Jump to Recipe
Even before I started blogging, I considered baking pumpkin muffins to be an essential fall activity. Here is my favorite recipe for them. Soft and full of fall spices, these Easy Pumpkin Muffins are incredibly simple to make!
Ingredients for Easy Pumpkin Muffins
All-purpose Flour – All purpose flour will make denser, breadier muffins. If you prefer fluffier muffins, you can substitute cake flour.
Dark Brown Sugar – I prefer to make pumpkin desserts with dark brown sugar, but if you prefer a lighter taste, you can substitute 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, or 2/3 cup dark brown sugar and 2/3 cup white sugar.
Grated Nutmeg – Freshly grated nutmeg has a completely different flavor than pre-ground, so I recommend using it. I keep a bag of whole nutmegs and grate them with a microplane grater as needed.
Oil – Use a neutral tasting oil, like sunflower seed, safflower, peanut, or refined coconut oil.
Canned Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you want to make pumpkin puree from scratch, make sure to add enough water so that it has the same amount of liquid as the canned puree has.
Notes on Technique
- If you want muffins that will rise higher in the centers, use muffin papers. The paper holds less batter than the actual cup, so it will have nowhere to go but upward, and the paper gives the batter something to climb. If you want muffins with flatter, more spread-out tops, however, do not use muffins papers. If not using papers, spray the cups, as well as the top of the pan, with baking spray.
- The best way to mix muffin batter is to follow three easy steps. First, fully mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Next, whisk the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Finally, pour the wet ingredients into the well you made in the center of the dry ingredients, and stir with a large spoon until fully combined.
- Because muffins have so much flour, it’s important not to overmix them, or they will become tough. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that there are no pockets of flour left behind.
- To get muffins that are uniform in size, it helps to use a large cookie scoop to distribute the batter into the cups.
Easy Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280 g)
- 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar (250 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 oz pumpkin (425 g) (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C.) Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers or spray with nonstick baking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Stir with a large spoon until fully combined, then make a well in the center.
- Mix the wet ingredients: in a medium bowl, add the oil, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and milk. Whisk the wet ingredients until fully combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the well you made in the center of the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the batter is fully combined, and there are no pockets of flour. Be careful not to overmix, or the muffins will be tough.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the muffin cups and bake at 400° F (200° C) for about 16-18 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched. The muffins will keep well for a couple of days at room temperature, or for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. They will also freeze very well for 2 months.
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