Pumpkin Pecan Muffins With Buttery Streusel
These pumpkin pecan muffins are soft and fluffy, filled with warming spices buttery, crunchy pecans, and delicious pecan streusel topping.
About these muffins
The muffins are nice and soft, using pure pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin gives the batter a beautiful orange tint and keeps the muffins from drying out.
You can grab canned pumpkin puree or make it yourself.
Making pumpkin puree isn’t hard or expensive, especially if you’re into pumpkins and grow them yourself. When pumpkin season hits, there are pumpkins everywhere. You can make a bunch of pumpkin puree at once and stick it in the freezer for later.
The crunchy muffin streusel on top is a real game-changer for these pumpkin pecan muffins. It’s like having bits of a shortbread cookie, adding a different feel to each bite. It’s great on these strawberry muffins as well! Just heap it onto the muffins. While they bake, some topping mixes in, and some get nice and crispy. This crunchy part is the perfect match for the soft bottom part of the muffin.
Equipment
Use a standard muffin pan. This makes 12 large muffins. You can also make 14 slightly smaller muffins.
Ingredients
Find the ingredient amounts for this pumpkin muffin recipe listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need –
- Pumpkin puree – Homemade pumpkin puree or store-bought. Ensure it’s pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Olive oil or vegetable oil – Keeps the muffins much more moist than butter does. You can use melted and cooled coconut oil, too.
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract or paste
- Granulated white sugar
- Soft brown sugar
- All-purpose flour, Baking powder and baking soda, salt – The dry ingredients and rising agents
- Ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice – Here is an easy recipe for a homemade pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Whole milk – To loosen the batter
- Pecan halves – Or you could add chocolate chips!
Crunchy pecan streusel
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Melted butter
- Ground cinnamon
- Pecans
Method
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick or line it with 12 paper muffin liners.
Streusel and pecans
Step 2. In a small bowl combine melted butter, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour. Use a fork to combine this flour mixture into a coarse crumb, then set it aside.
Step 3. Heat a dry, non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pecans and spread them in a single layer.
Stir the pecans frequently to prevent burning, and toast them for 3-5 minutes or until they are fragrant.
Remove the pecans from the heat and transfer them to a bowl to cool down.
Step 4. After they’re cooled, finely chope 1/4 of the toasted pecans and add them to the streusel.
Roughly chop the chop the remaining pecans and set them aside.
Muffin batter
Step 5. In a small bowl, combine flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and salt and whisk. Set aside.
Step 6. In a large bowl, add the sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin purée, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk it all together.
Step 7. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix them together with a rubber spatula until combined.
Step 8. Don’t over-mix it. Fold through the chopped pecans.
Step 9. Divide pumpkin muffin batter evenly over 12 muffin cups, they will be very full. You could also make 14 smaller muffins.
Step 10. Generously pile the buttery pecan streusel mixture on top of each muffin. Gently press it on top to keep it in place.
Step 11. Bake the muffins at 425°F/220°C for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F/180°C and continue baking for another 15-18 minutes until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.
Remove them from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the warm muffins and placing them on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Serving
Enjoy these moist muffins as a breakfast treat or snack with a cup of coffee. Leftover muffins can be stored at room temperature covered for up to 3 days. Rewarm them gently in the microwave. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
FAQS
As much as I love butter in baking, pumpkin muffins are better made with oil. The oil keeps them extra moist. Pumpkin muffins made with butter can often stick to the paper liners too. Making them with oil stops this.
Absolutely! Homemade pumpkin puree is an excellent alternative to the canned variety. Just make sure it’s well-pureed and consistent in texture before using.
Pumpkin pecan muffins should be stored at room temperature and gently covered. Storing them in an airtight container softens the streusel, so I cover them with a clean kitchen towel instead. They’re best enjoyed within 1-2 days of baking. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to a week or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Overmixing the batter can lead to dense muffins. When you mix too much, you’re developing the gluten in the flour, making the baked muffins tougher and denser. Mixing just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined is best.
You can substitute the regular flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix. However, the textures and flavors might vary slightly with gf flour.
More muffin recipes
If you enjoyed these pecan pumpkin muffins, you might like these muffin recipes too! Or try pumpkin sourdough pancakes!
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel
- 45 g unsalted butter melted
- 63 g all-purpose flour
- 65 g granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Muffins
- 160 g pecan halves
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 105 g olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 340 g pumpkin puree
- 60 g whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
Streusel and pecans
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour. Use a fork to combine this flour mixture into a coarse crumb, then set it aside.
- Heat a dry, non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pecans and spread them in a single layer.
- Stir the pecans frequently to prevent burning, and toast them for 3-5 minutes or until they are fragrant.
- Remove the pecans from the heat and transfer them to a bowl to cool down.
- After cooling, finely chop ¼ of the toasted pecans and add them to the streusel.
- Roughly chop the chop the remaining pecans and set them aside.
Muffin batter
- In a small bowl, combine flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and salt and whisk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin purée, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk it all together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix them together with a rubber spatula until combined. Don't over-mix it.
- Fold through the remaining chopped pecans.
- Divide pumpkin muffin batter evenly over 12 muffin cups; they will be very full. You could also make 14 smaller muffins.
- Generously pile the buttery pecan streusel mixture on each muffin. Gently press it on top to keep it in place.
- Bake the muffins at 425°F/220°C for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F/180°C and continue baking for another 18 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.
- Remove them from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the warm muffins and placing them on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
