Pumpkin Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel

Pumpkin Muffins are tender, moist, and bursting with fall flavors, topped with a pumpkin spice streusel and maple icing. They are an excellent treat for a fall breakfast or an awesome Halloween or Thanksgiving dessert.

At this time of year, I like to add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree to many of my recipes, and my home is filled with the scent of fall aromas. But these muffins are one of my star recipes, popular with everyone from kids to adults because they are sweet and flavorful, with a buttery topping and gooey icing. I made the recipe easy so that anyone can make them in about 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins are an easy recipe to make with a few simple ingredients. During the pumpkin season, this is my favorite recipe because the spices and aromas are out of this world. They always turn out moist, tender, with a sweet and earthy flavor.

The streusel topping gives them a nice crunch and a boost of flavor, and the maple icing complements the pumpkin flavor. With my simple, foolproof recipe, anyone can whip them up. I love serving these with my pumpkin spice latte.

Although Halloween is a time to make some creative treats, I also like to bake these for people that would like to eat something simple without all the spooky decorations. But if I do want to make them look fit for the theme, I can easily top them off with a scary icing design.

Everyone loves them, I like to make extras and freeze them for future snacks. I put them in freezer bags, two in each baggie, for snacks as needed. But wrap them in plastic wrap first to prevent freezer burn.

Pumpkin recipes are ideal for Thanksgiving and Halloween. For more fall favorite desserts, try my delicious pumpkin bread, instant pot pumpkin pie, and apple slab pie.

Why you will love this recipe

• Make them easy in minutes: In just about 30 minutes, these pumpkin muffins are ready to be enjoyed by the whole family.
• Fool-proof: This recipe turns out great all the time, impossible to mess-up if you follow the instructions.
• Perfect for get-togethers: Make a double or triple batch for a party. Everyone enjoys these muffins.
• Make extras and freeze them for later: Pack them individually or in pairs for snacks or desserts.

What you’ll need to make pumpkin muffins

Special items:

• Muffin pan – I use a 12-count muffin pan.
• Bowls
• Cooking utensils

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• All-purpose flour – I like all-purpose flour for this recipe because it provides a nice texture and structure for the batter. Bread flour is too dense, and I think cake flour is just too light for the heavy pumpkin ingredients.
• White granulated sugar – Adds the perfect neutral sweetness and uniform crystals for creating air pockets while still dissolving with butter.
• Dark brown sugar – I strongly recommend dark brown sugar because it is rich and robust with more molasses flavor. Make sure it is firmly packed to get the full impact.
• Pumpkin pie spice – Buy it from the store or make it yourself with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
• Pumpkin puree – I prefer to use my own homemade pumpkin puree but canned is fine too.
• Large eggs – Using room-temperature large eggs will help make fluffier, lighter, and more tender muffins.
• Buttermilk – Make sure it is full-fat and at room temperature. This adds a tangy flavor, gives the muffins extra moisture, helps with a soft crumb, and makes them rise higher.
• Baking soda – I use baking soda alone because it reacts with the buttermilk to help the muffins rise exponentially.
• Ground cinnamon – For extra sweetness and a bit of citrus tang without more sugar.
• Vanilla extract – Gives the muffins an extra layer of flavor. Do not use flavoring, only use the pure stuff.
• Vegetable oil
• Salt

For the topping:

• All-purpose flour – It has the right amount of gluten to provide the structure to form the crumbs.
• White granulated sugar – To attract moisture and hold the flour together, forming the crumbs.
• Dark brown sugar – As before, I strongly recommend the dark brown sugar because it is rich and robust with more molasses flavor. Make sure it is firmly packed to get the full impact.
• Pumpkin pie spice – Buy it from the store or make it yourself with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
• Melted unsalted butter – Helps the sugar hold the flour together to form crumbs.

For the icing:

• Powdered sugar – Makes a silky-smooth icing rather than a grainy one like granulated sugar would.
• Pure maple syrup – Be sure to get the pure stuff, not pancake syrup.
• Whole milk – Whole milk will make the icing thicker but low-fat milk will still work. It will just be thinner and not as rich.
• Vanilla extract – Be sure to use the good stuff for the best flavor.

How to make pumpkin muffins?

1. Preheat and prepare: First, I preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. Make the cupcake batter: Then, I mix the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. I whisk the buttermilk, sugars, vanilla, eggs, pumpkin, and oil in a different bowl until it is combined.
3. Combine: Then, I pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using a spatula to fold everything together until it is just combined. I use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin liners almost full.
4. Make the crumb topping: I whisk together the flour, sugars, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl before adding the melted butter. I use a fork and stir until crumbs form. The crumbs go on top of the batter before I put them in the oven.
5. Bake the cupcakes: I bake them for five minutes before turning the oven temperature to 350 degrees and baking them for another 17 to 20 minutes. They are done when they pass the toothpick test.
6. Let them cool: After, they cool in the pan for 10 minutes before I remove them and put them on the rack to completely cool.
7. Ice and serve: To make the icing, I mix all the ingredients and then drizzle it on top of the cooled muffins before serving.

Expert tip

The secret to moist muffins

In my recipe, buttermilk is one of the secret ingredients to make my pumpkin muffins moist. The lactic acid in the buttermilk breaks down proteins, which acts on gluten and gives muffins a delicate crumb and moister texture. Make sure it is full-fat buttermilk, though, so it will give the batter enough richness and moisture to make a difference.

That leads me to secret number two. Make sure everything you use has plenty of fat. Another trick to moist muffins is to use room-temperature ingredients. The eggs, butter, and milk should be warmed to room temperature for a smoother batter.

Also, when mixing, be sure to combine the dry ingredients first before introducing the wet ingredients. This avoids the next problem, which is overmixing. Overmixing the batter is another way to ruin moist muffins, so be light-handed when mixing. Mix it until barely combined and no more dry flour is visible.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add seeds: Not just any seeds, pumpkin seeds! My roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) will taste incredible in the mixture or sprinkled on top.
• Crunch: Add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter or the topping.
• Different topping: Instead of topping them with maple icing, make them more decadent with this cream cheese frosting.
• Chocolate chips: For a different taste, add chocolate chips to the mixture. Chocolate lovers will adore this add-in.
• Add some zest: Sprinkle some orange zest into the crumb topping for an orangey flavor. It pairs well with pumpkin.
• No maple: Instead of maple syrup, use honey for the icing. It will still be sweet, but it will be a different kind of sweetness.
• Mini muffins: For mini muffins, bake them for 12 to 15 minutes instead of 17 to 20.
• Gluten-free: Turn them into gluten-free muffins by using 1:1 gluten-free flour.

Serving suggestions:

• These go great for dessert after a delicious Thanksgiving dinner of my perfect oven-roasted turkey.
• They also taste amazing with a tall glass of pumpkin pie smoothie for a quick breakfast.
• These muffins also taste excellent with a scoop of my 3-ingredient Oreo ice cream, and it is so easy to make!
• Make a big batch of these and pack them up for the next family picnic. Everyone will love these and leftovers will freeze well for months if there are any left over.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my pumpkin muffins gooey?

The most common reason for gooey or gummy muffins is underbaking. If they come out of the oven too soon, the middles will be sticky and gooey. The best way to prevent this is to perform the toothpick test.

Insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake, and if it comes out wet, it needs to be cooked for a few more minutes. This can happen even if you bake them at the right time if the tins are overfilled or if the oven is not baking at the right temperature.

Do I have to let the muffin batter rest?

Although it is not required, I recommend letting the batter rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flour absorb more moisture. This makes the batter thicker, and the muffins rise more and have a better texture.

The starches are allowed to swell to make them fluffy and less dense. The batter also spreads less, so the tops are more evenly rounded with better lift. What’s more, the more the flour absorbs, the moister the muffin.

How do I get domed muffins?

As I mentioned previously, letting the batter rest will help the muffins swell more, encouraging rounded, lifted tops. Also, I set my oven to 425 degrees F for the first five minutes before turning it down to 350 degrees F.

This sets the outside of the muffin while the inside is still liquid. Filling the muffin cups a little fuller will help them rise more. Finally, rotating the pan halfway through the baking process will also encourage better lifting.

Why are my muffins so dry?

Too much flour is one of the most common reasons for dry muffins. This is usually due to using the wrong measuring technique. Many people still scoop their flour with a measuring cup right from the bag. This packs the flour into the cup, and that means an extra few tablespoons or more in each scoop.

Instead, sift the flour and then use a spoon to lightly spoon it into the cup and level it with the back of a knife. Overcooking and overmixing can also cause dry muffins.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
• Freezing: After they cool, place them in freezer bags to be frozen for up to three months.
• Defrost: For the best taste and texture, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheating: They are great at room temperature but can be reheated for 10 seconds in the microwave.

More pumpkin recipes:

Recipe tips:

• Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature for moist muffins.
• Also, mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together first before combining them.
• Do not overmix the batter. Only stir it until the flour is no longer visible.
• Always use the toothpick test before removing the muffins. If the toothpick comes out wet, leave them to bake for a few more minutes.
• If the muffin tins are overfilled or the oven is cooking at a lower temperature, they will need a few more minutes than the recipe calls for.
• Resting the batter for at least 30 minutes can make the muffins moister, improve the texture, and help the tops become more rounded.
• Measure the flour using the spoon and level method. Spoon the sifted flour into a measuring cup and level it with a knife.