the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup full.

Muffin pan full of pumpkin muffin batter.

Using your fingers, divide the topping evenly over the muffin batter.

Muffin tray of pumpkin muffin batter topped with streusel topping.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin muffins in a muffin pan.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

Definitely! If canned pumpkin isn’t available where you live, or you’d just prefer to use fresh, that’s not a problem.  For baking, the most flavorful pumpkins are smaller than those typically associated with Jack-O-Lanterns.  They’re usually in the 4 to 8-pound range and are referred to as sugar, cooking, or pie pumpkins.  This detailed piece from King Arthur Flour provides guidance on how to convert a whole pumpkin into purée that can be used in any of my pumpkin baked goods, pumpkin butter, or pumpkin soup.

We have a nut allergy in our house. What can I use in place of the pecans?

You can just omit the pecans. The streusel will still be delicious.

Can I freeze the muffins?

Yes, the muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Can I omit the streusel topping?

Yep, if you’re craving a plain muffin, simply omit the topping and add an extra ¼ cup of sugar to the batter.

Video Tutorial

Wire rack of pumpkin muffins.

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Print

Pumpkin Muffins

Sink your teeth into the ultimate fall treat: pumpkin muffins topped with a can't-resist pecan streusel!
Servings: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients 

For the Topping

  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 5 tablespoons demerara sugar (also called raw cane sugar or turbinado)
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

For the Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 15-ounce (425-g) can 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby’s)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a standard muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Begin with the topping: Combine the flour, butter, demerara sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl. The mixture will be quite wet. Set aside.
  • Move on to the muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at low speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, transfer the batter to the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup completely full. Using your fingers, divide the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
  • Note: This recipe makes 12 large muffins. For smaller muffins, divide the batter into 18 muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Freezer-Friendly Instructions:
    The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1gCalories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 235mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30g

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Comments

  • 5 stars
    The muffins are fabulous. I cannot make enough of these to satisfy my family!
    Jenn’s recipes are my go-to for everything and this one just adds to the list!

    • — RD on October 31, 2024
    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Omg! If u don’t want to get addicted to these, then don’t make them! They are soooo good. Fluffy, moist, with a crunchy top. If u can’t do nuts, then sub in Oatmeal for the topping. Works really well.

    • — Laurel on October 30, 2024
    • Reply
  • 4 stars
    Pumpkin is my favorite so I jumped at the chance to make my own for my breakfast. I followed the directions and had to add a few almonds to the required 3/4 cup pecans, but all is good, except the flour, butter, demerara sugar, cinnamon mix turned out “floury”- I expected melty, and somewhat glossy. I used “turbinado” sugar. Is that the reason? They were baked at 350 for 40 minutes

    • — Lynn J Anderson on October 29, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Lynn, The topping should have a crumbly texture (not glossy and melted like you mentioned). Do you mean that it’s crumbly? If so, that’s what you’re aiming for, but it should not be floury. LMK if I can help in any other way.

  • 5 stars
    GORGEOUS. Made them as a gift for a special occasion for my partner and they were delicious. I only had medium eggs (used 2 – panicked I’d ruined it all) and being the novice that I am, accidentally melted the butter for the batter (again, panicked I’d ruined it all), BUT they came out incredibly moist and a lovely texture. Highly recommend and will defo make again. Also don’t own a muffin tray so used muffin cups (multiple as there was so much batter they were splaying open), and still worked a treat. Super happy newbie baker over here 🙂

    • — Zoe on October 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Fantastic! Jen you are my “go to” when I need a new recipe as your recipes never disappoint. Would this recipe work with adding dried cranberries, fresh (or frozen) cranberries and if so, how much? Thanks!

    • — Mary Lee Belmonte on October 22, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Mary Lee, Thanks for your nice words about the recipes — so glad you like them! I don’t recommend fresh (or frozen) cranberries here, but dried are fine. I’d recommend 1/2 to 1 cup. Enjoy!

  • Best muffins I have ever made. Used my jumbo muffin pan and baked 43 minutes. I used 3 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice for the 3 spices just cause I had some. Love me some pumpkin. Made them twice now and turned out perfect.

    • — Mary Floyd on October 12, 2024
    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious! My family asks for it repeatedly. It’s great warm or room temperature, plain or with butter or cream cheese icing.

    Do you think this recipe would be suitable for use with a jelly roll baking sheet?

    • — Karen on October 11, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Karen, so glad you like the muffins! I don’t recommend this recipe for a jelly roll pan, but I think this pumpkin cake would work in one. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

    • 5 stars
      Thank you for sharing your gramma’s
      Recipe. I see why your family treasures it! Tender crumb, lovely spicing and beautiful to look at.
      I did have a hard time getting them intact out of the tin. Do you have any suggestions for that?

      • — Jan bonner on October 26, 2024
      • Reply
      • Hi Jan, Glad you like these but sorry you had a problem removing them from the muffin tin! Did you treat the pan generously with nonstick cooking spray? And, is your muffin tin non-stick or if it is, is it very old? If so, it may be time for a new one.

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