There’s something magical about biting into a soft, spiced muffin crowned with a buttery, crumbling top, which is exactly what you get with these Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins. Moist, warmly spiced, and crowned with a brown sugar-cinnamon streusel, each bite offers a tender crumb and a delightful crunch. Whether you’re warming up your kitchen on a crisp morning or treating friends to a cozy, autumn-inspired snack, this recipe transforms simple pantry ingredients into a bakery-worthy delight that will make everyone reach for seconds.

Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll be amazed by how these humble pantry staples create magic in the oven. Each ingredient in these Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins plays a key role in building unmistakable flavor, irresistible texture, or that signature golden hue.

All-purpose flour: The backbone of the muffins, creating a tender yet sturdy base that balances the moist pumpkin.
Baking soda: Allows the muffins to rise beautifully and ensures that signature light crumb.
Baking powder: Works together with baking soda for the fluffiest muffin tops.
Salt: Essential for enhancing all the warm, spicy flavors throughout the muffin.
Ground cinnamon: Adds cozy warmth and fills your kitchen with the inviting aroma of fall.
Ground nutmeg: Brings subtle earthiness and depth that perfectly complements the pumpkin.
Ground cloves: Intensifies the spice blend for a rich, aromatic finish.
Ground ginger: Infuses the muffins with a gentle zing and balances out the sweetness.
Canned pumpkin puree: The ingredient that gives these Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins their moist texture and vibrant orange color—ditch the pumpkin pie filling, pure puree is the secret here.
Granulated sugar: Lightens the crumb and gives just the right amount of sweetness.
Brown sugar: Contributes rich molasses notes and a deep, caramel flavor in every bite.
Large eggs: These bind the batter, add richness, and help your muffins rise tall.
Vegetable oil: Brings undeniable moisture, giving you soft and tender muffins (no dry baking here!).
Milk: Loosens the batter, ensuring that super-soft texture.
Vanilla extract: Enhances every spice and brings harmony to the flavors.
For the streusel topping: Combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold unsalted butter for those irresistible, bakery-style crumbles.

How to Make Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Step 1: Prep Your Oven and Pan

Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease wells with nonstick spray. This step is crucial for helping the muffins release easily and ensuring beautifully shaped tops.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a large bowl. This not only evenly distributes the leaveners and spices, it also breaks up any flour clumps, setting the stage for perfectly tender muffins.

Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, gently whisk the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. The pumpkin will add moisture and gorgeous color, while the sugars and spices whisked in here give the batter rich flavor from the start.

Step 4: Make the Muffin Batter

Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients, and use a gentle hand to stir everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as that can lead to dense muffins—lumpy batter is perfectly fine here! Divide the batter evenly among your prepared muffin cups.

Step 5: Prepare the Streusel Topping

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the streusel. Add the cold, cubed butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture forms coarse, buttery crumbs. This crumbly topping is what takes these from plain muffins to the absolutely crave-worthy Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins.

Step 6: Top and Bake

Sprinkle the prepared streusel generously over each muffin, making sure every one gets a nice, even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

How to Serve Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Garnishes

A light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of vanilla glaze brings extra sweetness and makes these muffins even more eye-catching for brunch or a special breakfast spread. If you want a textural element, a scattering of chopped toasted pecans on top of the streusel right after baking adds a nutty crunch.

Side Dishes

Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins are perfectly delicious on their own, but try serving them with a bowl of fresh fruit salad or a creamy Greek yogurt parfait for a more filling breakfast. They also pair beautifully with a hot cup of spiced chai latte or your favorite dark roast coffee.

Creative Ways to Present

For delightful entertaining, tuck these muffins into a woven basket lined with a linen napkin or wrap each one in waxed paper for grab-and-go treats. You can even serve them as part of an at-home “fall bakery” spread with apple cider, glazed scones, and other autumn favorites—your guests will feel totally spoiled!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Any extra Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins stay freshest when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want them to last a little longer, refrigerate for up to 5 days, but let them come to room temperature before enjoying for the best texture.

Freezing

Freezing is a breeze with these muffins! Once completely cooled, wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap and tuck them into a zip-top freezer bag. They’ll keep their flavor and lovely crumb for up to 2 months—just thaw on the counter when you’re ready for a muffin fix.

Reheating

If your muffins have been refrigerated or frozen, you can restore that fresh-from-the-oven magic by microwaving each for about 15–20 seconds, or popping them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. This perks up the crumb and the streusel, making them taste bakery-fresh again.

FAQs

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree for these muffins?

Absolutely! If you have fresh pumpkin puree on hand, just be sure to blot it with paper towels to remove excess moisture so your muffins still turn out light and moist.

Can the streusel be made ahead?

Yes, you can mix together the dry streusel ingredients and cut in the butter, then refrigerate the crumbly mixture for up to 24 hours before baking. Just sprinkle it over the batter right before baking.

Can I make these Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins gluten-free?

Definitely—substitute your favorite 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the regular flour in both the batter and the streusel. Check that your baking powder and other ingredients are gluten-free as well.

What if I don’t have muffin liners?

No problem! Just grease your muffin pan well with butter or nonstick spray and the muffins should pop out easily once cooled slightly.

Can I add nuts or chocolate chips to the batter?

Go for it! A handful of chopped pecans, walnuts, or mini chocolate chips folded into the batter before baking adds an extra element of texture and flavor to these Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a foolproof, crowd-pleasing recipe that captures the cozy comfort of autumn, you can’t go wrong with these Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins. The aroma alone is enough to bring everyone to the kitchen, and that combination of spiced pumpkin and crumbly topping is pure muffin perfection. Give them a try—you’ll see why they’re a perennial favorite in my home!

Best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins Recipe

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4.7 from 22 reviews

Author: admin
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Indulge in the best Pumpkin Streusel Muffins that are perfect for fall mornings or as a sweet treat. These moist, flavorful muffins topped with a buttery crumb topping will become a favorite in your baking repertoire.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the streusel topping:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold and cubed)

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients until smooth.
Combine and Divide: Add wet ingredients to dry, mix gently, and divide batter among muffin cups.
Make Streusel: Mix streusel ingredients, cut in butter until crumbly, and sprinkle over muffins.
Bake: Bake for 18–22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool: Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.