A surefire way to know that fall is in full effect is when you see pumpkin spice everything starting to show up. Whether you’re in the pro or con camp, these pumpkin spice muffins should please any crowd. With the taste and smell of Autumn, these muffins are moist and delicious and great for breakfast or an anytime snack.
Another great start to some fall baking, these pumpkin spice muffins come together quickly and easily, aren’t overly sweet, and make a great snack anytime of the day or a grab-n-go breakfast when you’re on the move. They’re also easily adaptable for different sizes, toppings, or mix-ins, which we’ll talk about later.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Most of the ingredients for pumpkin spice muffins are simple pantry staples, with the obvious addition of some pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
Flour – The structure of the muffin. All-purpose flour here is fine. You could also swap in some whole-wheat flour for a denser and hearty muffin flavor.
Leaveners – I like to use both baking powder and soda here for a good rise.
Spices – Pumpkin pie spice is perfect here, with some additional cinnamon. A pinch of salt as well. If you don’t have any on hand, you can also make your own pumpkin pie spice.
Sugar – A combination of white and brown sugar works well here. I use slightly more brown sugar to white, and with only 1 ¼ cups total, it’s not an overly sweet muffin. I also topped these with some demerara sugar, but any course sugar will work.
Pumpkin Puree – Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is pre-sweetened and seasoned. If you use homemade puree, be sure to squeeze out excess liquid first.
Oil – Use a neutral flavored oil like vegetable or canola here. I’m a fan of butter, but the water content between butter and the pumpkin wouldn’t give you as much retained moisture as oil.
Eggs – Help with structure, rise, and moisture. 2 large eggs will be enough.
Milk – Added moisture. Since you’re only using a ¼ cup, any milk will be fine. Whole and buttermilk are both good choices, but any milk you have on hand should be fine, including non-dairy.
Vanilla – Like most baked treats, a splash of extract adds just a pop of flavor.
Toppings – Dealer’s choice here. You could leave them plain, topped with coarse sugar, or a crumb/streusel topping. I’ll add ingredients and instructions for both in the recipe card.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Muffins
The nice thing about muffins is that you can make them by hand and don’t have to wait for ingredients to be room temperature since you’re not creaming stuff. Mix the dry, mix the wet, combine and bake.
Pre-heat your oven to 425°F/220°C.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined and set aside.
In another mixing bowl, add the sugars, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until fully combined and the sugar has dissolved.
Now add the flour mixture into the wet mixture in 3-4 increments, whisking together with each addition. Try not to over-mix the batter, and after you add the final batch of the flour mixture, mix until just combined.
Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper or silicone liners, or spray with a flour baking spray. Fill each muffin cup to the top and add your choice of topping. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C. Continue baking another 15-18 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out mostly clean. Place muffin pan on a cooling rack until cool enough to remove the muffins.
Pumpkin Spice Muffin Alternatives & Storage
Alternatives
Whole-Wheat Flour – If you’re a fan of whole-wheat flavor and like a denser muffin, swap about 1 cup of the AP flour for whole-wheat. So now use 1 ¼ cups all-purpose and 1 cup whole-wheat.
Mix-Ins – You can add in almost any kind of fruit or nut that you wish, a few great flavor choices would be chocolate chips, pecans, or walnuts. When you mix the last of the flour into the wet mixture, add up to 1 cup of a mix-in and gently fold them in at the end.
Toppings – As mentioned above, you can leave these muffins plain, or top with sugar or streusel. The pictured muffins use about 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar and ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Any course sugar is fine, and turbinado is usually easier to find. For a crumb topping, mix flour, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and melted butter. Add the toppings right before placing in the oven.
Sizes – This recipe is for 12 standard muffins, but you could also make jumbo or mini muffins instead. To make jumbo muffins, change the baking times to 5 minutes at 450°F/220°C and another 20-25 minutes at 350°F/180°C. For mini muffins, skip the initial high heat and bake at 350°F/175°C for 12-14 minutes.
Storage
Muffins stored in an air-tight container tend to turn soggy as the moisture moves from the inside to the outside of the muffin. If you wish to store muffins at room temperature, allow them to cool completely, then line a container or zipper lock bag with a paper towel and place the muffins on top, with another paper towel covering the tops. This will soak up the moisture and the muffins should keep for 3-4 days like this.
Alternatively, you can store in a container or bag in the refrigerator for up to a week, but it will reduce the quality and change the texture of the muffins. You can also freeze the muffins in a container or bag for up to 3 months
📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
Coarse Topping:
- 1 ½ tablespoons coarse sugar, (like demerara or turbinado)
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Or Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , melted
Pumpkin Spice Muffins:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar , packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ cup neutral oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Pre-heat your oven to 425°F/220°C.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the 2 ¼ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, add the ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, ½ cup oil, 2 eggs, ¼ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk together until fully combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Now add the flour mixture into the wet mixture in 3-4 increments, whisking together with each addition. Try not to over-mix the batter, and after you add the final batch of the flour mixture, mix until just combined.
- Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper or silicone liners, or spray with a flour baking spray. Fill each muffin cup to the top and add your choice of topping. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C. Continue baking another 15-18 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out mostly clean. Place muffin pan on a cooling rack until cool enough to remove the muffins.
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