These moist pumpkin streusel muffins are loaded with a whole can of pumpkin and topped with a brown sugar pecan streusel. They're delicious for breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert, and perfect for Fall baking. Best of all, these muffins are ready in under one hour!
This website uses affiliate links which may earn commission for purchases made at no additional cost to you.
The spiced pumpkin muffin batter comes together in one bowl without any electric mixer. Which means less dishes to wash - yay!
And I’m just going to warn you now - the buttery pecan streusel is dangerously delicious! It takes all my willpower not to eat it all by the spoonful before adding it onto the muffin batter… So go ahead and double the batch to add it on top of other bakes like cinnamon apple streusel bread and streusel banana bread.
Growing up in Germany, Fall was my favorite time of year. All the leaves change colors, a crisp morning fog clings to the ground, and the smell of delicious bakes fills the air.
These spiced pumpkin muffins with their crumbly brown sugar and pecan streusel topping are simply perfect for Fall baking.
These pumpkin streusel muffins were inspired by my cinnamon streusel muffins. And for more pumpkin desserts, try pumpkin pasties, no bake vegan pumpkin pie, no bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake, and tangy pumpkin bread with labneh.
Ingredients and Notes
- All purpose flour
- Brown sugar - Both light and dark brown sugar work in this recipe, but I prefer the richer caramel flavor of dark brown sugar.
- Chopped pecans - You can leave the pecans out of the streusel if you don't like nuts.
- Pumpkin pie spice - Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger add a warm, cozy flavor that's perfect in this muffins!
- Unsalted butter - Softened butter adds a rich flavor to both the muffin batter and the streusel topping.
- Granulated sugar - Helps whip air into the butter to create extra fluffy muffins.
- Canned pumpkin puree - Don't use pumpkin pie filling - just use plain ol' pumpkin puree!
- Eggs - Allow your eggs to warm to room temperature so they incorporate easily into the batter.
- Vanilla extract
- Milk - I've used both dairy and non-dairy milk like homemade oat milk, and both work great.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt - The measurement is for table salt or fine sea salt, so don't use kosher salt.
How to Make Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Mix the flour, brown sugar, pecans, pumpkin pie spice, and butter in a mixing bowl until it's crumbly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until it is creamy.
3. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix on low speed until it’s well combined.
5. Use a cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop muffin batter into each muffin cup to fill it about ¾ full. Sprinkle the pecan streusel topping on top.
4. Gently mix in the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
6. Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out without any wet batter stuck to it.
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
Your muffins are done baking with a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center of the muffins comes out with moist crumbs stuck to it.
Wet batter means the muffins need to bake longer. But a perfectly clean toothpick means the muffins might be a little overbaked, so watch out!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t use canned pumpkin pie which contains added sugar and other ingredients that will totally mess up your muffins. Use canned pumpkin that only contains one ingredient - pumpkins!
- Don’t overmix the batter, which encourages gluten formation and leads to dry, chewy muffins rather than soft, moist muffins.
- For more tips on how to make streusel for the topping, check out my streusel versus strudel post.
Variations
- For extra sweetness, add a cinnamon swirl filling in the center of the muffins, like my cinnamon streusel topping muffins.
- Drizzle a simple glaze or even espresso glaze or maple icing on top! Personally I think these muffins are plenty sweet on their own. And I just cannot be bothered wait the few extra minutes it takes to drizzle the glaze on top before devouring them. :p
- Instead of using a pumpkin spice blend, you can make your own by mixing ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up the 3 days.
- Freezer: Wrap cooled muffins individually in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat them in the microwave.
Related Recipes
Hungry for muffins? Try my chocolate zucchini muffins. And if you're looking for more easy sweet bread recipes, be sure to try these:
Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (both light and dark brown sugar work)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Pumpkin Muffins
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar (both light and dark brown sugar work)
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree (one can) (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk (you can substitute dairy free milk)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners.
- Prepare the streusel by combining the all purpose flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, pumpkin pie spice, and softened butter in a mixing bowl. Use a large spoon, silicone spatula, or your hands to mix the mixture until it's crumbly. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until it is pale and fluffy, after a few minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix on low speed until it’s well combined, after about 1 minute.
- Add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gently mix with a large spoon or silicone spatula until you no longer see dry pockets of flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Use a cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop muffin batter into each muffin cup to fill it about ¾ full. Sprinkle the pecan streusel topping on top.
- Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out without any wet batter stuck to it. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Don’t use canned pumpkin pie which contains added sugar and other ingredients that will totally mess up your muffins. Use canned pumpkin that only contains one ingredient - pumpkins!
- Don’t overmix the batter, which encourages gluten formation and leads to dry, chewy muffins rather than soft, moist muffins.
- Storing: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up the 3 days. To freeze, wrap cooled muffins individually in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Shanon
Pumpkin season here we come! Can't wait to try these!