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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Hi Jen – Bravo on all your recipes! Always, outstanding!
About the muffins. Since my oven is out of use right now, I can only use my large countertop Breville convection oven, which can only accomodate a 14-inch 6-muffin pan. Each muffin is twice the size (yaye), but what would you recommend for any adjustments, in ingredients, temperature or bake time, before I give these a try? I am dying to try them, but am not sure how, or whether, to adjust recipe. Thanks much for your time.
Hi Rita, so it sounds like you have a jumbo muffin tin? If so, you wouldn’t need to modify anything about the recipe except for the baking time. I’d add 5 minutes onto the baking time and then check them for doneness. I’d love to her how they turn out if you make them!
These are by far the best pumpkin muffins I have ever made. People who are really fussy, ask me to make these for them. Thank you for this recipe.
Thanks so much for this super fun, delicious, and fragrant pumpkin muffin recipe. I adapted it to my tastes with less sugar (1 1/4 cup in the batter) (4 tbsp in the topping +added 1 tbsp flour), a tad less spices in the batter (1/2tsp cloves, 3/4 tsp nutmeg), and a tad bit more in the topping (1/2tsp cinnamon). I also added 1 tsp of vanilla and grounded up the pecans in the topping. My kids (and I) are going nuts over the muffins. Thanks so much!!!
These turned out delicious! I love the fluffy batter. Great recipe.
Word to the wise: because of the butter in the topping and the fact that the muffin tins are completely full, you should consider putting a baking sheet with a rim below your muffin pan. I didn’t and had to air out my kitchen because the butter overflowed in my oven and set off the smoke detector.
i had no issue with overflow. i did bang the muffin pan a few times so the batter was settled before pressing on the topping
These were amazing! Gave some to friends, and they haven’t stopped talking about them, lol
If you want to eliminate the nuts, will the topping still taste right or does it need some modifications?
It’s fine to omit the nuts, the muffins will still taste delicious. 🙂
im in au – cant find tinned pumpkin – is it ok to (roast or bake?) then blend pumpkin?
Definitely! Just make sure to squeeze out any excess liquid before you incorporate it into the batter.
Can’t wait to make this recipe. Two questions – instead of muffins, can this be made in a 13 x 9 pan? Also, can I substitute vegetable oil for the butter?
Hi Jan, the only oil that will work in place of the butter is (solidified) coconut oil because you’ll need something solid to cream with the butter. And I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to bake it in 9 x 13 Pyrex dishes (I think you’ll need 2). The baking time will be different – I’d start checking for doneness at about 45 minutes. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Made it twice on two separate occasions. Ididn’t make strudel because as a senior I’m trying to watch my sugar lol. They are fine without it my husband loves them and both times came out well even though I’m not one of those people who have a special knack for baking. So successful thanks for the recipe .
I made these today with some leftover pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving. The streusel topping is SO nice. I added a few more pecans to the batter. This is a really great muffin! Thank You
These were great! My kids were looking for pumpkin rolls, and don’t like nuts – we omitted the topping and increased the sugar as recommended in the batter. I made 20 smaller (cupcake sized muffins) that baked for a bit under 30 minutes. Moist, tender, and a nice mix of pumpkin and spice. I served them with a dollop of vanilla cream cheese icing to mimic a low effort pumpkin roll. My picky kids are already asking for another batch. I might do half with “grown up” topping for the next round. 5/5 recommend!
Fabulous! Just made these and they are delicious. Tender crumb and great flavor. Kids love them 🙂