Pumpkin Muffins

I love baking all year long, but there’s something special about doing it during the fall. Seasonal flavors like apple, cranberry, and warm spices are all autumnal baking staples, but none are as ubiquitous as pumpkin. Pumpkin is my go-to ingredient for pies, cheesecakes, and cookies. But when I want to start the day with some cozy fall flavor (without ordering a pumpkin spice latte), I bake a batch of pumpkin muffins. These fluffy and lightly sweet muffins are the best way to do breakfast. Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to make these fall favorites.

How To Make Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking Spray: It’s time to leave your muffin liners in the cabinet and use nonstick spray instead. Baking without liners creates a gorgeous caramelized crust on the bottom and sides of the muffin, which adds tons of great flavor and texture. We think it’s worth the 2 minutes it takes to clean the pan.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin-flavored foods wouldn’t be complete without a dash of warm spices. Store-bought pumpkin pie spice is a great blend to have in your pantry, but you can also make it yourself!
• Salt: You may be wondering why we call for salt in a sweet recipe. But we believe every dessert deserves a little sprinkle of salt, because it highlights and emphasizes the other flavors.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is a chemical leavener that interacts with acid so that the muffins puff up in the oven. Make sure you’re not using baking powder, and double check that your baking soda is fresh (its lifting power gets weaker over time).
• Pumpkin Puree: It’s important to get plain, unsweetened pumpkin puree for this recipe instead of pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling. Our Senior Food Editor and resident baking guru Makinze Gore recommends Libby’s. This recipe calls for about half of a can, but you can also make it from scratch using our recipe here.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is our liquid of choice for these muffins, and it plays several roles in the recipe. The natural acidity interacts with the baking soda to help the muffins rise and the lactic tang adds a lightness that balances out the other ingredients.
• Dark Brown Sugar: We call for dark brown sugar in this recipe because the extra molasses makes for a deeper, richer flavor. But if you’re not interested in buying a box just for this recipe, light brown sugar will also work.
• Vegetable Oil: This recipe opts for vegetable oil in lieu of butter because it creates a moister muffin. Butter is 15% to 20% water, which ends up evaporating and escaping your muffins as they sit. Vegetable oil, on the other hand, is 100% fat, which slows down the rate of your muffins going stale.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract has the magical ability to make any baked good taste cozy and decadent. One teaspoon in this recipe imparts a comforting flavor while still allowing the pumpkin to be the star.
• Turbinado Sugar: Crunchy, sparkly sugar is the secret weapon for elevating a batch of muffins. It lends an extra burst of sweetness, adds some texture to the top, and provides a gorgeous exterior to your finished product.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

While these muffins are a breeze to make, the first step is undoubtedly the easiest. Spray each well of your muffin pan with cooking spray. And while you preheat your oven, combine your flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Next, you're going to whisk the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, buttermilk, dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. The goal is to end up with a smooth, streak-free mixture with no lumps of brown sugar left.

Now it’s time to put the batter together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until it’s combined. Make sure to stop mixing once there’s no streaks of flour left—overmixing will leave you with a tough muffin.

Once everything is combined, divide the batter evenly between each prepared muffin cup. You’ll end up with about 1/4 c. batter in each well. (Pro tip: A 2-oz. ice cream scoop guarantees that each muffin will be the same size.) Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar and place in the preheated oven.

Start checking them after 20 minutes, and pull them once a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. You’ll probably want to eat them right away, but give them some time to cool in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. It’s worth the wait.

Full list of ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

These muffins are the perfect recipe to make if you want to have grab-and-go breakfasts all week long. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll stay good for 1 week. But if you prefer your muffins room temperature, you can keep them on the counter in a resealable plastic bag for up to 4 days (just line it with a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture).