Soft and tender coffee-house style muffins full of pumpkin, cranberries and warming spices, these Pumpkin Spice Muffins are perfect for cosy baking days. Make them and you will be rewarded with the scent of Autumn spice wafting through your home!
As soon as the weather turns chilly, the leaves begin to fall from the trees and all the coffee shops start selling pumpkin spice lattes, I develop a hankering for these delicious pumpkin spice muffins. They’ve become a firm favourite with my familly.
I’m pretty proud of this recipe. The muffins aren’t too sweet, moist, fluffy and every bite is packed full of Autumn flavour. You’ve got pumpkin puree, brown sugar, chopped pecan nuts, dried cranberries and cosy, warming spices. Can you smell them already?
Not only do they taste wonderful, they look beautiful too. I don’t think they would look out of place sitting on a counter in an American bakery.
easy pumpkin muffin recipe
Anyone who tries these pumpkin muffins asks me for the recipe, every single time. They are perfect for breakfast with coffee or tea or as a quick snack any time of day.
I often make a batch and freeze them – they lose none of their charm once they are defrosted and warmed up.
ingredient list
(scroll to the bottom of the post to find printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions!)
These tender pumpkin spice muffins are jam packed with all the flavours that are associated with Autumn –
- pumpkin puree – I usually use the tinned pumpkin. It can be tricky to find in the UK, but I usually order it from Amazon. If you can’t find tinned pumpkin, see my post on how to make pumpkin purée from scratch
- spices – ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, a little ground all spice and ground cardamom
- dried cranberries and chopped pecans, or use walnuts if you prefer
- Using vegetable or sunflower oil instead of butter gives the muffins a really moist texture.
- Buttermilk. No buttermilk? Make a substitute by combining 80ml of low fat plain yoghurt with 40ml of milk.
- Eggs – 2 Large (not extra large)
- Plain (all-purpose) flour
- raising agents to help the muffins rise high – Baking powder and Bicarbonate of soda
- a little salt to lift the flavours
- vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- pumpkin seeds and a little ground cinnamon mixed with sugar for sprinkling over the top of the muffins
equipment list
I’ve made these muffins jumbo size to replicate the huge, towering muffins you can find in popular coffee shops all over the world.
- You will need jumbo muffin cases and preferably a jumbo muffin pan. I get 6 large muffins using the jumbo liners.
- Of course if you prefer, you can use a regular sized muffin pan and liners. The recipe will give you 12 muffins.
how to make pumpkin spice muffins
- preheat the oven to 200C/180Fan. Line your muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, all of the spices, nuts and dried cranberries.
- In a large jug or separate bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree and buttermilk until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture. Stir lightly until just combined. Don’t try and smooth out the mixture – a lumpy batter makes the best muffins.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners. For jumbo sized, tall muffins, fill the cases almost to the top. For regular sized muffins, fill the cases no more than two thirds full.
- Sprinkle the top of each muffin with chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon sugar. Bake in a preheated oven – about 25 minutes for the jumbo muffins and about 20 minutes for the regular size.
how to tell when pumpkin muffins are ready?
When the muffins are ready, they will be well risen, golden and smell amazing!
They will spring back to the touch when lightly pressed in the middle.
tips for recipe success
As with all muffin recipes, it’s very important that you don’t overmix the batter. You just want to lightly stir until the ingredients are JUST combined.
I always remember being told by a professional baker years ago that a muffin batter should be stirred no more than 17 or 18 times, so I try to stick to that guidance. It works for me!
Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking.
I don’t like nuts – can I leave them out?
Sure! You can omit them entirely or add an extra handful of dried cranberries or raisins, if you like.
add a maple glaze
mix together 100g icing sugar and 1 or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to make a maple glaze icing. Drizzle over the baked, cooled muffins.
can i add chocolate chips?
You so could! Pumpkin and Chocolate – pretty gorgeous combination.
more variation suggestions
- Make pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese swirl! Combine 150g full fat cream cheese with 60g caster sugar, one medium egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Place 1-2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin before baking and using a knife, swirl to make a pattern.
- Add a crumble/streusel topping for pumpkin spice streusel muffins.
- Add a Biscoff or Nutella filling and swirl – fill the muffin liners halfway with batter and add one teaspoon of the spread of your choice. Cover the filling with more batter. Finish off with another teaspoon of Biscoff or Nutella on top and using a knife, swirl it to make a pattern before baking!
- My favourite is the Biscoff filling – SO GOOD!
storage
These muffins will keep in an airtight tin for up to three days.
freezing instructions
Place the completely cooled muffins in a suitable freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. The night before you want to serve the muffins, remove from the freezer and defrost at room temperature.
re-heating
In the morning, warm the muffins in the oven for 5-10 minutes (150C should be fine) before serving with coffee. You can also heat them for about 30 seconds in the microwave. They are also delicious cold.
more pumpkin recipes to try
looking for more muffin recipes?
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you love it as much as I do! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Who needs to go to that expensive coffee house? Make these Pumpkin Spice Muffins from the comfort of your own home! Soft, delicious muffins with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, cranberries, pecans and lots of Autumnal spices.
Ingredients
- 275g Plain flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
- 100ml vegetable, sunflower oil or melted cooled butter
- 200g soft light brown sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 180ml Pumpkin puree
- 100ml buttermilk
- 75g Dried cranberries
- 75g chopped pecans or walnuts
- 25g pumpkin seeds for sprinkling on top
- 1 Tablespoon white sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for sprinkling over the top of the muffins
For the Maple glaze (optional)
- 150g Icing sugar
- 5 tablespoons Maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/400F and line a jumbo muffin tin with 6 muffin liners OR a 12 hole muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg and cardamom, dried cranberries and chopped pecans or walnuts.
- In a large jug or mixing bowl, mix together the oil or melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree and buttermilk.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix very lightly until only just combined, taking care not to overmix. Don't worry if there are a few tiny streaks of flour - a lumpy batter makes the best muffin.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners - if you're using the jumbo liners, fill them almost to the top. If you're using regular sized muffin liners, fill them about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the pumpkin seeds and cinnamon sugar, if using. Bake the jumbo muffins for 25 minutes and the regular ones for 20 minutes or until well risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before eating warm!
Notes
Allergic to nuts or don't like them? No problem - just leave them out!
Tinned pumpkin puree used to be very difficult to find in the UK, but it's now available in many of the larger supermarkets or on Amazon. I use the Libby or baking buddy brands.
Add 100g chocolate chips! Pumpkin and Chocolate - gorgeous combination
Add a cream cheese swirl by combining 150g full fat cream cheese with 60g caster sugar, one medium egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Place 1-2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin before baking and using a knife, swirl to make a pattern.
Add a Biscoff or Nutella filling and swirl - fill the muffin liners halfway with batter and add one teaspoon of the spread of your choice. Cover the filling with more batter. Finish off with another teaspoon of Biscoff or Nutella on top and using a knife, swirl it to make a pattern before baking!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 330Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 3gSugar: 40gProtein: 5g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only.
Those look and sound gorgeous. Totally up my street! Is the pumpkin puree the same as canned pumpkin or do you make it yourself?
It’s canned pumpkin Foodiequine, I usually buy the Libby brand 🙂