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?
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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!
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 :)