Pumpkin season is back so not only am I surviving, but I am also *thriving*. And, I thought I'd kick off the season with my favorite small batch pumpkin muffins! The whole recipe comes together in just one bowl, the muffins are topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds, and you'll end up with just 6 super tall muffins. Yay!
You know I'm a spooky bitch. So it only makes sense that I love all things pumpkin and cozy and spiced like my small batch pumpkin cookies. And now that it's not a million degrees, I have pretty much been baking every single day.
This recipe was a passion project in that I'm passionate about any kind of pumpkin bread situation. I like it super moist, super dense, super spiced, and not-too-sweet. This recipe, which is a riff on the pumpkin bread recipe I've been making since I was in pastry school, checks all the boxes and more!
Like my small batch blueberry muffins or these fluffy chocolate chip banana muffins, these are super tall and bakery-style. But obviously, you can make smaller muffins if you want to stretch the servings a bit!
Libby's canned pumpkin
I'm not a huge brand purist except when it comes to canned pumpkin. Honestly, it's Libby's or bust. I've tried lots of other brands and they're all watery and flavorless. But Libby's is thick, super orange, and flavorful. I promise, it's worth the extra coins!
Just make sure you're using canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
Recipe directions
For a little crunch, I like to sprinkle the muffins with roasted pumpkin seeds before I bake them. But they're also amazing with a sprinkle of raw or granulated sugar!
Bakery style tips
I have a few secrets for getting tall, gorgeous, bakery style muffins:
- Let the batter sit for 15-30 minutes if you can. It gives the baking powder a little head start.
- Space the muffin liners so there's an empty cup between each one. This helps with airflow so the tops get nice and tall.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes to help the muffins rise. Then, reduce the heat to 350°F (177°C) and finish baking them.
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
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Spiced Small Batch Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Standard cupcake pan
Ingredients
- 180 grams canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling (¾ cup)
- 60 milliliters neutral oil like avocado oil (¼ cup)
- 105 grams brown sugar, light or dark (½ cup, packed)
- 50 grams granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 120 grams all purpose flour (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, I use Diamond
- Roasted pumpkin seeds or raw sugar, for sprinkling - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a standard cupcake pan with 6 paper liners, leaving an empty cup in-between each. (See the blog post for a visual.)
- Add the canned pumpkin purée, avocado oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture until it's very smooth.
- Then, add the all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and Kosher salt. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until there are no more streaks of flour. A few lumps are ok! If you have time, cover the bowl and let the batter sit for 15-30 minutes to give the baking powder a head start. (This helps the muffins rise super tall.)
- Using a cupcake scoop, divide the batter between the muffin liners, filling them all the way to the top. Sprinkle the tops with roasted pumpkin seeds or raw sugar, if using.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350°F (177°C) and bake the muffins for 14-16 more minutes, until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!