This pumpkin muffin recipe has been my go-to recipe for years. Light and moist, perfectly domed and with a lightly crispy top, they are my idea of the perfect pumpkin muffin!
When it comes to pumpkin muffins, I’m a purist. 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! They are the first thing I crave when the weather cools. Slightly warm. With butter. And a cup of tea.
So what makes this muffin simply perfect? These muffins are perfectly pumpkin and simply spiced (just a good spoonful of cinnamon). They are lovely and moist, not greasy and heavy, like pumpkin muffins can sometimes be. These mix up easily, with no butter to soften, as they use oil instead. And finally, these muffins bake up perfectly domes, so they’re always pretty (and pretty counts!).
Tried, tested and reliable, this is a great recipe to enjoy at home, or since it makes a large batch, to make for bake sales or to have lots to share with friends, family and/or neighbours :)
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the simple ingredients you will need for these muffins …
White Sugar – it may seem like a lot of sugar, but remember that you are making 18-20 muffins. Be careful reducing the sugar, as sugar in baking recipes do more than sweeten. Sugar is responsible for contributing to moist crumb and extended shelf life.
Vegetable Oil – I swear by vegetable oil for baking, so I do recommend it here. That said, any neutral tasting cooking oil will work here.
Pumpkin Puree – this would be canned pumpkin puree generally. Be sure not to use Pumpkin Pie Filling, which is spiced. You can certainly make your own pumpkin puree and use it here, if canned is not available.
You will also need – Eggs (4), all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
Recipe Video
FAQ
Can I use other/more spices?
Like I often say, in your kitchen, you can do what you like! I believe that sometimes less is more and these muffins are consistent with that thought, I think. Simply spiced, allowing the pumpkin flavour to shine. I would always encourage you to try the recipe as written at least once and then decide if you’d like to add more spices next time you make them :)
Can I use whole wheat flour/gluten-free flour/less sugar/applesauce instead of oil, etc.?
Possibly, but I haven’t tested this recipe with all the possible alterations people might like to make. Just keep in mind that altering the ingredients will almost certainly result in a different outcome and sometimes, not in the best of ways. Whole wheat flour will result in a dense muffin. Reducing the sugar will result in less sweetness and also less moistness/shelf-life of your baked muffin etc.
I can’t buy canned pumpkin here. What else can I use? Any cooked squash, sweet potato, yams etc. should work with these muffins, in equal quantity as the pumpkin.
Can I halve the recipe?
Yes you can, as I realize this recipe does make a large batch. They freeze really well, if you can’t eat them all up right away. What I do though is bake the big batch and freeze some and gift some. A good pumpkin muffin in the Fall makes a great gift ;)
Do I need to use muffin liners?
No, As there is a good amount of oil in these, you can bake them without paper lines without problem. Just allow to cool in the pan a little more before removing.
Can I freeze these muffins?
Absolutely. These muffins freeze beautifully! Simply pop into a freezer bag or container to freeze. To thaw, just set on the counter for 15-20 minutes or pop in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
Recipe Tips
- I especially love these muffins freshly baked, when they have a lovely, lightly crispy top. While the crispy top diminishes as they sit, the muffin itself is still lovely and moist and every bit as enjoyable.
- When filling the muffin cups/liners, you’ll be filling them to almost the top of the liner, leaving just a bit of the liner exposed. If you divide the batter evenly between 18 muffin liners, you’ll have the perfect size.
- Be sure to spray/grease the top of your muffin tin before lining and adding batter, so these large muffins release easily.
- If you like raisins in your pumpkin muffins, feel free to stir in some plumped raisins before adding the batter to the tins. To plump the raisins, simply soak in very hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and dry before adding to the batter. About a 1/2 cup of so is about right, or more, to taste.
Top Tip
Be sure to fill any empty muffin cups half full with water before putting in the oven, to ensure even baking.
Get the Recipe: Simply Perfect Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups (400 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (340 ml) vegetable oil, recommended, or canola, sunflower or other neutral-tasting oil
- 1 3/4 cups (400 ml) pure pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 3 cups (360 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 18 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, beat the eggs slightly.
- Add the white sugar, oil and pumpkin and beat thoroughly until well combined and smooth. Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Divide the batter between 18 muffin cups. You'll be filling them almost to the top of the cup or liners, with just a bit of the liner showing.
- Bake at 375° F. for 22 – 25 minutes, testing 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. They will look done even when they’re not actually). Muffins should be very lightly browned on top and around edges when cooked. My oven is usually 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool in pans at least 5 minutes before removing from pans, as they are quite soft when hot.
- These are at their best on the day they are baked. They lose their crunchy top as they sit too long at room temperature. If you aren’t eating right away, freezing is a good option to keep the crunch.
Notes
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!
Hi Jennifer,
I have to admit that I did modify your recipe just a bit to suit our tastes. I added some golden raisins and some additional spices – cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Having said that the recipe is amazing! Moist, wonderful texture and I couldn’t believe that rose so high…… they looked like I picked them up from the bakery. Thank you so much for the recipe. Not only is it a keeper, it will be made on a regular basis!
So glad you enjoyed these, Sherri! I make these with raisins every now and again. I love the combination. Thanks!
First time making pumpkin muffins and they turned out perfect. Keeping this recipe forever, no need for another! Thanks!
So glad to hear! Thanks Keira :)
Made these this afternoon…..highly recommended recipe!
Yum!
So glad to hear, Sandra :) Thanks!
Hello,
I’m making these muffins and noticed no salt in the ingredients.
I’m adding 1/2 tsp of salt – in case it was overlooked
Is this recipe meant to be without salt?
Thank you!
Hi Sandy, no, it wasn’t overlooked. There is no additional salt needed in this recipe.
I just made 36 muffins and they turned out great! I will definitely make these again, since I have a lot of pumpkin puree in the freezer.
Glad to hear! Thanks :)
P.S. Can’t wait to try the Spiced Pumpkin Biscotti.
Enjoy :)
Call me a skeptic, because I’ve made dozens of pumpkin muffin recipes and found most of them to be tasteless, but I’m a convert now.
Disclaimer: I did add 1 tsp of vanilla to bring out the flavours and 1/4 tsp of salt to activate the baking soda. I also plumped up some Craisins to add.
These muffins were the best Pumpkin Muffins I’ve ever made. Period.
So glad to hear! Love your addition of craisins. Must have been nice with the pumpkin :)
Hi Jennifer,
These look delicious! I would love to make these however daughter has an egg allergy. Could these be made using an egg replacer (ie. the boxed kind)?
Thanks,
Anne
Hi Anne, I’m afraid I have no experience in baking with egg replacer. If you’ve used it successfully in baking before, then you should have no issue using it in these muffins :) Let me know how it works out!
These were great. Only problem is, bow to stop after two.
Lol! Yes, that is my problem, too :) Thanks!
My husband and I loved this recipe. Thank you! I added 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves and nutmeg which was also really nice.
So glad you enjoyed them, Jaymi! Thanks :)
My kids carved a pumpkin for Halloween so I kept the insides and pureed them and used it with this recipe, it turned out absolutely perfect and they smell soooooo good. I also made some cream cheese icing for them! Thank you so much for this simple recipe!
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed these :)
Made these tonight. They were yummy! But they definitely made more than 18 muffins. I might of made 24 muffins but I had already filled my 12 and 6 muffin pans. So the rest of the mix in my mini muffin pan. I baked those for 10 minutes and they were perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed these! And you are the second person to say that about making more than 18, so I will adjust my yield, for sure. I always get 18. Maybe my muffin cups are bigger ;) Thanks!
These are every bit as delicious as they look and equally as easy. I followed the recipe exactly as written but I somehow ended up with 24 muffins, and rather large ones too! I’m certainly not complaining, and neither I should anyone else around here. Thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear, Lisa and bonus muffins are always good :)
I just made these – delicious! I have to admit, I did pumpkin spice them up a bit with cloves, nutmeg and allspice. What can I say, I’m a slave to fall! Have you ever tried these with fresh pumpkin?
So glad you enjoyed these, Sharon and definitely don’t blame you spicing them up :) I haven’t tried these with fresh pumpkin. We don’t see a lot of pie pumpkins around here.
These are in the oven right now. Can’t wait!!
Do enjoy, Holly :)
I am definitely getting these on my baking list Jennifer! They look so easy and delicious! I bet they’ll be a hit all fall long!
Thanks Mary Ann :)
You nailed it with these! No wonder the recipe is your go to. Just thinking about how much honey butter one of these muffins could absorb makes me so excited. I love that you only use cinnamon, sometimes all the fall spice pushed on to us can be overwhelming. How are you supposed to taste the pumpkin? You have the solution:)
Thanks Milena and I love the idea of honey butter on these!
This is the perfect pumpkin muffin! And I love the pan too! Pinned! :)
Thanks so much, Annie :)
I don’t think I’ve ever had a pumpkin muffin! Crazy I know! But, to be fair (to myself), I didn’t care for pumpkin much until this year… it seems like my taste buds have finally accepted people are crazy about pumpkin and I should be too! ;) I definitely need to try these because they look seriously delicious, Jennifer! These are probably JUST the think I need to hop on board the ‘I love all things pumpkin spice train’! Cheers, friend!
Thanks Cheyanne and yes, I think these will be perfect for your new-found love of pumpkin :)
They look so moist and love all that cinnamon in there! Wish I had one right now! Can’t wait to give these a try. I’m one of those people that can eat pumpkin year round :)
Thanks Dawn and these are perfect for year round eating! Always satisfying :)
I adore pumpkin muffins and these look absolutely perfect!
Thanks Laura :)
I love muffin tops, the best part of the muffin, in my book! Any tips on adapting your lovely-sounding recipe for a muffin top pan? Thank you!
Hi Beth, I must confess, I’ve never used a muffin top pan. All my life I’ve just enjoyed muffin tops by ripping the top off the muffin :) That said, I think these would bake up beautifully in a muffin top pan, with only the baking time changing. As for how much baking time, I honestly don’t know, so you’d have to keep an eye on them. Look for them to be very lightly browned around the outside edges.
Thanks Jennifer! If I give it a try, I will be sure to post how it went.
I’m with Sue! I can’t stop looking at the incredible texture of these muffins. The beautiful dome top, the lovely color – these are fall perfection!
Thanks so much, Tricia :)
I’m mesmerized by these shots, Jennifer, they scream fall…sharing and pinning!
Thanks Sue!
These look so moist and, you’re right, perfect!! Pinning and sharing!
Thanks so much, Chris :)