These delicious cinnamon spiced pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting are the perfect sweet treat for autumn! If you love pumpkin spice, you will LOVE these muffins!
Made with canned pumpkin puree, these easy-to-make pumpkin muffins are light and fluffy, super moist, and topped with a tangy homemade cream cheese icing!
Not too long ago, getting hold of canned pumpkin purée was a real challenge here in the UK, particularly in my part of Cornwall!
Fortunately, in recent years, I've noticed it appearing in an increasing number of local supermarkets, making it quite simple to get hold of nowadays! Just a tip... I purchased mine from Waitrose.
👩🍳 Love pumpkin spice flavour? Try my pumpkin blondies next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Simple to prepare using staple pantry ingredients, with no mixer needed.
- Quick to make, ready in under 45 minutes.
- Features a comforting and fragrant cinnamon spice flavour.
- Ideal as a sweet treat during pumpkin spice season, suitable for both Halloween and Bonfire Night festivities.
- Offers a soft and moist texture due to the pumpkin purée, and can be stored in the freezer (without the frosting).
🛒 Ingredients
Pumpkin Puree - Usually found in 400g tins. If you can only find pumpkin pie filling, use it but skip the cinnamon. Also, check the sugar content and adjust the recipe accordingly.
Dry Ingredients - Use plain flour, a mix of light brown and caster sugar, ground cinnamon, and bicarbonate of soda.
Wet Ingredients - You'll need natural yoghurt, eggs, and melted butter.
Cream Cheese Frosting for the Pumpkin Muffins - full-fat cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of milk makes a silky smooth, and creamy frosting!
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in a jug then add to the dry ingredients.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together gently. Try not to overmix the batter.
- Fold in the pumpkin puree.
- Spoon the muffin batter into a 12 hole muffin tin lined with muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven for 18 minutes.
- Whilst the muffins are cooling, whisk together the frosting ingredients, and once the muffins cool, drizzle or spread the frosting on and allow to set.
💭 Top tips
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature before starting the recipe. The melted butter needs to be allowed to cool, before adding it to the wet ingredients.
- Muffin batter does not like being over-mixed. Over-mixing results in tough muffins! Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without beating. If a few lumps remain, that's OK and it will not affect the end result.
- In order to get that lovely risen top on the muffin, set the oven 10 degrees higher than needed when preheating, then as soon as you put the muffins in, turn it down to the correct temperature. Works every time!
- Some pumpkin muffin recipes use a whole can of pumpkin puree but I only use half a can, so the muffins aren’t too heavy and have a subtle pumpkin flavour (use leftover pumpkin puree to make pumpkin blondies or pancakes)
🍴 Serving suggestions
These easy pumpkin muffins are perfect with a cup of tea, or glass of cold milk for the little ones. We sometimes eat them for breakfast too!
I always make a batch for our annual Bonfire Night party, along with this amazing honeycomb tiffin, and Bramley apple flapjacks!
📖 Variations
- For an even easier recipe, leave off the cream cheese frosting and dust with icing sugar instead.
- To make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins add 100g of milk chocolate chips to the batter.
- Up the spices and double the ground cinnamon and add ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves too.
- Make them fruity by adding dried cranberries or raisins to the pumpkin muffins.
- How about some walnuts for added crunch and texture?
- Try a streusel topping, similar to the one used on these bakery-style strawberry muffins. If you like, drizzle a bit of thinned-down cream cheese frosting on top - a splash more milk should get it to the right consistency.
🥡 Storage
Store - The muffins are moist, so keep them in an air-tight container. They'll keep fresh for up to 3 days.
Freeze - freeze the muffins for up to 3 months (minus the cream cheese icing).
❓ FAQs
Canned pumpkin puree contains 100% pumpkin without any additional spices or sugar. Pumpkin pie filling features pureed pumpkin flavoured with the spices traditionally found in pumpkin pie: cloves, cinnamon, allspice and/or nutmeg, and sometimes added sugar too.
There was a shortage due to pumpkin blight, a fungal infection that can potentially wipe out pumpkin harvests. The infection is hitting the Midwest of the United States, known as “the keep pumpkins growing region”!
Making icing for pumpkin muffins is really easy. Here’s a simple cream cheese icing recipe:
120 g Cream Cheese
50 g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3-4 tbsp Milk depending if you want a spreading consistency or drizzling consistency
😋Related recipes
More delicious muffin recipes to try!
- Cinnamon Apple Muffins
- Gingerbread Muffins
- Cherry Muffins
- Blackcurrant and White Chocolate Muffins
- Fresh Cranberry Muffins
- Chocolate Orange Muffins
- Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Blackberry and Lemon Muffins
- Jam Muffins
🎃 More pumpkin recipes
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Recipe
Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- 12 Hole Muffin Tin
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 40 g Light Brown Sugar
- 100 g Caster Sugar
- 200 g Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 100 ml Natural Yogurt
- 2 Eggs large, beaten
- 140 g Butter melted
- 200 g Pumpkin Puree
For the cream cheese frosting
- 120 g Cream Cheese
- 50 g Icing Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 3-4 tablespoon Milk depending if you want a spreading consistency or drizzling consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (170° fan/ Gas 5/ 375°F) and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
- Combine the dry ingredients (light brown sugar, caster sugar, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon) in a bowl.40 g Light Brown Sugar, 100 g Caster Sugar, 200 g Plain Flour, 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- Whisk the wet ingredients (natural yogurt, eggs, melted butter) together in a jug then gently mix into the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.100 ml Natural Yogurt, 2 Eggs, 140 g Butter
- Fold in the pumpkin puree.200 g Pumpkin Puree
- Spoon the muffin batter into the 12 hole muffin tin lined with muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven for 18 minutes.
- Whilst the muffins are cooling, whisk together the frosting ingredients, and once the muffins are cool drizzle or spread the frosting on and allow to set.120 g Cream Cheese, 50 g Icing Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, 3-4 tablespoon Milk
Notes
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature before starting the recipe. The melted butter needs to be allowed to cool, before adding it to the wet ingredients.
- Muffin batter does not like being over-mixed. Over mixing results in tough muffins! Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without beating. If a few lumps remain, that's Ok and it will not affect the end result.
- In order to get that lovely risen top on the muffin, set the oven 10 degree's higher than needed when preheating, then as soon as you put the muffins in, turn it down to the correct temperature. Works every time!
- For an even easier recipe, leave off the cream cheese frosting and dust with icing sugar instead.
- To make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins add 100g of milk chocolate chips to the batter.
- Up the spices and double the ground cinnamon and add ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves too.
- Make them fruity by adding dried cranberries, or raisins to the pumpkin muffins.
- How about some walnuts for added crunch and texture?
- Make a struesel topping for pumpkin crumb cake muffins.
Kate
Just gorgeous! I have a can of pumpkin puree I've been wondering what to do with... wondering no more! Thanks for the great recipe.
veenaazmanov
Pumpkin sounds unique and healthy and these Muffin are perfect for a Tea Time Treat.
Shashi
I cut all your ingredients in half and made 6 of these and they were so good! It's a good thing I only made half because 3 have already been polished off! Thanks for this recipe!
Beth
These are so yummy! A perfect treat with my morning coffee. My family is gobbling these up like no tomorrow!
Dannii
I am so excited for all the pumpkin recipes. Muffins are one of my favourites.