Pumpkin Muffins
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These truly are the best pumpkin muffins—moist, fluffy, and full of warm spice, with a buttery cinnamon-pecan streusel that takes them over the top.
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, the recipe has truly stood the test of time. Like most sweet quick breads, it’s easily transformed into muffins.
For this pumpkin muffin recipe, I use nearly the same batter—which, by the way, is so delicious there’s always a scramble over who gets to lick the bowl and beaters—then spoon it into a muffin tin and top each with a cinnamon-pecan streusel for irresistible crunch. Even my kids, who claim I “ruin everything with nuts,” can’t resist 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!”
What You’ll Need To Make Pumpkin Muffins
- All-Purpose Flour – The backbone of the muffins and the streusel. Be sure to measure it right: spoon it into the cup, then level it off (scooping packs it down and can make your muffins dense).
- Butter – Adds richness to the batter and binds the streusel together so it bakes up crumbly and crisp.
- Sugars (Granulated + Demerara) – Granulated sugar sweetens the batter and helps keep the muffins moist, while demerara sugar (also called turbinado or raw cane sugar) goes in the streusel for a subtle caramel crunch.
- Chopped Pecans – Toasty, nutty, and crunchy, they make the streusel topping irresistible. Feel free to substitute walnuts or simply leave them out if you’re not a nut person.
- Leaveners (Baking Powder + Baking Soda) – These work together to give the muffins their lift and light texture.
- Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves) – Classic pumpkin pie spices that bring cozy warmth to every bite.
- Eggs – Add richness and bind everything together.
- Canned Pumpkin Purée – Adds moisture and pumpkin flavor. Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling. I love Libby’s, but if you’d like to make your own, look for 4- to 8-pound sugar (aka cooking or pie) pumpkins. For step-by-step instructions, see this guide from King Arthur Flour.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, butter, demerara sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. It should look a little wet and clumpy—that’s exactly right. Set it aside. Tip: You can make the streusel up to three days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg until everything’s well combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Beat the butter and sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at low speed until just blended.
Step 4: Mix in the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating at medium speed until very light and fluffy, a few minutes.
Step 5: Add the pumpkin. Beat until it’s evenly combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary.
Step 6: Mix wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed until just combined.
Step 7: Load up the muffin pan. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to fill the muffin cups right to the top. Then, with your fingers, sprinkle the streusel evenly over each one.
Step 8: Bake and cool. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The muffins are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but they’ll stay fresh for several days in an airtight container at room temperature. They also freeze beautifully—just tuck them into a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Pumpkin Muffins
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
- 1½ 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.
Notes
- 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
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.
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Love this recipe! I changed a few things due to what I had in my kitchen. I only had Kerry Gold salted butter and I wanted to cut back on the overall butter in the recipe. I used 3 TBS for the topping and 3 TBS + 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream in place of the butter amounts in the muffin recipe. I added a little flax meal in place of the flour, less than 1/4 cup. I ground the cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon all myself, but I would cut the recipe a little next time, the clove and nutmeg were a little heavy in the end. I used cane sugar for the topping for the texture and maple crystals in the muffin to cut back on the white sugar. I added a little more pecan pieces to the topping to a full cup. I sifted all the dry muffin ingredients by habit, too. A few minor tweaks here and there, but I really like this recipe.
I need to increase the fiber content. Can I add 1/2 cup of flax meal and 1/2 cup flax seed? Would I have to reduce or increase any of the other ingredients?
Thank you
Hi Yvette, I think you could use both but I’d suggest using less (about 2 Tbsp. of each of them, so a total of 1/4 cup). I think if you use too much, it would affect the texture of the muffins. And in terms of adjustments, I’d reduce the flour by 1/4 cup. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Hi, I don’t have raw cane sugar in the house right now and trying to avoid going to the store just for that one ingredient.
Can I use brown sugar instead? Thanks heaps for sharing your wonderful recipes! Sandra
Yes Sandra, brown sugar should work here. And glad you like the recipes :).
SO glad you asked this question, Sandra, I needed to know the same thing about not having raw cane sugar. Thank you!
Yum! My new favorite pumpkin muffin recipe! 🙂 my kids made them with me and loved it.
Thank you!
These are absolutely fabulous! I realized I didn’t have two regular size muffin pans. I made 12 in a regular size muffin pan, and the balance in a nut tossie pan and baked them for 20 minutes. They were a hit with my husband. Also gave a few to our neighbors and they loved them – commented on how moist they were.
Can you substitute canola oil for the butter in the muffin or bread recipe? How much oil would you suggest?
Hi Ann, Oil won’t work in this recipe — sorry!
I make these year round they are so good! I love pecans, so I usually add more than what the recipe calls for. I like to bake these in a silicone muffin pan.
I loved this recipe. Have made it twice already and shared with co-workers. suggestion: use pecans from the store that are already chopped up. Much better for the topping and easier. When I chopped pecan halves the pieces were larger and less evenly distributed on top.
Thank you so much for the recipe! Made these tonight with leftover pumpkin. They are really very tasty. The butter was unexpected. Im used to seeing an oil or melted butter for the fat…my butter seemed to harden a bit with the addition of the pumpkin (cold left over pumpkin, my fault for not bringing it to room temp) anyway, it all came together in the end. I added a small amount of pecans to the batter. I also halved the recipe… I wish I hadn’t. Anyway,this is a mighty fine muffin, and a recipe I’ll keep for many years to come. Thank you so much!
Made a double recipe and brought them to work brunch party. They were a huge hit. Very moist and the crunchy topping made them special.