Pumpkin Muffins Recipe for Soft and Moist Fall Baking

Simply Pumpkin Muffins

Every fall I bake a batch of these pumpkin muffins the moment the first cool morning shows up. They are soft, moist, and warmly spiced, and they taste like the season without being overly sweet.

This recipe started as a lighter, everyday version of my pumpkin crumb cake muffins, and it has become the one I make most often because it fits into a normal Tuesday just as easily as a holiday brunch.

You need no mixer at all. A whisk and two bowls are enough, which means you can have the batter ready before the oven finishes preheating. The recipe makes 12 standard muffins, with about 15 minutes of prep and roughly 21 minutes in the oven.

What makes these muffins special:

• Extra soft and moist crumb thanks to oil and pumpkin puree
• Deep spice flavor from cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice
• Less sweet than my pumpkin crumb cake muffins, so they work as an anytime treat
• One optional add in turns them into pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Here is the trick I use for tall, bakery style tops. The muffins start in a 425°F oven for 5 minutes, and then the temperature drops to 350°F for the remaining 16 to 17 minutes.

That burst of heat lifts the tops, and the lower temperature finishes the centers. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before you dig in, then cover them tightly and keep them at room temperature for up to one week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.

They are the kind of muffin I tuck into lunchboxes, set out on a brunch platter, and wrap up for a neighbor who stopped by. Warm from the oven with butter, or at room temperature the next morning with coffee, they hold up either way.

Readers keep coming back to tell me how light and moist these turn out. One baker made a mini muffin version for her family, and another split a single batch, leaving half plain and folding chocolate chips into the rest. I do the same thing now, because everyone at my table has an opinion about chocolate.

Here’s Why You’ll Love My Simple Pumpkin Muffins

This is the kind of recipe I hand to friends who tell me they are not bakers. There is nothing fussy here, no mixer, no chilling, and no complicated steps. You whisk, you fold, you bake, and you end up with a dozen muffins that taste like you spent the afternoon in the kitchen.

Here is why you will love them:

• Simple ingredients. Flour, sugar, oil, eggs, milk, pumpkin, and spices, most of which are already in your pantry.
• No mixer required. A whisk and two bowls do all the work.
• Dairy free option. Use any dairy free milk and the muffins are dairy free.
• Flexible spice. Homemade pumpkin pie spice works just as well as store bought.
• Easy to customize. Add chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries, or a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top. You could even leave them plain.

These are muffins, not cupcakes. My pumpkin cupcakes use less flour and milk with the same amount of pumpkin, which gives them a lighter, airier crumb. This muffin batter is thicker, and the baked muffins are denser, with just as much flavor. That sturdier texture is exactly what I want next to a cup of coffee.

Grab These 11 Ingredients:

Everything on this list is a pantry staple. If you keep canned pumpkin on hand through the fall, you can make these muffins on a whim, and the batter comes together in minutes.

• 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (60g/ml) milk, dairy or nondairy
• Optional: 1 cup (180g) semisweet chocolate chips

All purpose flour gives the softest crumb. If you want a heartier muffin, you can replace up to half of it with whole wheat flour. The muffins come out a little denser, and I actually like that version with my morning coffee.

Baking soda is the only leavener here, and it is plenty. You do not need baking powder.

The spices. Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and pumpkin pie spice together give the deepest flavor. Pumpkin pie spice already contains cinnamon and ginger, but using all three is what makes these taste like real fall baking. Store bought and homemade pumpkin pie spice both work.

Pumpkin puree. Use 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) of canned pumpkin puree, which is most of a 15 ounce can. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, because it is already sweetened and spiced and will change both the texture and the flavor. Canned puree is my first choice, and fresh puree is an acceptable substitute.

Vegetable oil keeps these muffins from turning out dry and rubbery, and melted coconut oil is a fine swap. Fat carries moisture in a muffin, so I never skip it.

The sugars. Granulated sugar and packed brown sugar do more than sweeten. Pumpkin adds a lot of volume but no sweetness of its own, so the sugar is doing real work. Brown sugar adds extra moisture and a deeper flavor.

Eggs. Two large eggs give the muffins the structure they need to hold tall tops.

Milk. Any milk works, dairy or nondairy, and buttermilk is a good option too. Some bakers have tried orange juice as the only liquid and found it too citrusy, so milk is the safer choice. You could replace part of the milk with juice instead of all of it.

Coarse sugar. A sprinkle of coarse sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw or white sparkling sugar, on top before baking adds a sparkly crunch that makes the muffins look bakery made.

Here is how it all comes together, step by step:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set it aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and milk together until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk everything together just until combined and no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chocolate chips if you are using them.
5. Spoon the batter into the liners, filling them all the way to the top. The batter is thick, and filling the cups completely is what gives you those tall tops.
6. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for another 16 to 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time in the oven is about 21 to 22 minutes.
7. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan before enjoying. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to one week.

That first 5 minutes at 425°F is the secret to the tall tops, so have your hand on the oven dial and drop the temperature to 350°F as soon as the timer goes off.

Mini muffins. If you want mini muffins, bake them at 350°F for the whole time instead of starting at the higher temperature.

Add ins and swaps. Chopped pecans or walnuts and dried cranberries are lovely additions, and coarse sugar on top is always a good idea. If you want to cut back on sugar or oil, keep in mind that both affect moisture and tenderness, and some of the oil can be swapped for applesauce.

Storing and freezing. Baked muffins keep well. Cover them tightly and they stay fresh at room temperature for up to one week, and they freeze beautifully for up to 3 months, so a double batch is never a bad idea. Let frozen muffins thaw at room temperature when you are ready for one.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Turning these into pumpkin chocolate chip muffins could not be easier. Fold 1 cup (180g) of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter right before you spoon it into the 12 cup muffin pan. The chips stay suspended in the thick batter and melt into little pockets of chocolate as the muffins bake.

I usually make half a batch with chips and half without, because the plain version is so good on its own. If you want chocolate running through the whole muffin, my separate chocolate pumpkin muffins recipe takes that idea much further.

More Pumpkin Favorites

If you love baking with pumpkin as much as I do, here are the recipes I reach for once the season starts:

• Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin cheesecake pie
• Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
• Pumpkin donuts
• Pumpkin cake
• Pumpkin bars
• Chocolate pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin pancakes or waffles
• Pumpkin Bundt cake
• Chocolate marble pumpkin bread
• Mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin coffee creamer
• Pumpkin oatmeal cream pies
• Pumpkin hand pies

And if you want even more inspiration, there is a roundup of more than 30 pumpkin dessert recipes that covers everything from breakfast to the Thanksgiving table.

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Easy Pumpkin Muffins

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Simply Pumpkin Muffins Every fall I bake a batch of these pumpkin muffins the moment the first cool morning shows up. They are soft, moist, and warmly spiced, and they taste like the season without being overly sweet.

• Total Time: 45 min
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x

Ingredients

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Ingredients
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed light or dark
1 and 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk, dairy or nondairy
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

Instructions
1-Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C): Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners.
2-In a large bowl, whisk the flour,: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
3-In a medium bowl, whisk the oil,: In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then whisk everything together just until combined and no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
4-Spoon the batter into liners, filling them: Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top.
5-Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then,: Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21-22 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan before enjoying.
6-Cover tightly and store at room temperature: Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 21 min
• Method: bake