Pumpkin cake muffins made from scratch are moist and delicious. This easy pumpkin muffin recipe includes pumpkin pecan muffins and more variations!
Pumpkin Muffins
These easy pumpkin muffins are as moist as cake, flavorful, and super yummy! Good any time of the year, these moist pumpkin muffins make the perfect treat for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the holidays. They are wonderful for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert!
This pumpkin cake muffin recipe, made with applesauce, takes only 30 minutes and can be easily adapted to make sugar-free muffins. For variety, I have included a pumpkin pecan muffin recipe with sweet maple pecans and a chai pumpkin muffin recipe with homemade chai spice.
Pumpkin muffins pair perfectly with a matcha chai latte or cinnamon dolce latte. As an alternative to pecans, you can add hazelnuts or pistachios to the muffin batter for nutty pumpkin muffins with lots of flavor!
I hope you enjoy the pumpkin cake muffins!
Pumpkin Cake Muffin Recipe Ingredients
Here are the pumpkin cake muffin recipe ingredients you will need. Sugar-free pumpkin muffin recipe substitutes are included.
- Pumpkin: I use organic pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
- Flour: All-purpose or whole-wheat flour.
- Eggs: I use large organic pasture-raised eggs.
- Sugar: I use organic granulated stevia.
- Brown Sugar: I use stevia brown sugar.
- Applesauce: I use organic unsweetened applesauce.
- Vegetable oil: or avocado oil.
- Baking powder: I use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Baking soda
- Salt: I use fine kosher salt or Himalayan pink salt.
- Cinnamon: I use organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- Pumpkin Spice
- Pure Vanilla Extract
Optional:
- Powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
- Add chopped nuts
Chai Pumpkin Muffins
To make chai pumpkin muffins, replace the pumpkin spice with this easy homemade chai spice. You can also use the chai spice to make a matcha chai latte, flavorful vanilla chai almonds, or chai chia pudding.
How to Make Moist Pumpkin Muffins
To make moist pumpkin muffins from scratch, first, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add muffin cups to a muffin pan and lightly spray the insides with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture bowl and mix to combine.
Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full with the muffin batter. Place in the preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Carefully remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
Note: This recipe makes 24 muffins in a 12-cup muffin pan. I recommend baking with one pan, then covering the remaining batter in the bowl and setting it aside. That way, you can adjust the baking time for the second batch if needed. However, if you are making two pans at once, rotate the pans and switch oven racks after 10 minutes to ensure they cook evenly.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired, and enjoy!
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
Pumpkin pecan muffins are my favorite! To make this pumpkin pecan muffin recipe, first make these super yummy Maple Bourbon Pecans. Once they have cooled completely, coarsely chop them, then stir them into the muffin batter. The maple pecans can easily be made in advance since they store well.
The maple pecans add so much flavor, texture, and crunch to the muffins, plus they are sugar-free, making them perfect for the sugar-free pumpkin muffins recipe variation. Roasted pecans store well and can be used in other recipes, but they are also perfect for snacking!
Pumpkin Cake Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat)
- 1 cup brown sugar (I use stevia brown sugar)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (or sugar-free sweetener)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (or Homemade Chai Spice)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin puree, not pie filling)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional
- powdered sugar (sprinkled on top as desired)
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
- 1 cup Maple Bourbon Pecans (chopped - see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add muffin cups to a muffin pan and lightly spray the insides with non-stick cooking spray. (see notes)
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture bowl and mix to combine. *See notes for variations.
- Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full with the muffin batter. Place in the preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Carefully remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
To make the pumpkin pecan muffin recipe, first make the Maple Bourbon Pecans. Once they have cooled completely, coarsely chop them, then stir them into the muffin batter. The maple pecans can easily be made in advance since they store well. As an alternative to pecans, you can add chopped hazelnuts or pistachios to the muffin batter.Chai Pumpkin Muffins
To make chai pumpkin muffins, replace the pumpkin spice with this easy homemade chai spice. You can also use the chai spice to make a matcha chai latte, flavorful vanilla chai almonds, or chai chia pudding.Did you make this recipe?
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More Pumpkin Recipes
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie Fudge
- Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl
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