Pumpkin Muffins
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Sink your teeth into the ultimate fall treat: pumpkin muffins topped with a can’t-resist pecan streusel!
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, this recipe has truly withstood the test of time. Like most sweet quick breads, it’s easily transformed into muffins. In this pumpkin muffin recipe, I use nearly the same batter—which, by the way, is so delicious that there are always negotiations over who gets to lick the bowl and beaters! I then spoon it into a muffin tin and crown each with a cinnamon-spiced pecan streusel for an irresistible crunch. Even my kids, who claim I “ruin everything with nuts,” love the topping.
Table of Contents
“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: Provides structure and texture to the batter and forms the base of the streusel. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- BUTTER: Used in the batter for richness and flavor. Additionally, it binds the streusel ingredients together, helping create a crumbly texture.
- DEMERARA SUGAR: Adds sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor to the streusel topping. Also called turbinado or raw cane sugar.
- CHOPPED PECANS: Provide crunch and nuttiness, enhancing the texture and flavor of the streusel.
- BAKING POWDER AND BAKING SODA: Act as leavening agents helping the muffins rise.
- CLOVES, CINNAMON AND NUTMEG: These pumpkin pie spices add warm flavor notes characteristic of pumpkin treats.
- GRANULATED SUGAR: Adds sweetness and contributes to a moist texture.
- EGGS: Add richness and help bind the muffin ingredients together.
- CANNED PUMPKIN PURÉE: Provides moisture and pumpkin flavor. Make sure to purchase 100% pure pumpkin — not pumpkin pie filling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin with the streusel topping: Combine the flour, butter, demerara sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl.
The mixture will be quite wet. Set aside. (Note: If you want to plan ahead a bit, the streusel topping can be made up three days ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready for use.)
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! If canned pumpkin isn’t available where you live, or you’d just prefer to use fresh, that’s not a problem. For baking, the most flavorful pumpkins are smaller than those typically associated with Jack-O-Lanterns. They’re usually in the 4 to 8-pound range and are referred to as sugar, cooking, or pie pumpkins. This detailed piece from King Arthur Flour provides guidance on how to convert a whole pumpkin into purée that can be used in any of my pumpkin baked goods, pumpkin butter, or pumpkin soup.
You can just omit the pecans. The streusel will still be delicious.
Yes, 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.
Yep, if you’re craving a plain muffin, simply omit the topping and add an extra ¼ cup of sugar to the batter.
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.
- Note: 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.
Comments
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I made these yesterday and they are yummy! Followed the recipe exactly except went a bit lighter on the cloves. Will make again for sure.
Dropped cloves to 1/4 tsp. Didn’t do topping. Very moist but too sweet for me .. would try again with 1/2 the sugar.
Too much cloves. It was overwhelming. Ended up throwing out half of them sadly as my husband wouldn’t eat them. I love pumpkin flavoured treats so I will try again maybe and cut back or use pumpkin spice. I asked before but never got an answer. Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pure pumpkin? My husband bought this by mistake. I ended up buying and using the right stuff but I’m curious since I have it in my pantry now.
Hi Judy, I’m sorry you found the cloves to be overpowering! I hope you have better luck if you try them again (and unfortunately, pumpkin pie filling won’t work here).
I was a little worried when I saw there was no milk in the recipe, but I decided to try it anyway. These are fabulous and very moist. I think next time, though, I will just add the nuts to the batter (my daughter thinks the nuts “burn” when they are on top–I say they are toasted!) and then sprinkle on a bit of demerara sugar and save the whole streusel family drama. The other thing we liked about these muffins is that the spice level is spectacular. Equal amounts of all three spices means that you actually can taste the cloves and the nutmeg along with the cinnamon!
Excellent! So moist and delicious! I didn’t make the topping because I have a nut allergy but I sprinkled four with a pumpkin granola from Costco, left four plain and put chocolate chips in four for my stepdaughter. The pumpkin curdled when I added it to the butter which was strange (must have been the difference in temp?) but it didn’t affect the baking. I’ll make these again!
While these muffins are indeed yummy, they are severely lacking in moisture. Perhaps it was because I used homemade pumpkin puree that was strained? Perhaps it was because I didn’t keep them in the pan long enough to cool before moving to a rack? Whatever the reason, I believe the recipe can definitely benefit from sour cream or cream cheese as a moisture locking aid. Very yummy overall. I will make again with some alterations.
I use homemade pumpkin purée (untrained) and they are super moist baked at 33 minutes for my oven.
Great muffin recipe! Thank you!
I skipped the topping and still came out delicious. Sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top instead.
Wow! The most moist, flavorful muffins that I have ever had, and that crunchy, nutty topping is perfection ! I baked these for the first time today. The recipe made 6 jumbos with some batter left over. They were finished baking at 30 minutes and the first one devoured,with an embarrassing amount of butter, after 15 minutes of cooling ! Fantastic! Thank you, Jenn.
I made these today — first of all, they look absolutely gorgeous, like I bought them at a coffee shop! I was surprised that they were a lot less sweet than I expected. I am not sure how my family will respond to that but I like this recipe a lot and will probably make it again in the future!
The best pumpkin muffin I’ve ever made!