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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These muffins are SO good – fluffy and tender! I usually spread the batter out to make 16 muffins rather than 12 large ones (I just fill up as many tins as I can in a 6-muffin pan in addition to the 12-muffin pan). This way we have MORE MUFFINS!!! I also sprinkle a little sea salt on the top of the streusel topping before baking, which makes these even more delicious. These are a super fave in our family!
My 7 year old grandson made these for a 4-H fair. He won a blue ribbon. He did so well I made them since they have the best flavor of any pumpkin muffin I have made. Excellent recipe!!
This makes me so happy, Lucretia — thank you for sharing! 😊
Thanks for such a great muffin that is not overly sweet, even with the topping. I enjoy these mid morning with hot tea! They freeze great. I took a bunch to the beach and they were devoured in 2 days, and I mean a bunch!
Mmmmmmm……these pumpkin pecan crunch muffins are SO delicious!
A neighbor shared a few with us a couple years ago and I quickly added the recipe to my collection and introduced me to a now-favorite ONCEUPONACHEF.COM to my online collection. The muffin body is light, moist, And pumpkin-y. The crunchy top is the “frosting on the cake”!
It is the star of the show. I have made these several times to give to people I care about….they are lovely placed in a windowed food gift box, wrapped with a tulle bow, and a special note of thanks.
I make these muffins ALL THE TIME! Any time theres a bake sale, I am asked to make these!!! Everyone asks for the recipe but I wont tell anyone! (Sorry) I dont want anyone else making these scrumptious muffins….its one thing thats duplicated at the sales or for parties! Amazing muffins for sure!!!
Made as directed with the exception of adding a cream cheese frosting. Wonderful, as are all of Jen’s recipes!
I would like to make these in a mini muffin pan. How would you adjust the recipe? In particular, the baking time/temperature.
Hi Cheri, They can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes (I’d start checking them at 10). Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I want to make the topping, but need to omit the nuts. Will the topping be okay without them? Thanks!
Yes, Jennifer, it would be fine to omit them with no adjustments. Enjoy!
Made these 2 days ago, turned out amazing!! Big, soft and flavorful. Took muffins to work, one coworker mentioned they were the best baked good they’ve ever had. Thank you for this recipe, definitely making again.
These muffins were the best ever! I followed the recipe exactly except used honey instead of sugar. They turned out perfect and were delicious
I’ve made these muffins many time and they are always super tasty! I love that they stay moist. I did have to add a few minutes in cooking time (my oven may be slightly off), and I substituted equal amounts of pumpkin pie spice for the cloves/nutmeg/cinnamon in the batter. I like the little hint if ginger flavor it offers. Both of my girls (ages 2 & 3) love these as well!
Oh, I am so sad. I’m 0/2 on your pumpkin recipes – the pumpkin bread stuck to the pan despite using nonstick pans and buttering/flouring them and these muffins were so enormous and spread so much that some of the batter dropped onto the oven floor and started burning. And all the tops ran into each other. I really don’t know where I went wrong – followed recipe exactly.
Oh no, Annie! Is it possible your leavening agents are old or your oven temp is off?
Can these be done in a loaf pan instead? If so, how does the baking time / temp change and will the pecan topping still work? Thank you!
Hi Kate, this recipe is very similar to my pumpkin bread. If you’re interested in making pumpkin bread, I’d go with that recipe (but you can top the bread with this topping if you’d like)!