Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
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Moist and tender pumpkin muffins made with real pumpkin and all the warm flavors of fall, topped with an irresistible pumpkin spice streusel.
If you’re craving the seasonal flavors of pumpkin muffins but don’t want to leave the comfort of your kitchen, or, you know, it’s not “pumpkin season,” you’re in the right place!
As a passionate home baker who loves to recreate bakery favorites right at home, my simple recipe for pumpkin streusel muffins is just like the ones you get from the bakery (or your local Dunkin). Every bite of these muffins brings strong pumpkin flavor and the buttery streusel adds the perfect complement to the warm spices. Not to mention these muffins are ultra moist, which means they last for days stored properly.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Muffins
Let me tell you a little bit about me and muffins.
The first summer I was a mom (with a newborn, no less), I had an absolute love affair with muffins.
It all started a few days after our first June-bug son was born when Matt brought me a lemon poppy seed muffin as a Sunday breakfast treat to have with my coffee (not only super convenient food while nursing but also easy calories since breastfeeding takes up, like, all of them!).
It was heavenly, and I asked him if he could get me another one when he went to the grocery store the next time.
Well, one muffin one Sunday turned into a few a week, which turned into one a day, and then, admittedly, continued to be one a day for the remainder of that summer (oops).
AND THEN, when I went back to work in September, I frequented the Dunkin that was right next door to our neighborhood nearly every morning. It was a problem.
My return to work that year and my birthday coincided perfectly with the return of Dunkin’s pumpkin muffins, so when I received a Dunkin gift card for my birthday, it fueled my pumpkin muffin obsession even more.
Have you ever had one of their pumpkin muffins? They are truly amazing. Not only are they perfectly moist, but they are also made with actual pumpkin.
No really, I looked up the Dunkin pumpkin muffin recipe on their website. After flour, pumpkin is listed as the second ingredient.
Hooray for real, authentic pumpkin flavor and not just a blend of spices to get the job done (these are no pumpkin spice muffins…. This is the real deal full throttle pumpkin muffin, friends!).
Ingredients For My Favorite Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
STREUSEL
• all-purpose flour
• unsalted butter
• light brown sugar
• ground cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• salt
MUFFINS
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• pumpkin pie spice
• ground cinnamon
• salt
• light brown sugar
• unsalted butter
• large egg
• pumpkin purée
• milk
• vanilla extract
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins With Streusel Topping
MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING
Place flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a small bowl.
Using a fork, press ingredients together until butter is in small chunks. Use your fingers to pinch pieces together until streusel is mostly small crumbles. Some large crumbles are ok. Set aside.
MAKE THE MUFFINS
In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Add the egg, pumpkin purée, milk, and vanilla extract and whisk again until everything is combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined.
Spoon batter equally into prepared muffin pans. Add crumble to the top of each muffin, about 2-3 Tablespoons each. Bake muffins for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until streusel starts to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
MY GO-TO METHOD FOR TALL, DOMED MUFFINS
In order to get these pumpkin muffins nice and tall, you’ll bake them at a high temp (400ºF/204ºC) for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 350ºF/177ºC for the remainder of the baking. This method encourages the muffins to stand tall while continuing to bake the inside of the muffin to pumpkin perfection.
If you’re making jumbo muffins, you can use this same method– see the recipe instructions for an adjusted bake time.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that my own pumpkin streusel muffins were every bit as tasty as the ones I can get from Dunkin.
The texture is perfectly moist, the crumb is tender, the streusel on top is loaded with buttery, spicy flavor, and the inside of the muffins taste like real pumpkin.
And, on the plus side, they’re not too sweet in the slightest. Pure pumpkin flavor, sweetened just the right amount.
Pumpkin Muffins Recipe variations
Now if you’re into that icing on top, I don’t blame you one bit, and you’re welcome to keep going to Dunkin or whip up your own at home (my homemade easy royal icing from this easy cut-out sugar cookies recipe would be the perfect choice), but I urge you to get these muffins in your oven pronto.
While this small batch pumpkin streusel muffins recipe makes 7 standard muffins, you can double the recipe and make 6 or 7 jumbo muffins to get those iconic pumpkin crumb muffins bakery style.
Storing Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or in the refrigerator up to one week. Keep in mind that as they sit, the streusel on top will lose its firmness and leftover muffins are best served toasted briefly in a toaster oven or air fryer. Muffins freeze well, up to 2 months. Thaw in microwave for 45-60 seconds before eating.
Enjoy a Pumpkin Spice Muffin All Year Round
I always feel such a win when I can get something to come out of my kitchen that is the same or better than something I can buy, because it’s a win for my tastebuds and my wallet!
And while pumpkin is in season, I don’t see why these pumpkin streusel muffins shouldn’t be a staple on our kitchen counter (I know they’re one of the first things I make every year to kick off my pumpkin baking streak!).
Plus, now you don’t have to ask Siri “when are pumpkin muffins at Dunkin Donuts?” You can just always have them at the ready.
Just like my homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer.
Add these two things to your list and you never have to visit a coffee shop again! You can just turn your kitchen into a pumpkin breakfast factory. HOW FUN!
I’m anxious for you to get these pumpkin muffins with streusel topping happening at your house– I think you’ll be really impressed with how authentically “pumpkin” they are and double yay for spiced pumpkin muffins happening at any time of the year.
More pumpkin favorites: pumpkin spice Chex mix, pumpkin spice coffee creamer, pumpkin cream cold foam, and pumpkin swirl cheesecake.
Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
STREUSEL
MUFFINS
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (67g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg room temperature1
- ½ cup pumpkin purée2
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons (38mL) milk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC).
- Spray 7 wells of a 12-count muffin pan3 with non-stick spray or line the wells with cupcake liners. Set aside.
STREUSEL
- Place flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a small bowl.⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, 1 and ½ Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Using a fork, press ingredients together until butter is in small chunks. Use your fingers to pinch pieces together until streusel is mostly small crumbles. Some large crumbles are ok. Set aside.
MUFFINS
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Add the egg, pumpkin purée, milk, and vanilla extract and whisk again until everything is combined.⅓ cup (67g) firmly packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, 1 large egg, ½ cup pumpkin purée2, 2 and ½ Tablespoons (38mL) milk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined.
- Spoon batter equally into prepared muffin pans. Add crumble to the top of each muffin, about 2-3 Tablespoons each. Bake muffins for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until streusel starts to brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or in the refrigerator up to one week. Muffins freeze well, up to 2 months. Thaw in microwave for 45-60 seconds before eating.
Notes
- Eggs: it is always a good rule of thumb to use room temperature eggs when using melted butter. To bring egg to room temperature quickly, place in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Pumpkin: I always measure pumpkin purée with measuring cups as the moisture content can wildly change the weight measurements, depending on the brand.
- For a true Dunkin copycat: if you want bakery size pumpkin muffins, double the recipe and bake in a jumbo muffin pan and top with my easy royal icing (halve the recipe). Second bake time is 17-20 minutes.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Those look so yummy! I ate SO many muffins my first few weeks nursing. My favorite were the giant muffins at Costco. 🙂
Oh yes, Costco does make a mean muffin!! And a GIANT muffin is infinitely better than a regular muffin, no matter the flavor! 🙂
This made me giggle! A muffin problem – I love it! lol I definitely have a daily chocolate problem 😉
Haha, not a bad problem to have!
A muffin a day keeps the doctor away. Isn’t that how it goes? Well, it should when muffins this gorgeous and yummy are around! These look fabulous, Lynn 🙂
That is totally how it goes, Megan! I’m glad you agree!
I am ALL about the muffin as an afternoon snack right now! I whip up a batch every fortnight, stack them in the freezer and pull one out to take to work every day. I wish there was a delightful muffin place around the corner from my work! The nearest thing is a truck stop….errmmmm never eating from there…
Anyhoo – I CANNOT WAIT to stock up my freezer with these pumpkiny, spicy, streusely treats! Tender butter muffins with crispy sweet streusel – AMEN to that!
P.S. I would totally come and do 3.5 month old duty ANY DAY!
Yes, I love stocking up in the freezer! Great to have on hand! And I know Joey would love to have his Aussie Auntie watch him 🙂
I’ve made these muffins multiple times and I can’t emphasize how amazing they are enough! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Zoe!
Great quick recipe and it came out delicious
Thanks, Sher!
These muffins are AMAZING and just like the Dunkin ones. THanks for the recipe!
That’s what I like to hear, Shari! Thank you!
Best pumpkin muffin or any muffin recipe I’ve come across in a long time. They are amazing.
Thanks so much, Katja! I appreciate it 🙂
Worth it just for the smell… But they taste fabulous too.
I’m not great in the kitchen and I really don’t like pumpkin. I made these easily with my six year old and I want to eat the entire batch myself!
I love this, Zoe! Thanks for sharing– big hugs to you and O for me 🙂
They came out great! My family devoured them in like two seconds. Love it!
Thanks so much, Ava!
Loved these pumpkin streusel muffins!! I’m not normally a pumpkin fan, but the spices and flavors in these muffins are fantastic!! Highly recommended!
Thank you so much, Martin!
Just made this today….I really wanted to love them but they seemed a bit on the dry side and low on the pumpkin flavor. I think I cut up the cold butter too small before I blended it into the streusel topping. I only cooked for 11 minutes after lowering the temp. I honestly think my streusel added to the dryness, so maybe a second attempt will yield a better result
Hey, Megan– bummer! I’ve never had anyone say these didn’t have enough pumpkin flavor or that they were dry. Those are firsts for sure! I hope you try them again.
THANK YOU for such a wonderful recipe. I have already made them again. YUM! The texture of these muffins is just what I desired.
Thank you so much, Marsha!
The muffins came out looking great. I had one for breakfast and felt it was lacking some flavor. I really think they need more sugar other than 1/3 cup brown sugar.
Hi, Elaine– this recipe has several positive reviews (which you can read for yourself), and it’s one I’ve made myself MANY times before. This may just be a difference of taste preference, but thanks for giving them a try!