These pumpkin muffins are light and tender treats filled with plenty of pumpkin puree and spice, then topped with brown sugar streusel and baked to perfection. The ultimate fall breakfast or snack option.

When pumpkin season rolls around, you can always find me in the kitchen making pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cheesecake bars or these amazingly delicious pumpkin muffins. The muffins taste like they came straight from a fancy bakery!

Pumpkin muffins topped with brown sugar streusel and vanilla glaze.

If you’re a fan of pumpkin baked goods, you’ll definitely be in love with these pumpkin muffins. These treats have the perfect amount of sweetness and pumpkin spice, and the streusel topping adds so much flavor and texture. It’s my favorite of all the pumpkin muffin recipes, and it makes for a great dessert or breakfast option.

Pumpkin Muffins Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need eggs, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, salt, brown sugar, butter, powdered sugar and heavy cream.

How Do You Make Pumpkin Muffins?

Place the eggs, sugar and pumpkin puree in a large bowl, then whisk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then stir until a smooth batter forms. Pour the batter into a 12 cup muffin pan. To make the streusel, combine flour, brown sugar, butter and pumpkin pie spice until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the muffins, then bake. Cool the muffins completely, then prepare the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins, then serve and enjoy.

A bowl of pumpkin batter.

Tips For The Perfect Muffins

  • Watching your calories? You can substitute unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil with good results.
  • If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in the house, you can use cinnamon with a pinch of ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg mixed in.
  • You can either use paper muffin liners, or simply spray the muffin tin with cooking spray before pouring in the batter.
  • The batter and streusel can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to one day before use. Store the batter and streusel separately until you’re ready to combine everything to bake.
  • Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are two different products but the cans look similar.

Quick Tip

Pumpkin muffins stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin batter poured into a baking tin.

Pumpkin muffin variations

These muffins are absolutely delicious as is, but you can change up the flavors to suit your tastes.

  • Pumpkin Cream Cheese: Mix together 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Place a dollop of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin cup of pumpkin batter and swirl with a toothpick. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed.
  • Chocolate Chip: Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter, proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed.
  • Pumpkin Nut: Add 3/4 cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans to the batter, proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed.
  • Pumpkin Banana: Add 1 mashed banana to the batter, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
  • Nutella: Swirl 1 teaspoon of Nutella into each muffin cup of pumpkin batter, then add the streusel and glaze as directed.
Pumpkin batter in a baking tin, topped with streusel.

Recipe FAQs

Can you freeze pumpkin muffins?

These muffins can be frozen for up to 2 months. Simply wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or place them in sealed bags. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You may want to heat your muffin in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to get that fresh baked taste.

What is the secret to moist muffins?

The pumpkin puree as well as oil provide a lot of moisture to keep these muffins from drying out. It’s also important to not over stir your batter. Baking the muffins for too long can make them dry and tough.

What are pumpkin muffins made of?

Pumpkin muffins are typically made with all purpose flour, vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, pumpkin puree, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice.

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A tray of pumpkin muffins topped with glaze.

I make these sweet and delicious muffins all year round, they’re just that good!

A plate of pumpkin streusel muffins.

More Pumpkin Recipes To Try

Pumpkin Muffins Video

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5 from 25 votes

Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel

AuthorSara Welch
Pumpkin muffins topped with brown sugar streusel and vanilla glaze.
These pumpkin muffins are light and tender treats filled with plenty of pumpkin puree and spice, then topped with brown sugar streusel and baked to perfection. The ultimate fall breakfast or snack option.
Time
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Serves 12

Ingredients 

For the muffins

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • cooking spray

For the streusel

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 cup butter melted

For the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

For the muffins

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or you can use paper liners.
  • Place the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl. Stir until just combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.

For the streusel

  • Place the flour, brown sugar, butter and pumpkin pie spice in a medium sized bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined and coarse crumbs form.
  • Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the muffins.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 
  • Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.
  • Serve, or store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

  1. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in the house, you can use cinnamon with a pinch of ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg mixed in.
  2. You can either use paper muffin liners, or simply spray the muffin tin with cooking spray before pouring in the batter.
  3. The batter and streusel can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to one day before use. Store the batter and streusel separately until you’re ready to combine everything to bake.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 3230IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2.6mg

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Let me preface this by saying I love my sugar and oils, BUT after tweaking this recipe for my one and two year old i think the *healthy* version might be even better! I replaced the white flour for einkorn flour, in place of the oil I used 3/4 cup applesauce, and in place of white sugar I use 6-8 medjool dates (warmed and mashed into a paste).The Einkorn flour is nutty, the dates lend a complex rich sweetness and the applesauce is so tasty with the pumpkin! I forgo the topping if making these for the kids! LOVE this recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Your pumpkin muffins with the brown sugar streusel were a hit in my household! The streusel topping added that extra layer of sweetness and crunch that made these muffins unforgettable. You nailed the balance between moist and fluffy, which is no easy feat. Thanks for sharing this recipe; it’s definitely going into my regular baking rotation.

  3. 5 stars
    These are delicious treats that are perfect for fall. The streusel topping adds a sweet crunch to the moist and flavorful pumpkin muffins. Trying this again for my next fall party!