Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins
Of all the baking recipes I’ve shared on this site over the years, my mom’s pumpkin bread remains one of the most popular. So many of you have emailed to tell me you love it — and the recipe even made its way to Germany, where one of my readers (hi, Tamyla! 😊) baked it for her kids’ teachers, who all asked for the recipe and now bake it themselves. Since my mom’s pumpkin bread is also one of my most-requested at home, I thought I’d reinvent the recipe as muffins this year. Just like the loaves, the muffins are tender and cakey with bold autumn flavor. The crunchy nut topping is a simple mix of butter, flour, pecans, cinnamon, and demerara sugar (or raw cane sugar). If you’d like to make the muffins without the topping, simply increase the sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup.
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, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Whisk well and 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 at medium speed until very light and fluffy, a few minutes.
Add the pumpkin.
Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary.
Add the flour mixture.
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 full.
Using your fingers, divide the topping evenly over the muffin 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.
Pumpkin Pecan Crunch 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)
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby’s)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. 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.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 416
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Sugar: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 235 mg
- Cholesterol: 74 mg
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.
Reviews & Comments
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Wow..that’s all my family could say. Cold winter day gave me the inspiration to make some sort of muffin. Had blueberry on my mind but when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try and boy was I not disappointed. Only alteration was I added about 3/4 cup of chopped pecans to the batter to give them a little crunch factor. The topping was amazing. One thing I will do next time is press the topping more firmly into the batter before putting into the oven. Excellent recipe..Thanks Jenn..I’ve become a fan of your website.
Tasty! Not too much sugar. I’ll make these again.
These were great! I’m a regular baker and I was very impressed with the recipe, as was my family. I omitted the cloves because I’m not a fan, used half the amount of nutmeg, but doubled the cinammon. I sprinkled a few raw pumpkin seeds over the pecan topping before baking. I also whipped up a small batch of cream cheese glaze, poked a hole in the middle of the muffin and put in a spoon of glaze when I served them to company. Delicious.
These were super yum! They were very moist which is not how my muffins generally turn out. This recipe is a definite keeper.
Perfect fall muffins
Made the recipe exactly as written. PERFECT. I’ve been looking for the “go to” Pumpkin muffin recipe for years and I finally found it.
These muffins are sooooo good – even people who don’t like pumpkin will love these! The crunchy topping is what makes them so good. Love your cookbook and blog!!
Delicious!
I’ll definitely make them a little smaller next time as the tops all ran into each other during baking. I didn’t have the raw sugar for the topping so I used brown sugar as suggested in the reviews. These turned out so moist and incredibly tasty!! Both of my babies (1 & 2) loved them as well!
These are the best pumpkin muffins! I make them over and over and everyone loves them!
Everyone loves these when I bake them. Best muffins ever!
Wow, these were amazing. Your family is right – they are even better than plain pumpkin bread! I loved the sweet crunchy topping and the pecans caramelized while the muffins baked, as opposed to kind of being soft inside a bread. The topping really didn’t take that much longer to add on.
We regularly make your pumpkin pancakes and the pumpkin scones are an amazing indulgent treat. These were right in the middle for us – less sweet than the scones, more indulgent than the pancakes. All of your pumpkin recipes are so perfectly spiced and balanced – LOVE them!
These are delicious and tender. I’m not a huge fan of cloves so I reduced the amount to 1/4 tsp. and used regular cane sugar in the topping because I didn’t have any raw sugar. The muffins were a huge hit at a baby shower. I should have made a double batch.
These are our favor-ite muffins!! We make them in the square muffin pan from pampered chef, and they have tons of crispy edges….YUM!! But the crunchy topping is what puts these over the top, so perfect extra sweet crunch! We just add more fresh ground nutmeg for favor. Thanks for this one Jenn!
These muffins are amazing! I’ve made them several times and love every bite. I was wondering if I could substitute whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose flour? Many thanks for this fabulous recipe!
I made these muffins yesterday and they were so good! The recipe is super easy to follow. The only thing I would change next time is to cut the amount of cloves in 1/2. It was a little too strong for my preference. The pecan/butter crumble topping is devine! Make sure not to overcook these or they’ll be dry, especially the next day.
I absolutely love this recipe. I made with a combination of einkorn and spelt flours and used coconut sugar (although I did use sugar in the raw for the topping) The muffins turned out great. Don’t skip the crunch topping!
Amazingly flavorful and luscious! I bake them in jumbo muffin wrappers (makes 12) and bake for 25 minutes. I like wrapping each individually in celophane wrap, tie with a curly ribbon, and bundle them in a tissue paper-lined basket or or disposable baking pan……makes a lovely gift!
This was the first recipe I made from Once Upon a Chef, and it won’t be the last!! These pumpkin muffins were a hit with my family. I made them exactly as written. The recipes on this site look delicious and the directions are very clear with easy-to-find ingredients.
The muffins were delicious, but the topping had a flour taste. So the next batch I omitted the flour in the topping. They came out much tastier and actually looked better.
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a hit! So delicious. I will definitely be making them again. I’m already talking about adding this to my Christmas baking! Love the peacan topping. Just a note- after I mixed the ingredients for the topping and set it aside, I got scared when I found that it hardens after sitting. This is normal. Just break it up and sprinkle it on top of the muffin batter! So yummy.
I am going to make this with my son for his Thankgiving school party, however, they are a nut free environment. What other topping would you suggest, or simply omit the nuts? Thanks!!
Hi Lucy, I’d just omit the topping; just increase the sugar in the muffins to 1¾ cup. Hope the kids enjoy!
A another awesome recipe!
I had persimmons that really needed to be used so I took the persimmons, scooped out the meat and strained them a bit to make about 15 ounces of pulp. I added 1 extra tablespoon of flour just in case the persimmons were too moist.
The muffins were PERFECT!!
The most amazing muffin ever! Moist, flavorful and sweet crunchy top make this recipe my favorite. My friends and family ask for these all the time!
These are superb! I ve made many different types of pumpkin muffins over the years and these are the best. Thank you Jenn for another yummy recipe!
I made these for my girls and they LOVED them!! I unfortunately can’t eat gluten but the kitchen smelled amazing!! Thanks Jen for another great recipe!! Your pumpkin bread recipe is right on too. I topped it with a cream cheese frosting drizzle and gave it to friends. They loved it too 🙂
I used half the sugar and they turned out great. I also used a tbsp of pumpkin spice instead of the individual spices. My family loved them.
Hello,
Can’t wait to try. New to baking when do you place the topping on the muffins please.
Thanks, O
Hi O, After you fill the muffin pan with the batter, use your hands to divide the topping evenly over the batter before putting the muffins in the oven. Hope you enjoy!
I Baked these at 375 for 20 minutes and they were amazing! Seriously amazing! My new favorite pumpkin muffin recipe! Thank you!!!
I just made these for my family! They all loved them! I followed the recipe as is and they were perfect. Thank you!
Jen
Can this be made in a pan instead of muffin tin? If yes, what size.
Thanks
Janelle
Sure, Janelle – you can use two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. Enjoy!
Five Stars !!! Fabulous, moist and sinfully delicious muffins! I made these this morning as directed. My batch made 24 muffins. Taking to the office in the morning. I’m sure they will be devoured immediately. Thank you for another outstanding recipe. This is a keeper….
This recipe was awesome! I would recommend a couple of tweaks to make it healthier.
*Leave out a 1/2 cup of sugar.
*Add 1 heaping Tbsp of Chia seeds
*Sub out 1/2 cup of purpose flour for 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.
They were divine! So many compliments on them. Will definitely make it again.
New favorite muffin recipe! I appreciate the extra hints you provide that help home cooks sharpen our skills!
This recipe is divine!! Even my small children ate them up and they’re picky eaters. Thanks Jenn for all of your hard work!
Fall is in the air this week, which put me in the mood for baking. My daughter and her family love pumpkin muffins so when I saw this recipe I decided it was time to use that can of pumpkin in the pantry. Great decision. They are delicious! These are 5 star and are going on the “favorites” list.
I love these muffins! Made exactly according to the recipe. The crunchy topping made them special. These will be going to the church bake sale!
These muffins are SO decadent! A deep pumkin flavor combined with a moist, tender crumb, topped off with the delicious crunchy topping. I make them for special gifts, individually wrapped and placed in a pretty basket or decorated box. I also include the web site recipe to introduce the recipient to ONCEUPONACHEF! It’s my “go-to” site for amazing recipes,
Hi, can paper liners be used with the pumpkin muffins?
Sure, Karen, that should work.
Because the top is crispy, what is the best way to transport these so that they do not lose that crispness? Plastic bags would harm that, I would think?
Hi Jane, Yes that’s correct. I’d arrange on a platter and cover them loosely with foil to transport. Hope that helps!
If you make the recipe as is and don’t change a thing they are perfect. I am a recipe tweaker so saying that is something special. The flavour profile is bold and the crumb is moist and tender. It’s the perfect muffin. I’ve sent countless people to this website because I am always asked for the recipe.
on a side note, I really don’t understand changing ingredients and then leaving a poor review. That always annoys me because the review you are leaving reflects YOUR changes, not the recipe posted on the blog. I think it is very unfair to do that when bloggers like Jenn put the effort into getting the ingredients right. If you made the muffins as is and didn’t like them – fill your boots with your negative reviews. (if you don’t like these muffins we can’t be friends because there is something wrong with you).
Letting the community know that apple sauce or brown sugar (which I use) work is very helpful – as is letting the community know that you tried a different ingredient like almond flour and it didn’t work. But rating the recipe poorly because your twist didn’t work is not helpful at all. It lowers the ratings on amazing recipes.
Sorry rant over – I just see this everywhere now. ” I changed the flour to concrete cement and the recipe didn’t work – I’d give it zero stars if I could ” …
so tasty love them
I have always use spelt flour for baking and never had a problem.
I tried this recipe for the first time using spelt flour and it was awful.
I don’t think I will use this recipe again
Your reviewing your recipe not this one. This recipe using the ingredients as directed is a 5 star recipe. Please delete your review of your creation.
I made these one morning because I had leftover pumkin puree. It was easy and my husband and son loved them. Now I make them all year round.? I rate them 5 stars. It makes a great crunchy top.
Fantastic – so light in texture and full of flavor! I didn’t do the streusel, but instead increased the sugar in the muffin (per the recipe) and sprinkled some sunflower seeds on top.
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.
OMG! Made these muffins today and am thrilled to have found a new go to muffin recipe. They are moist, flavorful and delicious. In my opinion some of the best muffins I have tasted in a long time and are easy to prepare. Thank you:)
I made this recipe as written. The muffins are phenomenal.
These are great tasting muffins but holy butter batman! You could cut the butter at least in half.
These are fantastic – even better than my Mom’s (didn’t think that was possible). My husband says they “blow everything else out of the water.” Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!!
Have you tried putting chocolate chips into the batter.
Hi Angela, I haven’t added chocolate chips to these, but if you like the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, you could certainly add some here.
Do you know if I can freeze these?
Yes, Flo — they freeze well. Enjoy!
These were fabulous! They are more like cake than muffins.
Absolutely divine! Very moist and had the perfect amount of pumpkin & spice flavor. And the crunch topping sets these apart. I made them for a family brunch and they received rave reviews. I only changed the sugar in the muffin batter to 3/4 light brown sugar (packed) & 3/4 regular/white sugar. These will definitely become a staple. Thanks for the recipe!
Quick question…I plan to split this recipe in half (small family). Any idea about the number of cups in a 15 ounce can of Libby’s?
Hi Kenya, One can equals 1.75 cups. Hope that helps!
This looks amazing! Do you think I could substitute the spices with “pumpkin spice”?
Yes, that will work. Enjoy!
Thank you!! They turned out fantastic with the pumpkin spice! Yum!
I was wondering how you ‘combine’ the ingredients for the topping? I used room temp. butter and struggled getting it to not just be a few big lumps…? Loved it still though! Thanks for the help!
Hi Shari, The butter for the topping should actually be melted. Hope that helps!
Delicious!
I did not have enough pumpkin so I added 1/2 cup of applesauce. They are moist and flavourful.
I am sure they won’t last long.
First off, I don’t cook and only bake occasionally……so that said, I had a bit of trouble with the direction of “combining” the ingredients for the topping….the butter seemed to make it very difficult(mine was room temp) I would like some more help there please, because I will be making these many times again!! Loved them, so good!!
5star!!!
I had leftover pumpkin purée from making pies and decided to make your pumpkin pecan crunch muffins and I used walnuts instead of pecans as I didn’t have pecans and they made 19! Took them over to my neighbours for coffee and they all loved them !! I have made several of your recipie sin all catagories and have yet to find one that wasn’t a huge hit. Your blog is awesome !! I pass it on to others all the time and am so happy I found your site!!!! Great work!! Can’t wait for your book!
These are SOOOOO good! I used a stoneware muffin pan and a shiny metal pan, both sprayed well. I think the stoneware baked them better and they came out more easily. But no matter – they were delicious! A perfect blend of spices. I loved the topping, I might increase it ever-so-slightly. Oh, and I used brown sugar instead of the raw since I had plenty on hand. I took a dozen to work and everyone raved and asked for more. My husband and I ate the rest!
Has anyone tried this recipe with gf flour?
I used Namaste Gluten free flour and Smart Balance for no Lactose!!
Exquisite
Is that the Perfect Flour Blend from Namaste?
Thanks,
Kim
An update…had no problem getting the muffins out of the pan…one reviewer suggested doubling the topping…I think that would be too much…next time I think I’ll try using 1/2 brown sugar, 1/2 white…muffins are delicious!! My son has requested I NOT share these with anyone!!! LOL!!
Hello
I loved your Pumpkin Bread. Delicious.
I would like to know if I could freeze these muffins and if they would still be delicious without the topping but with nuts baked into the muffins and then heated out of the freezer?
Yes and yes :)!
Delectable. I made a second batch and halved the recipe and they turned out just as good. I got 16 muffins using the full recipe – 8 from the halved recipe. I took some to a neighbour and she called to ask for the recipe!! A definite keeper.
Mine are in the oven at this moment!!…gave it 5 stars based on tasting the batter! Next time I will double the topping…I used non stick muffin pans and wasn’t sure if I still needed to spray them with PAM or if I could have used muffin liners…I sprayed them just in case…I had 18…
I made these last weekend and they did not disappoint! I doubled the topping because, well just because who doesn’t love more crunch topping. The spice level was perfect, not too overwhelming, they reminded me a little of the pumpkin muffin tops from Panera. Another great recipe!!
This recipe converted my husband from hating pumpkin to loving it – at least this recipe. I have also made this in a 9 x 13 pan with equally fabulous results. They are always moist and delicious!!!
Can I omit the pecans from the topping? If I do omit them, would the amount of any other ingredients need to change?
Sure, Gina. And no need to change anything else. Hope you enjoy them!
I too have found this to be a fabulous Pumpkin Muffin recipe – nice moist texture, nicely spiced. Like a few others, I decreased the amount of sugar (personal preference), and added dried cranberries to the batter because I’m addicted to cranberries;) I altered / doubled the Topping and added more pecans and it created a kinda coffeecake Topping which everyone loved. Thanks for the great recipe!!
I made these tonight and am in love! My recipe yielded 2doz muffins. I had walnuts and substituted light brown sugar for the turbinado since I had it on hand. I will make these again!
Awesome muffins!
It reached Israel as well now:)
I was looking for something different because I’m tired of the same fall recipes. This one was perfect. The instructions to use the ice cream scoop was an excellent one. I used three “throw away” muffin tins and increased the bake time by 12 minutes and they came out exactly as pictured. The topping is amazing and I’m sure these are going to be a hit. This will be my new favorite fall recipe when baking for company.
is this than the same recipe as your loaf, if so any different directions time to bake loaf etc.
Hi Donna, this is very similar to the 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)!
These muffins are so yummy! My new favourite pumpkin recipe. I’m enjoying your recipes so much!?
Hello from Berlin!. I’d love to try these but we don’t have tinned pumpkin. There are lots of fresh pumpkins though! Could the recipe be adapted to use fresh pumpkin?
Sure, you can use fresh pumpkin here. Once you’ve roasted it, just use a towel and squeeze out all of the extra liquid you can before proceeding with the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Hello from France I use my own purée made from roasting my own pumpkins, delicious recipe!
Merci
Linda from Normandy
After trying several pumpkin muffin recipes, I discovered and fell in love with this recipe. The warm spices are perfectly balanced, the texture is moist and light. Love, love, love the topping – don’t skip it.
I did decrease the sugar due to my personal preference for a little less sweet in my baking. The family has declared the recipe to be 5 stars.
Just finished baking these delicious muffins. Super moist, love the crunch the topping adds. The perfect sweetness level for my family. Ended up with 22 regular sized muffins, baking for about 25 minutes. Thanks again, Jenn!
I love to make these muffins to keep in the freezer and then reheat for breakfast on school mornings with a dish of Greek yoghurt. The crunchy top is fantastic!!
These muffins made my taste buds sing, they were so ooooo yummy! I used regular sugar for the topping and they still turned out perfect! Will be making these again. . . This week!
Hi Jenn,
My home-from-college son eats no-soy/gluten/dairy. What can I substitute for the flour and butter? I could prob talk him into the butter- but not the flour. Ideas?
Thanks!
Amy
PS: Your site is my go-to for new recipes. We’re addicted to your Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette!
Hi Amy, It looks like some readers have had success making these with gluten-free flour. And you could use a butter substitute like Earth Balance buttery sticks. Hope he enjoys them!
Simply delicious! I baked these in decorative jumbo muffin cups to give as holiday gifts. They are beautiful and delicious.
My family loves these muffins. I made mini-muffins without the topping and regular sized with topping. I followed previous post cook time of 15 minutes for mini. I did not increase the sugar content for mini muffins, just sprinkled a little turbinado sugar on top of each before baking. Thank you for another great recipe!
These were the best thing I ever baked. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I did not have ground cloves and they were still awesome. The topping is to die for.
These are marvelous muffins, Jenn. Light, fluffy and with both a nice spicy pumpkin taste and perfect crunchy topping. My question to you is about the topping. My topping gets slightly hard while I’m making the batter. It is not the type of topping (for me) that I can “sprinkle.” It is more of a solid that I break up to put on muffins. Still tastes great, just not able to be “sprinkled.” Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for your recipes and help. I’m becoming quite the baker because of you!!
Hi Karen, I wouldn’t worry about the topping as long as the end result is good. Working with that kind of topping can be a little tricky so breaking it up on top of the muffins works just fine :). Enjoy!
I would like to bake these in mini muffin tins. Do you recommend changes to temperature? What about the length of the baking time? Thanks so much.
Hi Haya, The temp would be the same. I would start checking for doneness after 15 min. Hope you enjoy them!
Loved the recipe. My go to pumpkin muffin recipe now. Substituted half brown sugar for white (3/4 cup and 3/4 cup) just as a personal preference. Congrats on a keeper.
Undeniably the best muffin I’ve ever made! My daughters and I made them for a fall bake sale and they were a huge hit! Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
They were wonderful even for people that don’t like pumpkin (such as myself). My kids ask for them all the time and my friends love them. I even put them in the freezer and they warm up nicely.
I’ve been baking for decades, and I have to admit, these are the best muffins I’ve ever made! The recipe was perfect, and even the friends who claimed they hated pumpkin loved these. I did use fresh pumpkin. I’ll be using this recipe again and again and am so glad I found your site.
These were so good! My entire fam loved them! Thanks for posting
Pure awesomeness!!!
I’ve made these twice, I’m making them a 3rd time for a adult birthday tomorrow. They are amazingly good!! My family lived them. My in-laws loved them and I’m sure they will be a big hit tomorrow!! Thank you for this recipe!!
Can you freeze these muffins?
Hi Virginia, Yes, they freeze well.
Thank you for the information. And, thank you for sharing this recipe. It is a favorite of many here in upstate New York.
Perfect for Fall baking! I have made these muffins twice this week and my family loved them. These are as good or better than what you might by from a bakery. They come together quickly and scent the entire house with cozy yumminess! I have a 12 muffin silicone pan, so I just made super big muffins and baked them for 35 minutes. They are perfect alone or for breakfast with a swipe of cream cheese. Also, Jenn – thank you for your helpful tips and taking the time to explain your techniques. I never knew that the key to crunchy topping is to use raw sugar. Thank you for another winner! xo
Looking for a recipe to make, wrap, and mail to my college daughter for her birthday. These sound wonderful–do you think they will hold up to being mailed (and be tasty after 2 or 3 days in the mail system)? Thanks!
Hi Marla, These keep well and stay very moist, so yes 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I would like to try these today, or else try your pumpkin bread. My question is, I don’t have ground cloves, only nutmeg and cinnamon, should I put 1 1/2 tsp of each of them instead of the cloves? Also, could I make the pumpkin bread with the topping that you use on the muffins?
Hi Mary, I would just omit the cloves and keep the other spices the same. And yes to the topping on the pumpkin bread 🙂
Awesome muffins! They were so light and fluffy, you should declare them cake! And then top them with cream cheese frosting. Delish!
I love this idea!!! I would put the nuts in the batter and skip the sugar topping!
Love the topping!! My daughter says they are her favorite now!
I followed the recipe but some of my muffins burned along the edges in the tin. I have had problems finding baking sheets/muffin tins that don’t burn my cookies. Any suggestions??
Hi Sarah, Have you checked to make sure your oven temperature is accurate? Sounds like it might be running hot.
Excellent Recipe! Followed all directions except a little less clove and a tad bit more cinnamon. Whole family loving them!
My New FAVORITE Pumpkin recipe! I even made it with Gluten free flour and less then a can of pumpkin and it was still very moist and delicious! My 8 yr old loved it too! Thank you for sharing!! 6 Stars!!
I ran out of white sugar for the batter and used light brown sugar instead. They turned out absolutely delicious!
Just made these this morning, used chia seed eggs instead of eggs (I ran out) and used coconut oil instead of butter, used 1 cup sugar added coconut and raisins, increased the cinnamon to 1.5tsp instead of cloves and just topped with a little sprinkle of sugar instead of the topping and OMG these are amazing. So moist and flavorful. My new go to pumpkin muffin, will be looking at some of your other recipes now! Thank you for sharing
Hi jenn,
Just thought I’d report on how it went with using sweet potatoes. The muffins definitely tasted great, however they were still rather heavy and dense in the center, even with a little extra baking time. I prefer them to have a much lighter crumb and be more cake like. I’ve found this to be the problem with every sweet potato muffin I’ve ever tried though. I would love to see you create a recipe that didn’t have this issue! All in all though, we all still enjoyed the muffins.
Hi Jenn,
I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and am absolutely loving it. Thanks for all the awesome recipes! I was wondering if I could substitute sweet potato for the pumpkin in this recipe?
Hi Katie, Glad you are enjoying the recipes! Yes, sweet potato should work. Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
Just made for Easter Brunch and they are fantastic. Everyone thought they were the best muffins ever!
Hi Jenn, I really dislike butter, can I use some type of oil for these muffins on the top, that wouldn’t ruin the taste?
I found your blog last week when looking for a recipe for Shrimp Tacos, yours was unbelievably delicious. I made your Vietnamese Carmelized Shrimp on Thursday, fabulous. Your Spinach & Gruyere Quiche last night, there is only one slice left and there were only two of us eating! Tonight I am making your Thai Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups. Tomorrow I am bringing your Crab Cakes and Coconut Dream Pie to an Easter dinner. I have many cookbooks and websites I use to find recipes, but yours is truly the best!! Thank you!
Hi Mary, Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback…so glad you are enjoying the recipes! For the topping, I would use shortening instead of oil. Good luck, and hope you enjoy them 🙂
I just made these muffins and they are awesome. At Christmas I was given a mason jar of homemade chunky pumpkin pie filling. Since the spices were already in the pumpkin I simply folowed the recipe minus the spices and made the topping a little drier by adding a couple TBS of extra flour. My husband ,who is not a pumpkin anything fan ,loves them and I know I will be using this recipe over and over again. Tomorrow I am going to take a couple of the muffins to the person who gave me the filling. That’s how wonderful they turned out! Thanks for the recipe.
I just made these and they are fantastic. Moist, light crumb. I added 2 additional tablespoons of flour to the topping as a reviewer suggested and it was perfect. The family absolutely loved them!
These are very good. I had all the ingredients except the sugar for the topping so I used a brown sugar streusel topping and it was a winner. I can tell these will be a family favorite so next time I will have to double batch.
I was looking for recipes I could adapt for using coconut oil instead of other types of fats. My mother has Alzheimer’s and coconut oil has been shown to significantly lessen symptoms for some people when used in dosages of roughly one tablespoon three times a day. So I substituted organic, non-refined coconut oil for butter in the topping and the batter. I also added a tablespoon of butter buds to the topping mixture. Then, after baking, I brushed the tops lightly with real butter and put a very light dusting of real sugar. Love the demerara but added this too for a tiny bit more sweetness when biting in. The only other thing I changed is I grated almost a whole nutmeg nut into the batter instead of using pre-ground nutmeg. It’s amazing how much better it tastes when freshly grated. These muffins turned out to be absolutely delicious! Thanks so much.
I should add that where I said “real sugar” I meant white cane sugar. I also toasted the tops of the muffins (barely) after brushing on the butter and sprinkle of sugar. I had to be careful because they will burn in an instant. Toasting gave the pecans a great flavor as well.
Can I use this cupcake recipe as a bread? and put the topping on top of the bread?
Hi Janice, Yes, it will work well.
I am a pastry chef who creates desserts for an upscale restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. We opened for brunch each Sunday this December and I looked around the web for some good muffin and scone recipes. These were some of the best muffins I’ve ever tasted ~ fine textured, deeply moist, delicate, tender, and full of flavor. They were a huge hit with our guests and I have found my Pumpkin Muffin recipe for life !!! I noticed that the topping looked as if it melted/baked into the muffin a bit and I preferred that mine not spread like that- so by adding a few more tablespoons of flour to the topping – I got just what I wanted…a sandy, light, and crunchy topping that sat upon the muffins in a nutty crunchy canopy. Couldn’t recommend these more !!! I made larger muffins than the ones depicted- and they baked just fine in the giant muffin tins- losing no moistness in the longer baking time. I assume they would be delightful as mini’s as well. Thank you !!!
Very nice texture and flavor but much too sweet. Made them with the topping but next time I”ll decrease the sugar in the batter to 1 cup.
I had to substitute the flour and butter in this recipe to accommodate for gluten & lactose allergies. Ended up using Krusteaz gluten free flour and Earth Balance buttery sticks. Exchanged them with the same quantities. What a treat! No one knew that they were even GF!
This is a fantastic recipe and a new favorite of mine. It also works well with fresh pumpkin -no canned options available in Switzerland.
Can’t wait to try your pumpkin cornbread muffins!
Love you site Jenn – it’s become my “go to” for new ideas.
These muffins are absolutely delicious they are the best I have ever made!
So good!! I am gluten and dairy free, so I made these with the Namaste gluten free flour blend, and raw coconut oil instead of butter. I also only used 1/2 cup evaporated organic cane sugar and 1/2 cup agave in lieu of all the sugar, and threw in some dried unsweetened coconut I had on hand. They turned out amazing, with the perfect sweetness. Will definitely be making them again. Thank you for the recipe!!
These are wonderful!
I made them last week and I don’t know that I’ve ever had so many requests for a recipe.
These muffins are amazing!! Love the recipe. Question, how long do they keep (covered) at room temperature? Or should they be refrigerated? Thank you!!
Hi Stephanie, So glad you like the muffins! They keep well covered at room temp for several days.
Can I substitute hachiya persimmons for pumpkins?
Sorry, Din, I don’t think that will work.
I made these on faith for a group of customers staying in cabins on a friend’s ranch. I made a double batch and thought I’d have some left to take home, but they were gone! These muffins are moist, pumpkiny and spicy-delicious. The pecan crunch on top enhances the taste and texture of the muffins. Definitely will be my go-to recipe.
Why don’r you bclude nutrition info for your recipes?
Hi Lesa, I just recently started including nutritional information. All of my new recipes have it underneath the recipe on the “Recipe” tab. I am still going back through my archives and adding it to older recipes. Just added to this one for you. Hope that helps!
Great recipe! I used half brown sugar and half stevia (1 cup total). The original recipe was way too sweet for my liking. I also used half a cup of olive oil (didn’t have the butter), added wheat germ to the dry ingredients and some almond milk. Yum! Next time I’m going to put the nuts in the muffins instead of as a topping.
These muffins are beyond delicious! A wonderful blend of sugar to savory, and perfectly moist. I woke up one morning to the realization that I had forgotten to bake for my daughters Preschool class, and these were so easy, quick, and the recipe was easy to follow, even before my morning coffee. Her teachers said they were a hit, with “mmm’s” and “yummy’s!” all around the table. The addition of the crunchy sugary top gives the muffins an extra level of deliciousness, and was so simple. I only had walnuts on hand, and they were very good as well. This recipe will be in permanent rotation from now on in our household, in fact I’m making them again today because I only got one the other day, and I want more!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Great and simple recipe! Moistest pumpkin muffin I’ve ever had. YUM!
I just finished making these and they are marvelous! There’s a rich pumpkin taste that I’ve been looking for in many recipes and I have finally found it in this one. Also, my husband isn’t a huge fan of pecans and he just loved them 🙂 thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Yum! Pumpkin and nuts, my 2 favorite ingredients. 🙂
Confused about the toppings ingredients. The recipe says to use “3 tablespoons of butter” in the toppings ingredients list, but then the recipe description doesn’t say anything about adding the butter, and says to “sprinkle” to topping on, which makes it sound like the butter was a mistake. Can someone tell me if I’m supposed to add butter to the topping or keep it dry? If dry, hopefully they can update the recipe. Thanks.
Hi Ell, For the topping, combine the flour, butter, demerara sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl. It will be a dry mixture, even with the butter, so you will be able to sprinkle it on.
I made these yesterday and the smell while baking was intoxicating. I am giving most of them away to the PO workers, where I have a PO box. They are always so friendly and love my baking. I will let you know, but am thinking they will love them. We sampled them and they are delicious! Thank you.
These are amazing. I have made them twice. The second time I used walnuts instead of pecans and they were just as delicious. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
These are the BEST. I make them without the topping and my kids love them and I have topped them with a cream cheese frosting. Delish!!!!!
Love, love , love yet another amazing recipe .
I look forward to new emails and recipes all the time.
I’ve printed and used so many of your recipes that I’ve had to start a OUAC binder
Keep them coming!
Yum! Made these without the topping (no nuts in our house) and didn’t see the additional sugar note at bottom of recipe – muffins were perfectly sweet without the additional sugar. Because we live at 7,000 ft I added a splash of spiced apple cider. This recipe is going in the recipe box!
These muffins are absolutely fabulous. Totally threatening my weight watchers points but worth it!
These are soooo good! i used Macadamia Nuts in stead of Pecans since I live in HI. My co workers couldn’t stop eating them!
These were AMAZING!!!!!
These are scrumptious! When the leaves start to fall and you feel a chill in the air, my family must have these muffins. Thank you for this recipe!
My honey says they are really good!
The best! I baked it at work. We don’t have pecans because of nut allergy. Instead I used the coconut crunch toppings they use for ” Lazy Daisy Cake”.
Thank you very much for sharing this awesome very moist muffin 🙂
Okay, autum is here, and I have made these pumpkin muffins three times in the last two weeks…i used any excuse to make them for someone!! They are perfect, I added a little vanilla and only had brown sugar for the topping and they turned out great! Thanks again Jennifer! Can’t wait to try another recipe. I try at least one new recipe a week!
Just made these, and half way into the process realized I didn’t have any ground cloves and no way to grind my whole cloves – 5 minutes into a mortar & pestle attempt I realized there weren’t going to be any cloves in my muffins… so I took it a little different direction at that point, using cinnamon and nutmeg per recipe and just added about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Delicious! But I probably wouldn’t add choc chips if I’d have had the ground cloves, but I’d totally do it again this way, too!
These muffins are a great addition to an autumn breakfast or brunch. When I made them, I reduced the cloves to 1/2 teaspoon since the flavor is a little over powering for my taste. Increasing the cinnamon by 1/2 teaspoon helped balance the loss of the cloves. Haven’t tried this yet but, I thought I might substitute pumpkin pie spice next time. Added 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans to the batter for a little extra texture and flavor. Additionally, I used salted butter and eliminated the added salt. The raw sugar is a perfect addition to the topping for that sugary crunch.
I commented on the pumpkin bread version of this recipe, but seeing as I’ve made these muffins…oh, about 8 or 9 times now, I thought I’d comment on them, too. Simply put, these muffins are TO DIE FOR. I’m a bit of a pumpkin bread/muffin connoisseur, and I would always try a new recipe each time I made pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins, hoping to find the perfect one. Well, my search is over—there isn’t a recipe out there that tops these! I think the key is the amount of spice in the batter: a whole teaspoon of cloves and nutmeg is what really sets them apart. Most other recipes use only 1/4 tsp. or so, but the full teaspoon (especially of the cloves) gives them a spicy kick. And thanks to all the butter, the muffins are just so moist and tender. I’ve delivered batches of these to new neighbors, brought them to meetings, and served them to family, and people go nuts over them. I’ve actually become famous among my husband’s co-workers for these muffins. They’re that good! Thank you once again, Jenn, for sharing this recipe and making people think I’m a talented baker! (I’ve directed so many people to your website as a result of these muffins…they’re a great advertisement!)
So nice to hear, Allie. Thank you!
so good, going to try adding cranberries next time
These are so delicious and I love the crunchy topping.
These muffins are a perfect addition to a weekend brunch menu. Easy and very tasty. They are requested by my family all the time.
I had some pumpkin puree in the freezer and wanted to make room for some other things, so this was perfect. Very nice taste and texture and so quick and easy.
these pumpkin muffins look scrumptious, I will definitely be trying these. I also love pumpkin anything.
Sounds really really yummy! Already planning on making these for the next get together!
I am new to your blog and these look delish! I cannot wait to try them — pumpkin anything is my favorite!
These are the best! Everyone I have given them to has asked for the recipe!!
These are truly amazing…..my favorite pumpkin muffins ever!
How did I pass this recipe the first time around?! Well, autumn has finally hit the region, so I’ll be making these shortly. Thanks!
Made these this week and they are FABULOUS! Moist and tender insides with that wonderful sweet pecan topping! I used freshly grated nutmeg and they were to die for! Will be making lots of these! Your recipes never disappoint! Thanks! Carol
Delish! We loved these!
Sounds delicious….I plan on baking tomorrow. Let u know how it turns out …
Made these for a party the other day and they were a huge hit. They were gone in a flash. Thanks!
What a perfect flavor combination!!!!
Just made these and they are the best muffins I have ever tasted. Thank you for the recipe it is fantastic!
I have to make these! I made your recipe for pumpkin bread a few weeks ago and it disappeared. Absolutely fantastic!
I have to try these, although it’s very difficult to get canned (or fresh for that matter) pumpkin here in Norway. I will find it… these muffins are definitely happening!
I just baked these and they are quite good. I think I need to replace my spices though as they are not real spices. I will definitely bake these again.
Thanks much for sharing.
Gosh, these look amazing. I have two cans of pumpkin, very hard to come by in the UK, I might use mine for these 😀
*kisses* HH
I love pumpkin bars and bread recipes, and muffins are no exception. The topping is awesome. I am a total sweet nut and I melted when I read the sugar topping described. Brilliant.
Oooh these look delicious! That topping sounds just delicious…hopefully we don’t look too suspicious as we pile packets of sugar in the raw into our pockets…!