This recipe for Pumpkin Muffins is soft, moist, sweet and believe it or not, secretly healthy! Add on a few pepitas before baking to make these look like you bought them fresh out of a bakery.
I love pumpkin muffins! This is my go-to fall recipe and so simple to throw together! Of course blueberry muffins or banana bread muffins are classic options all year round, but its these pumpkin ones that get made on repeat come October!
The Best Pumpkin Muffins
After testing and retesting several recipes, I found the best ingredients for creating a moist, light, sweet crumb for these pumpkin muffins were: honey + brown sugar for sweetness, canned pumpkin puree and a light tasting oil (like a vegetable, canola or light olive oil).
There are other common ingredients needed as well like whole wheat flour, leavenings, eggs and spices, but it really just comes down to the oil, pumpkin, and sweeteners that make all the difference in baking.
Because the recipe does call for whole wheat flour, honey, pepitas, olive oil and pumpkin puree, these could be considered a healthy pumpkin muffin, though it depends on your definition of ‘healthy’. Ha!
How to make this Pumpkin Muffin Recipe:
Believe it or not, it only takes about 30 minutes, one bowl and a handful of pantry ingredients to make these easy pumpkin muffins from scratch.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together until combined. Create a well in the center.
- Measure and pour remaining wet ingredients into the well.
- Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients in with the dry. Stir until just combined.
- Scoop into muffin tins and sprinkle with pepitas.
- Bake 20 minutes or until thoroughly baked.
Scroll down to the bottom of this post to get the printable recipe card with the full directions and proper increments.
What are pepitas? Do I have to use them?
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds that don’t have a white shell that derive only from certain varieties of pumpkins. See those green looking seeds on top of my muffins? Those are pepitas. And if you don’t like them or can’t find them, you do not have to use them!
Keep your pumpkin muffins plain or better yet, try substituting a few chocolate chips!
Adding chocolate chips
You can easily adapt this recipe into a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin by folding in 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the batter and then topping each muffin with a few extra chocolate chips before baking. Easy and delicious!
Love pumpkin muffins? Try these other pumpkin recipes:
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
- Soft Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Pull Apart Monkey Bread
- Old Fashioned Pumpkin Donuts
- Magnolia Bakery Pumpkin Gingersnap Banana Pudding
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Twists
- Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
For a full list of all my pumpkin recipes available on my site, click here.
Below is the printable recipe card. Be sure to print/save/bookmark/pin this one because it’s a great one you’re not going to want to lose this one! Have a great day, friends!
Bakery-Style Pumpkin Muffins
This recipe for Pumpkin Muffins is soft, moist, sweet and believe it or not, secretly healthy! Add on a few pepitas before baking to make these look like you bought them fresh out of a bakery.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola or light olive oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup pepitas
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
-
In a large bowl, stir all dry ingredients until well mixed. Create a well in the center and add in the eggs, pumpkin, oil, honey and vanilla. Stir until dry ingredients are just absorbed. Scoop into muffin tins 2/3 way full and top with a sprinkling of pepitas.
-
Bake 20 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove and cool 5 minutes before removing and serving.
Recipe Notes
For Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins: fold in 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips into the batter. Scoop into muffin tins and sprinkle with a few extra chocolate chips before baking.
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek says
October 19, 2015 at 7:14 amI loved when my kids were potty trained. What I didn’t love was no more one-piece zip up PJ’s. We moved them to twin beds as soon as they were potty trained so they could get up and go if necessary. It was good….but I still miss those onesy PJ’s with the feet. Memories.
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
October 19, 2015 at 9:18 amYou know, I’ve never met a pumpkin muffin I didn’t love, but this one looks especially tempting, love those pepitas — pinning!
Happy Valley Chow says
October 19, 2015 at 2:04 pmOm nom nom nom, those look like some delicious muffins! Great recipe, pinned 🙂
Cookbook Queen says
October 20, 2015 at 4:31 amJon David was a breeze to potty train. Lucy, however…not so much. She has her own ideas about when she will decide to use it, and now is not the time :/
These muffins are absolutely gorgeous! I love how simple they are to make. Always a bonus!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
October 20, 2015 at 5:05 amThese pumpkin muffins were perfect….having one with my coffee right now!
Liz says
October 20, 2015 at 5:41 amThese muffins sound delicious. Thank you. Your son will get there soon. Don’t give up and relax.
Tosja G. says
October 20, 2015 at 6:38 amThese look and sound so deliciously!! Can’t wait to try!
Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker says
October 20, 2015 at 1:02 pmLOVE that these only use one bowl! And those pepitas on top totally complete the pumpkin perfection!
Amy D. says
October 21, 2015 at 9:28 pmI made these tonight, and the texture and consistency is spot on! So moist, light, and you can hardly tell they’re made with whole wheat. My husband and I loved them. I added chocolate chips instead of pepitas, because honestly, I don’t even know what those are. 🙂 Another winner!!!
Theresa McInerney says
February 25, 2016 at 6:14 amI saved this recipe from October and I’m glad I did! Just made them and they are perfect. They’re moist, flavorful, and the pumpkin seeds give just right amount of crunch on top. They heat up nice the next morning too. I gave some to a friend and her response -these muffins are the bomb – I want that recipe. Won’t she be glad that it’s one bowl too! Pepitas! I just love saying that word 🙂 Thanks, Lauren
Debra says
September 15, 2017 at 8:29 pmI don’t have paper liners but I do have silicone liners, are those okay to use or can I just spray the muffin pan with some canola oil?
Lauren says
September 16, 2017 at 6:12 amI’ve never used the silicone liners and am not confident in saying those would work well. A little nonstick cooking spray in the muffin tins should work just fine though!