Small Batch Pumpkin Muffins

These small batch pumpkin muffins give you six soft, moist muffins with plenty of pumpkin, warm spice, and a tender but sturdy crumb. Melted butter adds rich flavor while sour cream keeps the muffins moist without making them heavy. The batter comes together easily, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is all they need before baking.

My small batch apple pumpkin muffins have become a reader favorite, so I used what I learned developing that recipe as the starting point for these classic pumpkin muffins. There is beauty in the simplicity of these muffins, with their pumpkin-forward flavor and a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. Sometimes, I don’t need all the bells and whistles.

For this recipe, it was important that I had a slightly larger batch of six muffins, rather than the four in the apple pumpkin muffins. The even amount means there’s enough for two of you to enjoy for a couple of days.

So I reworked the ratios around a whole egg to give the batch of six the structure it needs. From there, I added a little more sour cream, which I love to use to keep muffins soft and moist, and melted butter for richness and flavor. In testing, that balance gave me the uniform, muffin-like crumb I was after, while still keeping the muffins moist for a couple of days.

How to Make Pumpkin Muffins

For these small batch pumpkin muffins, I use the classic muffin-mixing method so the batter doesn’t get overworked and the muffins stay soft. This is the same technique I use for my soft baked pumpkin donuts.

Whisk the dry ingredients together first, then create a large well in the center. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, pour them into the well, and gently combine until the flour streaks disappear. You’ll have a smooth, thick batter, and a few small lumps are fine. Break up any larger lumps so they don’t bake into flour pockets in the muffins.

My favorite way to portion muffin batter is with a cookie scoop. You’ll get equal portions with less mess. And unlike cupcakes, you want to fill the liners almost all the way to the top. Those generously filled liners are what give you the classic puffy muffin tops.

Before they go into the oven, sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar over the tops (because we all know the cinnamon sugar on my pumpkin bread mini loaves is the best part).

Another trick for taller muffin tops is to start them at a higher oven temperature, then reduce the heat for the remaining bake time. That initial burst of heat gives the batter a quick lift before the muffin structure sets.

As the muffins bake, small cracks will form on top, which is normal. They’re ready when the tops look dry and spring back when gently pressed.

Keeping These Pumpkin Muffins Simple

I intentionally kept these pumpkin muffins simple. There are no chocolate chips, nuts, streusel, or frosting competing with the pumpkin and warm spice. Even the cinnamon sugar is optional — it adds a light, sweet crunch without turning the muffins into something more elaborate.

But if chocolate chips are a must in your pumpkin muffins, my gluten free pumpkin muffins are loaded with them. Or, if you insist on a little more flourish, my pumpkin streusel bread comes with a nutty, spiced streusel. These muffins are the ones I make when I just want a classic pumpkin muffin with my coffee.

Small Batch Pumpkin Muffins

Small batch pumpkin muffins bake up soft and moist with a tender, sturdy crumb. Made with pumpkin puree, sour cream, melted butter, and warm pumpkin spice, the easy recipe makes just six muffins, finished with an optional sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

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by Erin Cernich

Yield6 Muffins

Prep10 minutes minutes

Cook18 minutes minutes

Total Time28 minutes minutes

Equipment

• ▢
  Muffin/Cupcake Pan

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup pure canned pumpkin
• ▢ 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple juice or water
• ▢ 1 large egg, room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (optional to sprinkle on top)

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Instructions

 

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  Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a muffin/cupcake pan with 6 liners.
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  In a small mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, both sugars, sour cream, melted butter, juice, egg, and vanilla, and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
  1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin, 3 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, 2 tablespoons apple juice or water, 1 large egg, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢
  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a large well in the center.
  1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
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  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients well, and whisk the batter until no dry streaks or pockets remain. If there are any large flour lumps, use the whisk to break them up; otherwise, they will bake into dry clumps in the donuts.
  
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  Portion the batter evenly into the prepared liners; they will be nearly full. I use a cookie scoop to ensure equal portions. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with about a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar.
  1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
  
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  Bake the muffins at 425F degrees for 5 minutes. Then, with the muffins still in the oven, reduce the heat to 350F degrees and bake for an additional 13 to 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake, or the muffins will be dry.
The quick bake at high heat is what gives the muffins their puffy tops.
• ▢
  Cool the muffins in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely.
• ▢
  Store the muffins in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Beyond that, and they will start to dry out.

Notes

• Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe for 6 muffins that can be doubled.
• Freezing – Place the muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to serve.
• Add-Ins – You can add 1/3 cup of either chocolate chips (I recommend mini), chopped nuts, or dried fruit.  

Nutrition Estimates

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 3436IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.