the best pumpkin muffins

These are The Best Pumpkin Muffins! They are super moist, fluffy, and perfectly spiced. In under 20 minutes, you can have these muffins in the oven, filling your home with the scent of Fall!

When the air gets a little colder, and the leaves begin to change, we break out the pumpkin puree! The best way to start making fall recipes is with these perfectly spiced pumpkin muffins, filling your home with fall fragrances. They are super moist, tender, and made with my fine-tuned pumpkin pie spice mix!

While you have the pumpkin puree and the spice cabinet open, try my chocolate chip pumpkin bread, pumpkin snickerdoodles, or pumpkin pie brioche buns! And if you’re looking for more muffins (maybe you’re making a muffin basket or just love variety), try coffee cake muffins, banana bread muffins, or my bright lemon poppy seed muffins!

Professional Tips for Making Pumpkin Muffins

• The order of mixing matters. Make sure you follow the mixing protocol. The eggs must be emulsified with the oil and sugar before adding the pumpkin puree or the dry ingredients. Otherwise, it could lead to a greasy muffin.
• Don’t overfill the muffin tins. You want to fill the muffin tin or liners ¾ of the way full for perfectly baked muffins. This will prevent the muffins from overspilling, which isn’t the end of the world, but it will help give you the most beautiful muffin possible. 
• Finish the muffin batter with a rubber spatula. For the most tender muffin with no tunneling, fold the dry ingredients. Folding them in will reduce the amount of gluten developed and keep the muffins from getting too chewy. 

Ingredients

• Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and light molasses flavor. 
• Granulated Sugar: I use granulated sugar in my muffins. It is used for the more obvious flavor reasons but also to aid in the muffin’s leavening, moisture, texture, and stability. 
• Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil makes these muffins exceptionally moist. I emulsify them into the sugar and eggs to make the batter extra moist. You can also use melted coconut oil. 
• Whole Eggs: Whole eggs allow you to emulsify all that oil into the batter, resulting in moist, not greasy, muffins.
• Pumpkin Puree: I use Libby’s canned pumpkin puree because it is consistent, but you can use whichever brand you prefer. Just be sure to grab pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling! Get extra so you can make a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake next!
• All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to hold all the sugar, oil, and pumpkin puree without making a chewy, tough muffin. You could also use your favorite brand of all-purpose gluten-free flour or whole wheat flour.
• Baking Powder & Soda: Using baking powder and baking soda gives these muffins a more even rise in the oven. 
• Kosher Salt 
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: My pumpkin spice mix is a perfectly tuned mix of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and ground allspice. It is an equally aromatic blend in which no spices overpower one another. Make a large batch and use it in overnight oats, chocolate pumpkin pie, and chocolate chip pumpkin bread. I also give the amount of each individual spice in the recipe card below.
• Pepitas (optional): Pepitas are the insides of pumpkin seeds. They will toast nicely on the muffin to add texture and beautiful toasted flavor.  

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Add some mix-ins! The lovely thing is that pumpkin goes well with many things! Try white or dark chocolate chips. Add toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds. You could even try some dried fruits like dried cranberries. Swirl some cream cheese into each muffin or make these pumpkin cream cheese muffins!
• Make a streusel topping. You can use oat, cinnamon, or pecan streusel. Place crumb topping, like the one from my coffee cake muffins,  on top before baking, but be sure not to place too much, as it could keep the muffin from rising. 
• Top with turbinado sugar or sugar crystals. Before baking, you can sprinkle turbinado sugar or thick sugar crystals. This will add a delicious crunch to the top of the muffin. 
• Make a frosting or glaze. The options for pumpkin muffins are endless. Try cream cheese frosting, chocolate or vanilla American buttercream with pumpkin spice, or ermine frosting. 

How to Make The Best Pumpkin Muffins

Use these instructions to make perfectly moist pumpkin muffins every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F convection (with fan) or 375°F conventional (no fan). Then, line 2 muffin pans with paper liners. If your muffin tins are nonstick, you can also just spray them with nonstick cooking spray. 

I love these tulip liners because they allow a beautiful rise! The perfect muffin top!  

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and pumpkin spice. 

Step 3: In a separate large bowl, place your eggs and whisk them to break up the proteins. 

Step 4: Slowly pour the vegetable oil into the eggs while you whisk. This is where you create the emulsification. 

You could combine the sugars, eggs, and oil in a bowl and mix, but it creates a better emulsion if you do it in steps. You can also make this whole recipe in the blender or with an immersion blender. 

Step 5: Add the light brown and granulated sugar to the oil and egg mixture and whisk until no sugar lumps remain and the mixture is fully emulsified. 

If you have pieces of light brown sugar that won’t break up, take a spoon and press them against the side of the bowl to break them up, then whisk to combine. 

Step 6: Whisk in the pumpkin puree. Stir the flour mixtures into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. 

Step 7: Divide the pumpkin batter between the liners in the muffin pan. Then top with a few pepitas (optional).

Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean and the muffins spring back when touched lightly. This will take about 20 minutes, but they will bake faster in a convection (with fan) oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed quick bread recipes!