Bakery-Style Pumpkin Streusel Muffins are soft, moist pumpkin muffins topped with a buttery brown sugar pumpkin-spice streusel. Made with our tried-and-true pumpkin bread batter and an easy crumb topping, they have all the warm fall flavor of pumpkin bread with a sweet, bakery-style finish.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- 👪 Serves: 12 muffins
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Pumpkin puree, flour, oil, eggs, warm spices, brown sugar, butter
- 🎉 Best For: Fall breakfast, brunch, after-school treats, and Thanksgiving morning
- ⭐ Why It Works: My oil-based pumpkin bread batter stays soft and moist, while the buttery pumpkin-spice streusel adds a sweet, crumbly topping.
- ⚠️ What to Watch For: Stir the batter by hand just until combined and fill the muffin cups about ¾ full.
- 🔥 Bake Temp: 375°F (190°C)
These Pumpkin Streusel Muffins are a fun twist on my Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread recipe, topped with the buttery crumb topping from my Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping recipe and a little pumpkin spice for extra fall flavor.
I use my Homemade Pumpkin Spice, but store-bought pumpkin pie spice works here, too.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe 💛
- ⭐ Soft and moist. Pumpkin puree and oil give these muffins a soft, tender crumb.
- ⭐ Buttery streusel topping. Brown sugar, butter, and pumpkin spice make a sweet crumb topping.
- ⭐ Easy to make. The pumpkin batter is stirred together by hand, so you don't need a mixer.
- ⭐ Perfect for fall. Make a batch for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack, or Thanksgiving morning.
Ingredients You'll Need
For the Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin puree: Use 100% pure canned pumpkin.
- Neutral oil: Canola or vegetable oil keeps the muffins soft and moist.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves: The same warm spice combination used in classic pumpkin bread recipes.
For the Pumpkin Spice Streusel
- Salted butter: Use softened, room-temperature butter so it's easy to work into the streusel with your fingers.
- Pumpkin spice: Use my Homemade Pumpkin Spice or store-bought pumpkin pie spice.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and complete instructions.
Variations
- Plain Pumpkin Muffins: Leave off the streusel for a simple pumpkin muffin.
- Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting: Skip the streusel and top the cooled muffins with cream cheese frosting.
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins: Fold ½ cup chocolate chips into the batter before filling the muffin cups, then top with streusel.
- Pumpkin Nut Muffins: Fold ½ cup chopped nuts into the batter before filling the muffin cups, then top with streusel.
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How to Make Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
To make Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, prepare the crumb topping first, stir the pumpkin batter together by hand, fill the muffin cups about ¾ full, top with the streusel, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 28-32 minutes.
STEP 1: Prep the Muffin Pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly spray with cooking spray. I like to use tulip-style paper liners for a bakery-style look.
STEP 2: Make the Streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin spice. Add the softened butter and work it into the mixture with your fingers until it has the consistency of wet sand with small crumbs.
STEP 3: Combine the Sugar and Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, water, and vanilla until combined.
STEP 4: Add the Dry Ingredients and Spices. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Lightly stir the dry ingredients together before mixing them into the wet ingredients to prevent the spices from clumping.
STEP 5: Gentle Mix. Stir by hand just until no streaks of flour remain.
STEP 6: Fill the Muffin Cups. Divide the batter evenly among 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
STEP 7: Top with Streusel. Divide the streusel evenly among the muffins, sprinkling the crumbs over the batter.
STEP 8: Bake. Bake on the center rack at 375°F (190°C) for 28-32 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
STEP 9: Cool. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- Mix gently. Stir the batter by hand just until the flour is incorporated to keep the muffins soft and tender.
- Keep the streusel crumbly. Work the softened butter into the flour and sugars until the mixture resembles wet sand with small crumbs.
- Start checking at 28 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool before covering. Let the muffins cool completely before storing so steam doesn't soften the streusel.
More Easy Fall Baking Recipes
If you love these pumpkin streusel muffins, try our Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread, make a batch of our Homemade Pumpkin Spice to keep on hand for fall baking or stirring into your coffee, or try our Banana Muffins with Streusel Topping for another easy muffin recipe with that buttery crumb topping.
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📖 Recipe
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- Paper muffin liners
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Streusel
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened to room temperature
Pumpkin Muffins
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned 100% pumpkin puree
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prep the muffin pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Make the streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin spice. Add the softened butter and work it into the mixture with your fingers until it has the consistency of wet sand with small crumbs.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice, 4 tablespoons salted butter
- Combine the sugar and wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, water, and vanilla until combined.1½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup neutral oil, 2 large eggs, 1 cup canned 100% pumpkin puree, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and spices. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Lightly stir the dry ingredients together before mixing them into the pumpkin mixture to prevent the spices from clumping.1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Mix gently. Stir by hand just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the chopped nuts here if using.
- Fill the muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly among 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Top with streusel. Divide the streusel evenly among the muffins, sprinkling the crumbs over the batter.
- Bake. Bake on the center rack at 375°F (190°C) for 28-32 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Pumpkin puree: Use 100% pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin spice: Use ¾ teaspoon Homemade Pumpkin Spice or store-bought pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have either, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ginger, and a small pinch each of nutmeg and cloves.
- Streusel: Use softened, room-temperature butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand with small crumbs.
- Don't overmix: Stir the pumpkin batter by hand just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Doneness: Start checking the muffins at 28 minutes. The tops should be set and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Russ B says
The topping is amazing!
Seanna Borrows says
Thanks Russ!