Pumpkin Muffins
Prep these pumpkin muffins in 10 minutes using everyday ingredients. Pumpkin spice muffins are moist, tender and packed with fall spices. Plus learn how to make easy pumpkin muffins with domed muffin tops!
Why These Are The Best Pumpkin Muffins
- Packed with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice flavor
- Uses everyday ingredients
- Moist, soft muffins with tender crumb
- Tall and domed muffin tops (bakery style!)
How to Properly Measure Flour
The most accurate way to measure flour is to use a kitchen scale, weighing it in grams.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, follow this method.
- Aerate the flour with a whisk or spoon. Flour becomes heavy and compact as it sits. Aerating is the same as fluffing the flour, but not the same as sifting it. Do not sift the flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
- Use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup against the counter, as this will compact the flour.
- Use the back of a butter knife to level off the excess.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the muffins
- all purpose flour: flour is necessary to build structure
- baking powder and baking soda: helps to leaven and lift the batter
- salt: just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhances the other flavors
- cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger: classic fall spices
- pumpkin puree: adds moisture, fat and pumpkin flavor
- granulated sugar and brown sugar: adds sweetness and flavor
- vegetable oil: adds fat and moisture
- eggs: binds the batter together by providing structure
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Muffins
- In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
- In a larger mixing bowl combine all the wet ingredients.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffins liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other well allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. Fill the liners to the top with batter. Yes – to the top!
- Bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF, then keeping the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 17-20 minutes.
How to Create Bakery Style Muffins
Bakery style muffins are known for their domed tops. Plus who doesn’t love them? I used a few techniques to help “lift” these muffins so they would have domed tops.
1. THE REST PERIOD
Let the batter rest for 15 minutes after it’s mixed and before you scoop it into the muffin pan. During the resting period, starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter, causing them to swell and giving the batter a thicker consistency (ref the kitchen whisper). Our 15 minute rest is just a quick rest.
2. BAKE AT HIGH TEMPERATURE INITIALLY
Bake the muffins at a high temperature (425ºF) initially, then lower to 350ºF. Starting the muffins off at a higher temperature causes the batter to rise rapidly, setting the outer surface of the muffin, producing a domed shape.
3. FILL THEM TO THE TOP
Fill your muffin liners to the top with batter. Yes, this goes against everything you’ve heard but it’s important in helping the muffin gain that height.
4. FILL EVERY OTHER MUFFIN CUP
This tip has been a game changer! For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffins liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other cup allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. This technique also encourages the muffins to brown, creating a golden muffin top.
How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
I’ve made these muffins with both regular and gluten free flour with awesome results on multiple occasions. I recommend King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. Use it as a one for one substitute for regular flour.
How to Freeze Muffins
Allow the muffins to cool completely first. I like to wrap two muffins together (the bottoms of the muffins touching) in plastic wrap, then place all the wrapped bundles in a ziplock bag.
To thaw, either let them come to room temperature on the counter or place as many as you need in the microwave for 15 second intervals.
Total Time Required
- 10 minutes to prep the batter
- 15 minute rest (this helps produce domed tops!)
- Bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF
- Bake for 17-20 minutes at 350ºF
- 20-30 minutes to cool
Tips for Success
Measure the flour accurately. When measuring the flour, be sure to use the spoon-and-sweep method. This means using a spoon to transfer the flour into your measuring cup, then leveling it off with a knife. Do not scoop the flour directly from the container with your measuring cup; this will pack the flour and you’ll end up with too much.
Use canned pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin puree is also known as 100% pure pumpkin. Do not use canned pumpkin pie mix, as this is used to make pumpkin pie.
Rest the batter. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes after it’s mixed and before you scoop it into the muffin pan. During the resting period, starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter, causing them to swell and giving the batter a thicker consistency.
Bake at a higher temperature initially. Bake the muffins at a high temperature (425ºF) for 7 minutes then lower to 350ºF. Starting the muffins off at a higher temperature causes the batter to rise rapidly, producing a domed shaped.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, 270 grams
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 can 15 oz 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir with a spoon to combine and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl combine the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir to combine with a spatula or mixer on low for 30 seconds.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing by hand or with a mixer on low just until combined. The batter will be very thick!
- Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffins liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other well allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. Fill the liners to the top with batter. Yes – to the top! You might think there is no way to fit all the batter in 12 liners, but keep dividing the batter among the cups and fill the liners FULL! Use a butter knife to smooth the tops of the muffins if lumpy.
- Place one pan in the center of the oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF, then keeping the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to bump the temperature back up to 425ºF.
Right out of the oven! They smell amazing, as does my whole house! Taking to Bible Study tomorrow. They are large, and beautiful!
Any tips if you want to add bran or oats?
Hi Jessica! I haven’t experimented with adding bran or oats yet so I can’t offer a tested recipe for that.
I have the cinnamon and all other ingredients to make these except… nutmeg & ginger. Could pumpkin pie spice be used instead of those since I don’t have them in my cupboard currently?
Hi Trudy! Yes, you can use 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice in place of the nutmeg and ginger!
These were incredible. Moist, flavorful, melt-in-your -mouth delicious. This recipe will become a new staple in my household.
Absolutely Delicious !! I ended up making two batches so I could send a batch to my husbands office.
Fast easy recipe and even better flavor the next day .Keeper recipe for sure!
I made these for the October Challenge but found a new favorite Fall recipe!
Woohooo!! We love this recipe too!
Can you sprinkle the tops with sugar?
Yes, definitely! I recommend sanding sugar – not granulated sugar as that will melt!
Can you make this in a loaf pan ?
Hi Carole! I have a pumpkin bread recipe here: https://thefirstyearblog.com/starbucks-pumpkin-pound-cake/
I’ve made these twice now and added mini chocolate chips. They are the best pumpkin muffins I’ve ever had. And the domes! Incredible. I’ve made several muffins and loaf cake recipes from Pinterest recently that kept sinking in the middle. Thank you for this incredible recipe!! I would post a pic if I could figure out how.
Best pumpkin muffins I’ve ever made. I add mini chocolate chips and cut back a 1/4 cup on the sugar, and they’re marvelous. The only pumpkin muffins that don’t upset my stomach, for some reason.