The BEST Pumpkin Muffins for Pumpkin Season
Love all things pumpkin? These pumpkin muffin recipes are fun to make and totally delicious for the entire fall! These 15 recipes include healthy pumpkin muffin recipes, copycat recipes and more.
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Who doesn’t love a pumpkin-flavored baked good during the fall?
These are some of my family’s favorite pumpkin muffin recipes, and they include all kinds of variations.
We’ve got copycats from both Dunkin’ and Panera. We’ve got some healthy muffins, too, including one vegan recipe. And we have several more unique pumpkin treats!
What tools do I need to bake pumpkin muffins?
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Obviously, this is going to be dependent on the recipe itself (because some require more or less tools), but here are a few that you’ll definitely need to make homemade muffins this fall… and all year round:
- Muffin pan or a mini muffin tin
- Large Bowl for mixing
- Liquid measuring cup
- Whisk
- Electric mixer (like a hand mixer or a stand mixer)
- 1 tablespoon cookie scoop or 2 tablespoon cookie scoop
- Parchment paper liners
- Nonstick cooking spray, like avocado oil spray
- Wire rack, for cooling
- Airtight container, for storing
What are some ingredients I might need to make these pumpkin muffin recipes?
Obviously, this will depend on the recipe, but I have a few ideas about some ingredients that they all might need…
- Flour — the vast majority of these muffins call for all-purpose flour, but some call for gluten-free flours, like almond flour.
- Pumpkin puree — which is not the same thing as pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. I prefer canned pumpkin puree, but you can use homemade pumpkin puree, if desired.
- Pumpkin pie spice — or a combination of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and more! This will give your muffins that classic pumpkin flavor.
- Sweeteners — brown sugar or granulated sugar are both great to sweeten up pumpkin recipe. Maple is also a beautiful compliment to pumpkin.
- Leaveners — most of these recipes call for baking powder or baking soda to help them rise. Be sure yours are fresh.
- Fat — these recipes call for different fats, but you’ll see them call for coconut oil, melted butter, vegetable oil and more. A few of mine also require a little applesauce.
- Eggs — these serve as a binder, as well as help the muffins rise. Make sure they’re at room temperature.
Typically, you will combine the flour with your leavener and some salt to create the dry ingredients. And then you’ll combine the pumpkin with the other wet ingredients before you stir them all together. This will be dependent on the actual recipes, so please read them closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is going to depend on their ingredients. Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese should be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Other pumpkin muffins that do not have large amounts of dairy can be kept on the countertop, covered, for 2-3 days.
Yes! This is one of our favorite things to do. To freeze muffins, place the completely cooled muffins on a wax or parchment-lined baking sheet and transfer to the freezer. Freeze for 4-6 hours, or until frozen solid. Transfer them to a freezer-safe baggie and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge. Reheat in toaster oven until warmed through.
A toothpick inserted into the middle will tell you if they’re cooked through. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. If there is batter on the toothpick, you’ll need to bake them for longer.
When can I can serve these muffins?
Honestly, do you need an excuse to bake and serve muffins? I sure don’t!
But if you need inspiration for when or where to serve these muffins, I’ve got a few ideas for you:
- As breakfast for the whole family, on a weekend or a grab-and-go situation for a weekday
- Afternoon pick-me-ups or snacks
- A fall brunch
- Playdates
- Dessert. (Yes. Some muffins can work as a dessert and are essentially like pumpkin cupcakes… especially if you add a decadent cream cheese frosting or a brown butter frosting! Really!)
Now who’d like to see the recipes? Here they are!
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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