Dorothy KernPumpkin Muffins are the perfect way to use up that pumpkin puree! We love making these muffins for breakfast and look forward to them all year. This recipe makes the best pumpkin muffins: they’re easy, fast and fluffy!
If you want to make the perfect fall muffin then this is the one for you – your kids will like them even if they say they don’t like pumpkin!
I made these muffins the other morning just before a friend came over to work out with me. She walked in and couldn’t stop talking about how good my house smelled; it smelled like fall!
Whenever I bake Pumpkin Muffins or pumpkin bread it makes the whole house smell amazing. It’s one of the reasons I look forward to pumpkin season – the smells! I can open a jar of pumpkin pie spice and just be transported to the holidays.
Do you ever have those times when you bake with pumpkin, maybe a pie or bread or cookies, and you have a cup of pumpkin puree left over? That’s when you should make this muffin recipe!
Pumpkin is so good for breakfast!
It’s so easy to add pumpkin puree to breakfast recipes. It’s kind of like applesauce; it doesn’t add a ton of flavor but can add a moistness to baked goods and be substituted for oil.
I’ve added pumpkin to breads and pancakes and now it’s time to make muffins!
These easy pumpkin muffins are made from scratch!
Muffins and quick bread are the easiest things to bake from scratch. All you need to make the batter is a one bowl and a wooden spoon: no mixer needed!
If you notice some leftover pumpkin puree in your refrigerator, it’s time to make muffins.
How do you make pumpkin muffins?
You just need a few main ingredients:
- Pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice
- Milk and eggs
- Oil
- Sugar
Make sure you’re using canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree in a can is cooked pumpkin and is just as good – but easier – than making it from scratch.
Milk and eggs are important for baking; the proteins create a strong batter. The sugar and fat in milk tenderize or moisten baked goods, and the eggs help with stability and rise (tenderness).
I used non-fat milk in these muffins, but you wouldn’t know it’s missing the fat because the pumpkin keeps the muffins super moist. However, if you only have reduced-fat or full-fat milk in your refrigerator, feel free to use one of those instead.
You can also use a nondairy milk in this recipe – almond milk or soy, etc. Just substitute it 1:1 with the milk called for in the recipe.
This easy muffin recipe has brown sugar and granulated sugar. I like using both in fall flavor muffins because the brown sugar adds a lot of extra flavor because of the molasses in it. Plus, I find that brown sugar recipes are more tender.
Since pumpkin is a great substitute for oil, this recipe has very little fat: just 1/3 cup of oil for the entire batch! I don’t like leaving out the oil all together because it definitely makes the muffins nice and moist.
Don’t forget the pumpkin spice! When you’re making pumpkin muffins (or anything pumpkin for that matter), you have to add all the pumpkin spices to the batter so it actually tastes like what we’ve come to think pumpkin flavor is. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own with my DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe.
For a nice surprise, top the muffins with cinnamon sugar before baking!
PRO TIP
I love to sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of these muffins before baking too. It gives them a nice crunchy top with a little extra sweetness.
Pumpkin Muffin Variations
This pumpkin muffin recipe is kind of a blank slate. You can use this as a base muffin recipe for any mix-ins! Add:
- Chocolate Chips
- Peanut Butter Cups
- Maple Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting
- Nuts or any other mix in!
These taste great out of the oven, or you can store them in an airtight container or even freeze them for later. I love having a batch in my freezer for fast morning breakfasts!
Learn how to freeze desserts!
This pumpkin muffin recipe will become your favorite fall breakfast.
Other pumpkin breakfast recipes:
Serve these for brunch with:
Have you made this recipe?
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BEST Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/3 cup Fat-Free Milk , or use any milk or nondairy milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin liners.
- Stir (or mix with hand mixer) together granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and oil until smooth. Stir in salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs.
- Add vinegar, milk, and flour and stir or mix until no lumps remain.
- Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffin. Cool slightly before eating.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month. To defrost, heat in microwave or let sit on the counter.
Recipe Notes
- To make your own cinnamon sugar, mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon and stir. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
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All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Published on: October 23, 2019
I mostly use organic milk (not Horizons, because we don’t have this brand here) too! I like the taste more. Also the little pumpkins you use as decorations are so cute and the perfect accessory to your muffins!
Gracias por compartir.estas.recetas deliciosas.
You’re soooo a w e s o m e.
Thank you for your best post ever. Great recipes plus kindness and sensitivity to animals. I’m informed as a result of this information. I want to do the same. From this point on, I’m only buying organic milk and eggs.
THANK YOU for the enlightenment!!