My go-to pumpkin muffins recipe for years! Light and tender pumpkin muffins, perfectly domed and with a lightly crispy top, they are my idea of the perfect pumpkin muffin!
My go-to pumpkin muffin recipe for years has been these Simply Perfect Pumpkin Muffins. They are the best pumpkin muffins I have ever tried and they are the first thing I crave when the weather cools.
What makes these pumpkin muffins simply perfect?
- These easy pumpkin muffins require just a few simple pantry items. I love that these pumpkin muffins require no butter, so they come together really quickly.
- They are light, tender and fluffy, not greasy and heavy, like pumpkin muffins can sometimes be.
- These pumpkin muffins also mix up easily, with no butter to soften, as they use oil instead.
- And finally, these muffins bake up perfectly domed, so they’re always pretty (and pretty counts!).
What you’ll need
I love that these delicious muffins have just a few simple ingredients!
Pumpkin Puree – be sure to use canned pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling. If pumpkin puree is not available, you can cook your own pumpkin or use any other cooked squash.
Eggs – use large eggs and take them out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time, so they are at room temperature.
Vegetable or Canola Oil – I recommend vegetable oil, specifically, as I feel like it performs best in baking, but canola oil will also work well here.
Sugar – you’ll only need white granulated sugar. It may seem like a lot of sugar, but I recommend you try it as written at least once. I think you’ll find these muffins are not overly sweet.
Flour – use regular all purpose flour (plain flour). I recommend bleached all purpose flour for muffins.
You’ll also need – baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Step-by-step photos
- Start by adding the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin in a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together well at medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon) to the bowl and mix just until combined and smooth. Don’t over-mix.
- The finished batter.
- Scrape down the bowl, then scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups and bake. If you’d like large, domed muffins, be sure to over-fill the muffin cups, mounding up the batter, leaving just the top edge of the paper muffin liner showing. Bake muffins until they are lightly golden. The tops should be dry and crispy (not wet looking). Test with a tester. Baking time ranges from 22-30 minutes, depending on muffin size/colour of pan and individual ovens.
Recipe video
Recipe Tips
These muffins are best when they are allowed to get a touch crispy on top, so you don’t want to under-bake them. I like to tap on the top as well as test them with a tester.
No mixer? These muffins will also come together with a bowl and a whisk and little elbow grease :)
- These muffins will come out of the muffin tin well without paper muffin liners, if you don’t have any on hand or if you prefer not to use them.
Variations
Raisins – These muffins are fabulous with added raisins, so if you’re a raisin fan, it’s a variation you should try. Simply soak 1/2 – 1 cup of raisins in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and pat dry, then fold into the batter before scooping into the pan.
Chocolate Chips – similarly, if you are a fan of chocolate chips in pumpkin muffins, stir in 1/2 -1 cup of chocolate chips before scooping the batter into the muffin pan.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
These muffins are their very best on the day they are baked. They will keep 2-3 days at room temperature, but they will start to loose the crispy tops. I like to store them in a not completely air-tight container, to try to preserve the crisp tops a bit better.
These muffins freeze beautifully, so don’t hesitate to freeze them. Place into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Simply Perfect Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups (400 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) vegetable oil, I recommend vegetable oil, but canola oil or other neutral-tasting oil will work
- 1 3/4 cups (410 ml) canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. (not convection/fan-assisted). Prepare 16 muffin cups by greasing (both the cup and the top of the tin) or lining with paper liners and lightly greasing top of tin. (These are fairly moist muffins, so paper liners are not really necessary unless you prefer.) Set prepared pans aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the eggs and beat slightly.
- Add the white sugar, oil and pumpkin and beat thoroughly until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute at medium speed. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and well combined. Don't over-mix.
- Use a large cookie scoop to divide the batter between 14-16 muffin cups, filling the muffin cups almost to the top of the cup or liners and mounding the batter on top. Just a bit of the paper liner should be showing.
- Bake in preheated oven for 22 –27 minutes, or until golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on how large you made the muffins. 14 muffins will take closer to 25-27 minutes, while if you got 16 muffins, the baking time will be about 22-25 minutes. Test with a cake tester to be sure they are cooked before removing from oven (If undercooked, they will collapse as they cool, so be sure to test. Muffins should be very lightly browned on top and around edges when cooked, with a crisp topping (you can tap it lightly to verify). They shouldn't looks light in colour or wet on top.
- Allow the muffins to cool in pans at 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- These muffins are at their best on the day they are baked, though they will keep for 2-3 days. I like to store them in a not completely air-tight container, so they don't loose their crispy tops too quickly, though they will loose some as they site. If you aren’t eating right away, freezing is a good option to keep the crunch. Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months.
Notes
Variations
Raisins – These muffins are fabulous with added raisins, so if you’re a raisin fan, it’s a variation you should try. Simply soak 1/2 – 1 cup of raisins in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and pat dry, then fold into the batter before scooping into the pan. Chocolate Chips – similarly, if you are a fan of chocolate chips in pumpkin muffins, stir in 1/2 -1 cup of chocolate chips before scooping the batter into the muffin pan. Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, where you will find more tips, photos and a recipe video that you may find helpful when making this recipe.Web Story for Perfect Pumpkin Muffins
More Pumpkin Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
These are the best muffins ever. First of all, the fragrance of pumpkin and cinnamon drifting throughout the house, and second the delicious texture and taste of the muffins were unforgettable. I cut out some of the sugar and added raisins plus a few chocolate chips to the batter which made 18 large puffy muffins. I am freezing a dozen and eating the rest over Thanksgiving.
So glad you are enjoying them Carol Ann :) Happy Thanksgiving!
I have been making these for a few years now, and they are one of my children’s favorite breakfasts! I often make a double batch and freeze them. We’ve found that 20ish seconds in the microwave is perfect to warm them up from frozen. I’ve even made them with puree from home grown pumpkins, and it works great! Just about to make yet another batch prepping for school to start!
I’m so pleased to hear! Thanks so much :)
These muffins are so good! They make a lot which turned out great for me. I made 12 regular size muffins then added raisins to the rest of the batter and filled 6 jumbo muffin tins. I made parchment squares to line my tins which took up a little space in the tins which is why I got more than the recipe stated. They look adorable. We are eating a few today and the rest I put in the freezer for company next weekend. If you are considering making this don’t hesitate. They really are perfect and delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Stacey :) Thanks so much!
How long will the batter stay good in the fridge?
Hi Rhonda, it should keep in the fridge a couple of days. I don’t generally refrigerate the batter myself. I tend to bake them all off and freeze the baked muffins, as they freeze really well.
I’ve made these but added sultana raisins. Very delicious!
So glad to hear, Cindy! I love to add raisins, too :) Thanks!
These really are perfect! The crumb is absolutely divine! Thank you for sharing this! I added some ground cloves, nutmeg, salt and some vanilla extract, oh and some chopped pecans! I’m a sucker for texture and the tops of these are amazing!! Thank you!
So glad to hear, Ashley :) Thanks so much!
Very nice, moist recipe! Thanks
So glad you enjoyed them, Kim :) Thanks so much!
Love this recipe. I replaced one cup of sugar with brown sugar,also added mini chocolate chips.They are delicious! Definitely a keeper.😊
So glad you enjoyed the, Wallene :) Thanks so much!
Thank you, this will be my go to pumpkin muffin recipe now. Perfect size, moist and delicious:)
So glad to hear, Tracy :) Thanks so much!
I am just writing to say that although I am sure that I have written to you a few months back about this issue, it is still not resolved. I am not getting your weekly posts. I re- subscribed now hoping that would solve the problem. I have not had email of posts in many months. NEVER unsubscribed. It breaks my heart when I see new articles and know how I enjoy finding the wonderful recipes ready to be tried, and also you are the best at responding to issues that come up. I hope things are fixed now.
Hi Carol and sorry you are having trouble with the emails. I just checked my email list server and it shows that the emails are being sent from my end, but they are being bounced by your server/provider for some reason. You might try adding [email protected] to your email program contact list, to see if that helps to actually deliver them to you.
i will try this. It is sad that my provider is so unpredictable and causes this trouble. Things were fine and then all of a sudden I am not receiving so much that I should be. I just have to wonder if chromebook might have something to do with it as well. In the meantime I will see what i can do to get those wonderful weekly post back to my inbox. Thanks for your help!
No problem, Carol :) I also added you to my other email list, that sends out a notification the same day I post new recipes. If you don’t want that, you can unsubscribe at the bottom of the emails. I’m planning a Newsletter for Monday (Aug 2) and a post email on Wednesday (Aug 4), so see if those ones come through.
I am so grateful for this.thank you so much.☺️
Perfect Pumpkin Muffins indeed! I’ve made this muffins many times now and they are perfect, so tasty, light and fluffy, love the crunchy top. Add as many different things each time, seeds, raisins, and or dates. I’m whipping up a batch right now. A favourite in our home. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Darlene
Nova Scotia
So glad you are enjoying them, Darlene :) Thanks so much!
Hello,
I am planning to make some of these muffins as I have made pumpkin purée. Can I use nutmeg powder in this receipe? If yes then what is the measurement for that?
Hi Babita and yes, you can use nutmeg in these, if you like. I have no idea how much.
Thank you.
Hi Jennifer,
I have tried half batch of this recipe, and substituted 1/4 cup honey and 1/2 cup brown sugar for white sugar, the muffins turned out yummy, soft and moist except the top less crispy when freshly baked.
Anyway, thanks for the pointer and again they are delicious:)
Thanks Siam and thanks for reporting back on that :)