Bakery-Style Pumpkin Muffins

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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. Of course, blueberry muffins or banana bread muffins are classic options all year round, but it’s these pumpkin ones that get made on repeat come October!

Main Ingredients Needed

After testing and retesting several recipes, I found the best ingredients for creating a moist, light, sweet crumb for these pumpkin muffins were:

• Whole Wheat Flour – you could also use regular all-purpose flour here. This fills out the muffins.
• Brown Sugar + Honey – these two are used to sweeten.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice + Cinnamon – these two are used for warm flavor. If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice you can replace it with nutmeg in a pinch!
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda – these are our leavening agents which makes these little babies light and fluffy.
• Salt – to balance and enhance the flavors.
• Eggs – this is used for structure and texture.
• Pumpkin Puree – do not confuse this for pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced already whereas pumpkin puree is purely blended up cooked pumpkin. That’s what we want! You can find this canned in the baking aisle at the store.
• Oil – you can use vegetable oil, canola oil or a light olive oil. Pretty much any oil that is light tasting.
• Vanilla – for flavor.
• Pepitas – these top each muffin and make them look like they came straight from your local bakery. Plus they’re yummy and give great texture.

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!

Are Pumpkin Muffins Healthy?

Because the recipe does call for whole wheat flour, honey, pepitas, olive oil, and pumpkin puree, these could be considered a healthy muffin, though it depends on your definition of ‘healthy’. Ha!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Keep your pumpkin muffins plain or better yet, try substituting a few chocolate chips!

You can easily adapt this recipe into a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin by folding 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the batter and then topping each muffin with a few extra chocolate chips before baking. Easy and delicious!

How to Make Pumpkin Muffins

Believe it or not, it only takes about 30 minutes, one bowl, and a handful of pantry ingredients to make these easy muffins from scratch. For full details on how to make Pumpkin Muffins, see the recipe card down below 🙂

Make Pumpkin Muffin Batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set it aside. If you don’t have liners, spray your muffin tin super well with nonstick cooking spray!

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.

How to Prevent Gummy Muffins:

When I say stir until just combined, I mean it friends. Doing this ensures that these muffins turn out light and fluffy, not gummy, and weighed down. If you get gummy muffins it’s because you overmixed your batter (causing too much gluten in the flour to form).

Scoop and Bake

Scoop into muffin tins 2/3 way full and top with a sprinkling of pepitas.

Bake for 20 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove and cool for 5 minutes before removing and serving.

How Will You Know When the Muffins Are Done?

Since these muffins are tinted an orange color you can’t really look for those signature golden brown edges that indicate doneness. Instead, stick a toothpick in the middle of a muffin. If it comes out clean or mostly clean they’re done!

Storing Pumpkin Muffins

Store any leftover pumpkin muffins in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You don’t need to store them in the fridge, in fact, I don’t recommend storing them in the fridge. Doing so could lead to them drying out.

Can I Freeze These?

You absolutely can freeze these pumpkin muffins! Store in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy at room temperature.

More Pumpkin Muffin Recipes to Try!

• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
• Glazed Pumpkin Bran Muffins
• Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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!

Print Pin It

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.

servings 14 muffins

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

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 oil or canola or light olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/4 cup pepitas

US Customary – Metric

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.

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2077IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffin recipe, pumpkin muffins