Baking
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins (Moist, With Cinnamon Crumb)
Moist pumpkin muffins with cinnamon-spice batter and a buttery crumb top. Whisk-by-hand batter, 12 muffins, baked at 375°F in about 24 minutes.
By the Forkful editorial team · Published
Quick answer
Whisk ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup oil, 1¼ cups pumpkin purée and vanilla, then whisk in the leavening and spices and fold in 1⅔ cups flour. Fill 12 lined cups, add the crumb and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 22–26 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 24 min
- Total
- 49 min
- Makes
- 12 muffins
Total time includes 10 min of hands-off waiting (resting, rising, chilling or cooling).
Pumpkin muffins are one of the fast-rising recipe searches of the US autumn: Google Trends shows "pumpkin muffin recipe" up about 600% over the past 90 days. They are the grab-and-go version of pumpkin bread, ready in under an hour with one bowl and a whisk.
This recipe uses canned pumpkin purée and oil for a tender crumb that stays moist for days, plus a simple cinnamon crumb for a bakery-style top. The amounts follow the standard pumpkin muffin formula (roughly 1¼ cups purée for 12 muffins) rather than a guess, and no mixer is needed.
Ingredients
Change the number and every amount updates automatically.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed (50 g)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable (100 ml)
- 1 ¼ cups pumpkin purée, not pie filling (285 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (200 g)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, for the crumb (40 g)
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar, for the crumb (40 g)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon, for the crumb
- 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed, for the crumb (42 g)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the upper third. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- For the crumb, stir the ⅓ cup flour, 3 tbsp brown sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon, then rub in the cold butter with your fingers until it forms small clumps. Chill it while you make the batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar and eggs for about a minute, until pale and slightly thick. Whisk in the oil, then the pumpkin and vanilla.
- Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add the 1⅔ cups flour and fold just until no dry streaks remain; stop as soon as it comes together.
- Divide the batter among the 12 cups (about three-quarters full) and sprinkle the crumb on top.
- Bake for 22–26 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then move to a rack.
Tips for the best result
- 1Check the can: you want 100% pumpkin purée. Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced and changes the recipe.
- 2Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixed muffin batter bakes up tough and tunnelled.
- 3Fill the cups about three-quarters full for a domed top; start checking at 22 minutes because oven strength varies.
- 4Rest the batter 10 minutes before baking if you have time; the flour hydrates and the muffins rise a little more evenly.
Storage
Keep the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature or warm 20 seconds in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned purée?
Yes. Roast or steam the flesh until soft, purée it and drain it in a sieve for 15 minutes first, because homemade purée holds more water than canned.
Why are my pumpkin muffins dense or gummy?
Usually the batter was overmixed or the muffins needed a few more minutes. Fold just until the flour is gone, and bake until a toothpick in the centre is clean.
Can I make these with pumpkin pie spice?
Yes. Replace the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in the batter with 1¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
