Tips and Tricks for Making Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I prefer to use muffin liners for this recipe! The muffins will come easier out of the pan and are easier to store. These muffins are super moist so they are more likely to stick to the pan when you don’t use liners.

Don’t over-mix the batter! This is important for every muffin recipe. To ensure that your muffins are light and fluffy mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just barely combined, and no more dry flour is visible.

Instead of using prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can easily make your own mix at home. It’s cheaper and I think it adds more flavor. Just combine 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.

Don’t let the muffins cool down in the muffin tin! The hot muffin tin will continue to bake the muffins and you might end up with drier muffins. Give the muffins a couple minutes to cool off, then remove them from the pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Can you freeze Pumpkin Crumb Muffins?

You can freeze these muffins. Allow them to cool completely then put them in an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then bring the muffins to room temperature or warm them up in the microwave.

How many muffins does this recipe make?

This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins. Many muffin recipes make more but almost never enough for two whole pans. That means you always have to fill the empty cups with water to get evenly baked muffins. I hate that and that’s why I always try to have enough batter for 12 muffins.

For this recipe, I fill all my muffin cups to the rim. A 1/3 measuring cup works best for dividing the batter between the cups. Spray it with a little bit of oil spray and the batter will easier slide out of the cup. Filling the muffin cups to the rim produces beautiful bakery-style muffins.

The pumpkin pie spiced crumb topping makes these muffins even more delicious! I prepare it before I start with the muffin batter even so it gets added last because the muffin batter shouldn’t sit too long after mixing it.

The baking powder starts doing it’s magic when it gets wet so you better work quickly if you want fluffy and tender muffins. Adding a little bit of pumpkin spice to the crumbs makes these muffins extra flavorful!

Can I use a muffin recipe to make a loaf?

Did you know that you can easily convert muffin recipes to loaf recipes? To convert a muffin recipe, set the rack in the middle position instead of the lower position and decrease the oven temperature by 50 degrees if the muffin recipe uses a really high temperature. Bake the loaf until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean or only with few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 65 minutes. If the muffin recipe has a sugary topping like streusel the quick bread should be tented with aluminum foil during the last 20 minutes to prevent them from getting too dark.

Look how pretty these turned out! The crumb topping adds some crunch and the pumpkin keeps them moist and fresh for several days.

Looking for more Pumpkin Recipes?

Tools used for Making these Pumpkin Muffins with Pumpkin Spice Crumb Topping

Muffin Pan:

I love this muffin pan! It comes with a lid so it’s easy to transport baked muffins or cupcakes and it’s super easy to clean, everything slides right off.
Pumpkin Puree:

This is really the best pumpkin puree! It has a silky consistency and subtle sweetness. I always use this one!!
Pumpkin Pie Spice:

This is what I use when I don’t make my own! But making it yourself is so easy and cheaper. Just combine 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon