These Pumpkin Muffins are my new favorite homemade muffin! They’re soft, fluffy, moist, and loaded with Fall flavor! Easy to make and absolutely irresistible, this moist pumpkin muffin recipe can be whipped up in under 30 minutes! Recipe includes plenty of tips and a how-to video.
Topped with a crumbly, buttery streusel and a simple glaze, these easy pumpkin muffins are every bit as delectable as my pumpkin cupcakes, but slightly more suitable for breakfast! If you happen to not have pumpkin pie spice on hand you can always whip up a batch of my homemade pumpkin spice!
The Best Pumpkin Muffins
The amount of pumpkin puree that I’ve gone through in the past few weeks is slightly obscene. Not quite as obscene as the amount of pumpkin muffins I’ve consumed over the past few days, but close.
I have a few more pumpkin recipes coming your way this beautiful Fall season, but these are my current favorite (OK, they’re tied with the pumpkin cheesecake). With their buttery streusel topping and their moist and flavorful pumpkin-y centers, they rival my banana muffins in terms of favorite muffins ever. Guaranteed to be a bright spot in anyone’s morning.
Just look at them!
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins
Good news: It’s easy!
- Melt your butter, but let it cool so that it’s no longer warm to the touch (if it’s too hot it’ll melt your sugar and that’s just no good).
- Stir in sugars, eggs, pumpkin puree, and milk.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Gradually, with a light hand stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Remember, when making muffins it’s important that you don’t over-work the ingredients or you could end up with dense, dry muffins. Stir just until combined.
- Portion batter into muffin tin, top with streusel (more on that below) and bake! If desired top with vanilla glaze.
It’s Really All About the Streusel
The streusel for these pumpkin muffins is similar to the one that I use on my favorite coffee cake recipe. It’s buttery and crisp against the super soft and moist pumpkin muffin interior and it takes these muffins from delicious to irresistible.
Instead of using cold butter and working that into the sugar and flour with a pastry cutter, I prefer a simpler method of using melted butter. We’ll work that into the dry ingredients with a fork. It’s not only easier, but lends itself to a more buttery streusel — and did I mention it’s easier to make!? 
One thing to keep in mind for successful streusel is don’t over-work the ingredients.
The key to good streusel is a mixture that’s nice and clumpy, so don’t break up the clumps that form as you stir in your butter. If you over-work your streusel you’ll end up with a weird paste rather than the crumbly topping that we’re aiming for. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll still taste good (ask me how I know) but aim for a clumpy, crumbly topping, as shown above.
Other Fall Recipes You May Enjoy
My video for How to Make Pumpkin Muffins is at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching my recipe videos, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!
The Best Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 10 minutes (170g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ¼ cup light brown sugar 50g
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten (room temperature preferred)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree¹ 240g
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 156g
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (click the link for instructions to make your own pumpkin spice)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping²
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 156g
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar tightly packed 100g
- 1/3 cup sugar 66g
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter³ melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch 85g
Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar 65g
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners (or lightly grease and flour). Set aside.
- Combine melted, cooled butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and stir well.
- Stir in eggs. Add pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract and stir well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon until well-combined.
- Add your dry ingredients into your wet and gently stir until just combined, taking care to not overmix the batter.
- Evenly divide muffin batter into prepared muffin tins (filling each ¾ full). Set aside while you prepare your streusel.
Streusel
- Prepare your streusel by whisking together flour, sugars and cinnamon.
- Pour the melted butter into the mixture and, using a fork, stir until crumbles form. Don't overwork the streusel or you'll end up with a paste, you want it to be nice and clumpy!
- Using your hands, evenly divide streusel over muffin batter, piling the streusel over the batter and gently pressing the topping into the batter.
- Bake on 375F (190C) for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow muffins to cool before serving.
Glaze
- If desired, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over cooled pumpkin muffins
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
I originally published this recipe 10/3/2018. Post updated with new pictures and more notes 10/4/2019.
Chelsea says
October 18, 2019 at 5:04 pmHi! I tried out your recipe today and thought I followed it to a T so I’m not sure where I went wrong. The batter was more liquidy than yours in your video and the entire thing melted and bubbled over without cooking in the oven.. it’s a total mess! Has this happened to you before? Any tips on a second try?
Sam says
October 18, 2019 at 7:15 pmHi Chelsea! My first guess would be that the butter was too hot and melted the sugar, is that possible? You did use 1 + 1/4 cups flour, right?
Joyce says
October 13, 2019 at 5:22 pmThese muffins are wonderful
Sugar Spun Run says
October 13, 2019 at 7:39 pmThank you so much, Joyce! I am glad that you enjoyed the Pumpkin Muffins. 🙂
Barb Cattie says
October 9, 2019 at 2:13 pmHi Sam- planning on making your Pumpkin Muffins today. I only have fat free milk and buttermilk- can I use one of these instead of whole milk?
Thanks, Barb Cattie
Sugar Spun Run says
October 9, 2019 at 3:49 pmHello, Barb! Others have substituted for buttermilk and they have had success. I hope that you enjoy the pumpkin muffins. 🙂
Sylvia says
October 9, 2019 at 1:18 pmI made these and OMG! They are so FABULOUS ! I seriously love Pumpkin anything! But after sitting just one day, the flavor set in even deeper and they were just simply awesome ! I gave some to my grandson and he loved them! Sam, your recipes are a NEVER FAIL! They are all so good ! But a few you listed on here I have not yet made, but will be ! And, I will let you know how they come out.
Sugar Spun Run says
October 9, 2019 at 3:51 pmThank you so much, Sylvia! I really appreciate your kind words. I am glad that you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins and can’t wait to hear what you bake next. Enjoy! 🙂
Julie says
October 6, 2019 at 5:21 pmWow! So good, I made them in my mini muffin tin so that I could have plenty to share at work tomorrow. Of course I used the family as Guinea pigs and they raved…then pouted when they realized they weren’t staying in the house.
Sugar Spun Run says
October 6, 2019 at 6:23 pmI am so happy that your family enjoyed the pumpkin muffins and I hope that your coworkers do as well. Thanks for commenting, Julie! 🙂
Brenda says
October 10, 2018 at 11:07 pmLove, love, love theses muffins. And so does everyone in my family. Perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Sam says
October 12, 2018 at 8:36 pmI am so glad everyone enjoys them! ☺️
Monica says
October 8, 2018 at 9:22 amHello Sam! I LOVE your recipes! I made these pumpkin muffins for my daughter-in-law and they are great! I just had a few questions – the instructions say to preheat your oven to 350 then later it says to bake at 375 – also I had WAY too much streusel left over – can I cut those ingredients in half? Thanks! 🙂
Sam says
October 8, 2018 at 10:40 amHi Monica!! I’m so glad they were such a hit! So it should say 375F, when I very first published this recipe I accidentally said 350F but I fixed it pretty quickly so it shouldn’t be showing up this way anymore…
Are you seeing this when viewing the recipe online or did you maybe print the recipe, it’s showing as 375F for me so all I can think is maybe it was printed before I fixed it?
As for the streusel, I DO like a lot of streusel, haha, you can cut that in half and it won’t be a problem.
Monica says
October 8, 2018 at 10:51 amI made 12 – gave 11 of them away and ate my one this morning and it was so awesome!! Yea…gonna make me another batch today!! Your recipes ROCK!! Thank you! 🙂
Joanne Lyell says
October 6, 2018 at 10:55 amHi Sam! I love your recipes and have made quite a few. They always turn out well!! I just watched the video after baking the muffins🙄 should have watched first, but anyway the recipe says oven temp is 350, but you said 375 in video. Which is the right temp? Thank you and I appreciate all of your wonderful recipes! Joanne Lyell
Sam says
October 6, 2018 at 1:58 pm375! Thank you so much for pointing this out to me (honestly they’d be OK on 350, just need a few minutes longer). Thanks so much for letting me know and I’ll get that fixed now!
Carolyn Garcia says
October 5, 2018 at 2:19 pmHi Sam, Carolyn Garcia here, how are you? good I hope. I had to comment on these muffins. They are making my mouth water, they look so delicious I’m gonna try them soon as I get the time, you have an awesome website. I love almost everyone of your recipes, they all look so good, I’m a sweets person I love anything that is sweet, so it looks like I came to the right place. I have been following you for a long while now and you are awesome, keep up the good work and keep the recipes rolling, lol, God Bless and have a wonderful day, your friend Carolyn G.
Sam says
October 5, 2018 at 7:51 pmHi Carolyn! I am doing very well, thank you! I hope you love the muffins! I am so glad you enjoy the site. Your comment put a smile on my face. Thank you very much. ☺️
Nanyonjo Dorah says
October 5, 2018 at 1:26 pmThanks Sam for the pumpkin recipe. can I make a big cake out of this recipe or its only for muffins.
Sam says
October 5, 2018 at 1:36 pmYou’re very welcome! I’m honestly not sure how this would turn out as a cake. I do have this pumpkin cake recipe on my website if you want to try that one instead 🙂
Emily says
October 5, 2018 at 1:03 pmI made these (Jumbo) last night: SO GOOD, SO MOIST. I did the usual 425F for 8 minutes then dropped it down to 375F for the remainder of the time until a toothpick came out clean (15ish minutes).
The only thing I I was thinking about playing around with was giving the muffin a little more of a “spiced” flavor by adding a little cloves, but that’s just me. Overall, fabulous recipe!
Sam says
October 5, 2018 at 1:36 pmI’m so glad to hear it was such a hit!! Thanks for commenting, Emily! <3
Lori says
October 3, 2018 at 10:44 pmThese look amazing, and I can’t wait to try them! Thanks Sam!