This quick and easy pumpkin spice muffin recipe is the perfect way to welcome any season. The muffins are moist and dense, packed with the warm flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, and the added crunch of pecans makes them a perfect companion to your morning coffee.
This pumpkin spice muffin recipe is your ticket to a hearty and satisfying fall treat – or any time of year you’re craving pumpkin. With their dense texture and the perfect combination of pumpkin and spices, these muffins are not only easy to make but also versatile enough to serve as a breakfast item or an afternoon snack.
Just like these pumpkin spice muffins, my blueberry muffins and sweet potato muffins are sure to be a hit in your household. They’re all easy to bake and make for a delicious treat any time of the day.
I adapted this recipe from my Amish cookbook to make them more dense since I enjoy a meaty muffin. You can add the original 4 teaspoons of baking powder if you want to try a more fluffy muffin.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is incredibly easy to make. With a simple list of ingredients and straightforward instructions, you’ll have delicious muffins in just 30 minutes!
- Delicious: The combination of pumpkin, spices, and pecans creates a flavor profile that’s simply irresistible. Each bite is a taste of autumn.
- Classic Flavors: This recipe uses traditional fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. These classic flavors make these muffins a seasonal favorite.
- Family Favorite: These muffins are a hit with both kids and adults. They’re perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a sweet treat after dinner.
- Comfort Food: There’s something comforting about the warm, spicy aroma of these muffins baking in the oven. They’re the perfect cozy treat for a chilly fall day.
- Time-Saving: By using pureed pumpkin, this recipe saves you the time and effort of roasting and pureeing a fresh pumpkin. This makes the recipe surprisingly simple and quick to prepare.
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Key Ingredients
- Shortening: This fat source will give your baked goods a tender and flaky texture.
- Sugar: Besides sweetening, sugar also helps in browning and adding moisture to your baked goods.
- Large Egg: Eggs act as a binder in this recipe, holding all the other ingredients together. Remember to use them at room temperature for better results.
- Pureed Pumpkin: This will add a moist, dense texture to your baked goods, not to mention the lovely pumpkin flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of our recipe, it provides the structure for your baked goods.
- Baking Powder: This is a leavening agent that helps your baked goods rise and become fluffy.
- Salt: A pinch of salt can enhance the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Ground Nutmeg: This spice will add a warm, sweet flavor to your baked goods.
- Ground Ginger: It will add a bit of heat and a unique flavor to your recipe.
- Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a great spice for adding a sweet and warm flavor to your baked goods.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans will add a nice crunch and a nutty flavor to your recipe.
Equipment
- Muffin Pan – You’ll need a muffin pan to bake these delicious pumpkin muffins. You can either grease or line it with muffin liners for easy removal after baking.
- Mixer – A mixer is essential to cream together the shortening and sugar, and to add the egg and pumpkin puree. This guarantees a smooth and well-incorporated mixture.
- Whisk – A whisk is used to combine the dry ingredients. This helps to distribute the ingredients evenly for a consistent flavor and texture.
- Wire Rack – After baking, you’ll need a wire rack to let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan. This helps to prevent them from becoming soggy.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Muffin
Preparation
Begin by preheating your oven to 350˚ F. You’ll also need to prepare your muffin tin. You can do this by either greasing it or lining it with muffin liners.
Step 1 – Cream Shortening and Sugar
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and granulated sugar. Once they’re well combined, add the eggs and pumpkin puree. Make sure all these wet ingredients are at room temperature for the best results.
Step 2 – Whisk Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. Once they’re well mixed, stir in the pecans for some extra flavor and crunch.
Step 3 – Combine All Ingredients
Now, it’s time to combine all your ingredients. Add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and stir until they’re well incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make your muffins tough.
Step 4 – Bake
Spoon your muffin mixture into your prepared muffin tin. Then, bake at 350˚ F for 20 – 25 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step 5 – Cool
Once your muffins are baked, let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes. After this, you can remove them and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Your delicious pumpkin spice muffins are ready to serve!
Expert Tip
To guarantee that your pumpkin spice muffins have the perfect texture, don’t overmix the batter once you’ve combined the wet and dry ingredients. Over-mixing can lead to tough, dense muffins. Just stir until everything is well incorporated, and then stop.
Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Sweetener: Swap out the granulated sugar for brown sugar to give your muffins a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
- Add Chocolate: For a sweet surprise, mix in some chocolate chips with your muffin batter. The rich, melty chocolate pairs wonderfully with the pumpkin and spices.
- Try Extracts: To add a different dimension of flavor and enhance the flavors of the spices, consider adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter. It’ll bring out the flavors and make it taste even better.
What to Serve With
- For a cozy autumn breakfast, pair these pumpkin spice muffins with a warm cup of coffee. The bitter flavor of coffee compliments the rich pumpkin and cinnamon flavors in the muffins.
- If you’re hosting a fall-themed afternoon tea, these muffins are a must. They pair beautifully with a spicy chai tea or a classic English breakfast tea.
- Pumpkin Spice Muffins also make a fantastic portable snack. Pop them in a lunchbox or grab one as you head out the door for a delicious treat on the go.
Recipe FAQs
For this pumpkin spice muffin recipe, you can use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. Just make sure that it is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added spices and sugar.
The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. They should also have a nice golden color. The total bake time is usually between 20 to 25 minutes.
If you don’t have muffin liners, you can simply grease the muffin tin with a little bit of vegetable oil or melted butter. This will prevent the muffins from sticking to the tin.
Absolutely! You can add a streusel topping before baking for an extra crunch or drizzle them with a cream cheese frosting after they’ve cooled for a sweet finish.
Storing and Reheating
- Freeze: These pumpkin spice muffins are perfect for freezing. Once they have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months.
- Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy a muffin, simply take it out of the freezer, wrap it in a paper towel, and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds.
- Refrigerate: If you prefer to store your muffins in the fridge, they will keep well for about a week. Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container to maintain their moistness and flavor.
- Reheat Instructions: If you’ve stored your muffins in the fridge, you can reheat them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. They’ll taste just as fresh and delicious as when they first came out of the oven.
More Muffins You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This pumpkin spice muffin recipe yields 12 deliciously spiced muffins, each packed with the flavors of pureed pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- How to Scale: If you want to make more than twelve muffins, you can double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed. Make sure that you have a large enough bowl to mix the dry ingredients and a muffin tin that can accommodate the increased quantity.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup shortening
- 1 Cup sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 Cup pureed pumpkin
- 1 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F and grease or line a muffin pan.
- Cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and pumpkin.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Stir in the pecans.
- Combine all the ingredients until well incorporated.
- Bake at 350˚ F for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool for 10 minutes and then remove from muffin pan.
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