Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Once the cool weather hits I am definitely ready for some fall festivity in the form of food. These pumpkin muffins with streusel topping are one of the first fall recipes I take to making. 

 

There’s no other time of year with spices that completely bring the flavor of the season to you like autumn. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and obviously pumpkin spice, bring the aromas and tastes to the kitchen that just epitomize fall in a flavor format.

I love pretty much any sweet treat that is fall-inspired from pumpkin cheesecake to cupcakes. However, this is one of my favorites since you can enjoy it as a breakfast treat as easily as you can make it an after-dinner dessert.

The next time you’re looking for an easy recipe that imparts all of the flavors of the leaf-peeping season, try this pumpkin muffin recipe. There’s nothing better than sitting down on a brisk fall morning with your coffee and these crunchy-topped pumpkin flavored muffins.

Why You’ll Love These Muffins

The muffins are perfect all year but they’re especially amazing in autumn. There are plenty of reasons to fall in love with them.

• Pretty – These muffins with their textured topping are going to attract any party-goer or houseguest to grab one right up.
• Seasonal – Whether you’re basic or not, pumpkin spices bring all the fall flavor to the table. These muffins harness the taste of the season from the time the first leaf flutters to the ground until well after Thanksgiving.
• Portable – Throw these on a covered cake carrier and bring them to any event from bonfires and cookouts to trunk-or-treats.

Ingredients

You probably keep most of these basic ingredients handy in your pantry. If not, they’re easily accessible online and at local grocery stores.

• All-purpose flour – This ingredient will blend well and give your muffins the perfect rise. We also use it for the streusel.
• Baking soda – A leavening ingredient, baking soda also helps your muffins to rise right.
• Ground cinnamon – You can buy it ground or grind it at home, but cinnamon imparts the perfect aroma and flavor. We also use it for the streusel.
• Pumpkin pie spice – Don’t skimp on this important ingredient. It gives these muffins all of the autumnal flavor these muffins bring to the table. We also use it for the streusel.
• Salt – Salt brings out all of the flavors incorporated into a baked good. Use whichever variety you prefer.
• Vegetable oil – Vegetable oil is good for nearly any baked good but if you have a preferred oil you can switch it out.
• Milk – Use regular milk for this to get just the right amount of moisture in these muffins.
• Eggs – Whether you buy them or use the ones from your own chickens, make sure that they are about large sized.
• Vanilla extract – This rounds out any baked good recipe — buy it or make it on your own to keep around for other baking endeavors.
• Rum extract – While you may not have previously kept this around on the regular, it’s amazing in these muffins and you can also use it in eggnogs, mocktails, and lattes.
• Granulated sugar – The granules of typical white sugar dissolve quickly which makes them perfect for baked goods. We also use it for the streusel.
• Light brown sugar – If you want your muffin to have that lighter colored look, stick with this. If you want more molasses flavor and don’t mind darker coloration you can use dark brown sugar. We also use it for the streusel.
• Pumpkin puree – Like the spice, this puree is a necessity to make these muffins pumpkin-y. You can make your own homemade fresh pumpkin puree or you can buy canned pumpkin puree at the store, but just make sure you don’t get the pumpkin pie filling.
• Unsalted butter – Make sure to use melted butter and not cold butter. The entire topping will mix more easily.

Variations

These pumpkin muffins are perfect as they are but if you want to customize or elevate them the possibilities are endless.

• Pumpkin seeds – Add some roasted seeds to the batter for crunchy texture or sprinkle them on top.
• Chocolate chips – Chocolate makes everything better! Add dark, milk, or semi-sweet chips to the batter.
• Cream cheese – Try using a cream cheese concoction to elevate these muffins, like this pumpkin cheesecake frosting. Pipe it into the center for a cream cheese filling or spread a cream cheese frosting over top before sprinkling the streusel.
• Spice – Add any extra spices you might like from nutmeg to allspice, cloves or even ginger.
• Sour cream – Boost the moisture in any baked good using sour cream or Greek yogurt. It also adds a little tang.
• Maple syrup – Drizzle a little maple syrup over the muffins after adding the streusel to really amp up that fall flavor, or just add it to the mixture before topping to make a sweet streusel.
• Flour – If you want a lower carb count in the muffin or the topping, experiment with swapping out all purpose flour for alternative flours like almond or coconut.
• Vanilla – You can add vanilla to the icing to make it a vanilla glaze with pumpkin flavor.
• Bread – Instead of muffins, pour the batter in a loaf pan and make pumpkin bread instead.
• Banana – Add some mashed ripe bananas to your batter to make pumpkin banana muffins.

How To Make Pumpkin Muffins

You are going to love how easy these muffins are to make- and how your house smells when doing so!

1. Combine dry ingredients. Combine most of the dry ingredients for the muffins (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt) in a large bowl. Whisk together to fully combine.
2. Combine wet and dry ingredients. After combining the wet ingredients (vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and extracts) in a small bowl, add them and mix until they are fully combined — all dry ingredients should be moist. Avoid over-mixing to prevent dome-shaped or dense muffins.
3. Add sugars. Next, pour in the sugars and mix again until the sugars are combined and dissolved.
4. Fold in pumpkin. Finally, fold in the pumpkin puree and mix until the pumpkin mixture is entirely streak free.
5. Add to muffin pan. Pour the pumpkin muffin batter into the muffin tin prepared with cupcake liners before setting aside to assemble the topping. The paper liners will make cleaning up the muffin cups a breeze.
6. Make streusel. For the crumb topping, combine all streusel toppings In a mixing bowl and mix until full combined.
7. Add streusel to tops of muffins. Evenly distribute the topping on top of each of the batter filled liners.
8. Bake. Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake the streusel-topped batter and remove from the oven when toothpicks come out clean.
9. Make icing. Place the sugar, cinnamon, and milk into a medium bowl and then whisk until it is silky smooth and free of lumps.
10. Add icing to piping bag. Spoon the icing into a piping bag or plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, cut off a small part of the corner when ready to use it.
11. Pipe the icing over the top of the muffins and enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator.

Storage & Freezing

How to Store Pumpkin Muffins

You can store pumpkin muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or 7 days in the refrigerator.

Can I Freeze Pumpkin Muffins?

You can individually wrap the muffins in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. These are better stored frozen when wrapping just the muffin and adding the topping later.

More Muffin Recipes

A fresh-from-the-oven muffin is one of the best morning sweet treats. Here are some of my favorites.