These pumpkin muffins with streusel topping are soft, tall and full of warm pumpkin spice, with a buttery brown sugar streusel that bakes into a crunchy, bakery-style crumb on top. The batter comes together with a whisk in minutes, and they're a cozy fall breakfast or snack that tastes like pumpkin bread and crumb cake in one.
If you love pumpkin for breakfast, try my Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake and Easy Baked Pumpkin Donuts next.
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I first baked these years ago from Deb at Smitten Kitchen. Hers was one of the first food blogs that inspired me to start writing, and when I met her at a food conference where we both spoke, she was just as lovely in person as she is in her writing. Deb adapted the recipe from The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, via Gourmet magazine, and I made a few changes of my own.
For a while I stopped making pumpkin muffins and only baked my favorite Vegan Pumpkin Bread and Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread every fall. When it was time for muffins again, I thankfully remembered how good these were! Deb's version doesn't have a streusel topping, but we LOVE the streusel, so I added a spiced brown sugar crumb. I also use coconut oil, and they bake up tall, fluffy and so soft.
🛒 Ingredients
- Muffins:
- All-purpose flour: The base of the muffins. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend also works.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help the muffins rise tall.
- Sea salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon: I like an extra hit of cinnamon. No pumpkin spice? Use cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of cloves.
- Canned pumpkin: Adds moisture and flavor.
- Oil: Vegetable, coconut or another neutral oil. Oil makes the muffins softer than butter. I use coconut oil.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and give structure.
- Granulated sugar
- Streusel Topping:
Equipment you need to make pumpkin muffins streusel topping:
- Mixing bowls: Medium to large mixing bowls to combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Whisk: For combining the dry ingredients.
- Spatula: For mixing and folding ingredients.
- Muffin tin: Use a nice, non-stick muffin tin.
- Cupcake liners: Optional, makes removing muffins easier. I had a container filled with Christmas cupcake liners, so ended up making these without any. Baking spray helped to remove the muffins neatly.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: For accurate measurements.
- Cooling rack: To cool the muffins after baking.
🍽️ How to make Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
Here is how to make these easy cake and pumpkin muffins. It does yield 12 muffins (the full recipe is below!):
I like to use the muffin method to make this easy batter. It is just basically whisking the dry ingredients together, mix the wet, and then stir them all together to combine. So easy to make and they cake up nice and tall and very fluffy!
Gather up your ingredients. It makes it easier to have it all ready when you get the recipe going. And don't forget to prep your muffin tin either by lining with paper liners or spraying with baking spray.
- Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Step 2: In a medium or large bowl mix the wet ingredients together.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Be sure to stir around the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix.
- Step 5: Spoon muffin batter into the muffin tin. You could even use an ice-cream scoop to scoop into the baking tin. You will have enough batter to fill it almost to the top.
- Step 4: In another bowl, use a fork to combine all the streusel ingredients.
- Step 5: Spoon muffin batter into the muffin tin. You will have enough batter to fill it almost to the top.
- Step 6: Sprinkle the streusel topping on each muffin. Use your fingers to gently pat the topping to the batter. You want that streusel topping to not fall off as it rises.
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
Recipe Tips
- Make them your way: Skip the streusel for simple pumpkin muffins, add a maple glaze or cream cheese frosting, or fold in chopped pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries or chocolate chips. You can also halve the recipe for 6 muffins.
- Use pumpkin purée, not pie filling: Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced and can't be swapped in.
- Room-temperature ingredients: Room-temperature eggs and pumpkin mix more smoothly and help the muffins rise evenly.
- Don't overmix: Stir just until combined, or the muffins can turn tough.
- Fill the cups generously: Filling them almost to the top gives you tall, domed muffins.
- Press the streusel in: A gentle pat keeps the crumb from sliding off as the muffins rise.
- Don't overbake: Muffins keep cooking a little as they cool. Pull them when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs, and they'll stay soft.
Basic Pumpkin Muffins (no crumb topping):
Feel free to leave off the crumb topping for a more simple pumpkin muffin. I do sometimes make the muffins without the topping and it they are still delicious!
Storage and Freezing
- Room temperature: Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days (about 2 days if your kitchen is warm). Cooling fully first keeps the streusel crisp.
- Refrigerator: In an airtight container, up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap the cooled muffins individually and freeze in a zip-top bag up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with butter or honey butter, a swipe of cream cheese, or a side of Greek yogurt and fresh apples or pears. They're perfect with a cup of coffee, chai or my homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte. Love a crumb-topped muffin? My Streusel-Topped Plum Muffins are another favorite.
FAQ'S
I always add the streusel topping before baking so it crisps up nicely.
Yes, you can use your favorite gluten-free flour brand in place of the all-purpose flour.
The difference? Crumb topping is chunkier, while streusel is finer and usually has a more even texture.
To get muffins with a dome top, I start baking them at a higher temperature (about 425°F for the first 5-6 minutes), then lower it for the rest of the time.
Some other recipes you'll love:
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, via Gourmet and The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. Originally published October 2024. Updated October 2026.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + ½ teaspoon fresh nutmeg + ½ teaspoon ginger + pinch of ground cloves if you have it
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon I like to add an extra amount of cinnamon
- 1 ⅓ cup canned solid-pack pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling
- ⅓ cup vegetable or another neutral cooking oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
For the streusel topping:
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- pinch of salt
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
For the muffins:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the muffin tins with nonstick baking spray or line with paper muffin cups (if you use muffin liners, spray the liners so the muffins will peel out easily).
For the streusel topping:
- Stir together sugars, flour, salt and cinnamon with a fork. Add in the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of each muffin. Use your fingertips to gently press the streusel down so it stays on top of the batter to help keep them in place.
- Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- No streusel: Skip it for simple pumpkin muffins. They're still delicious.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in both the muffins and streusel.
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free butter or margarine in the streusel.
- Egg-free: Use 2 flax eggs (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water per egg).
- Storage: Airtight at room temperature 2 to 3 days, refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 2 months.
These pumpkin spice muffins were so delicious! I really enjoyed the sweetness of the pumpkin paired with the cinnamon and warm spices.
I tried these pumpkin spice muffins and loved how the warm cinnamon and pumpkin flavors came together. They were soft, moist, and full of that cozy fall flavor that makes you want another one with your morning coffee.
I baked these muffins for breakfast, and they turned out so lovely. The streusel topping added a sweet crunch that went perfectly with the soft pumpkin center!
They were tender, flavorful, and topped with a delicious crumbly streusel!
Amazing muffins! They were so moist with just the right touch of spice. Definitely making them again this fall!
These felt 100% like being in a coffee shop when I had them for breakfast this morning.
Fall is here and I am here for this! Tomorrow will be bacon and some muffins for breakfast. Om nom nom.
Wow! These are as pretty and as tasty as anything I've gotten from our bakery!
The streusel topping is so so good!I made a batch and they disappeared quickly!