Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins
These pumpkin apple spice muffins are so yummy! Soft, fluffy muffins with fresh apples and the tastiest cinnamon sugar topping! YUM!
One of my very favorite things to bake in the fall, these pumpkin apple spice muffins are scrumptious!
Pumpkin Pie Spice
This recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice in the muffin batter and also in the topping.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in your spice cabinet, never fear! I have a handy make-your-own “recipe” below.
Pro Tip: for the equivalent of 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, mix together 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. Increase as needed!
The Best Apple for These Muffins
A wide variety of apples work great in these muffins, but my top preference is either Granny Smith (the tartness is delightful!) or Honey Crisp.
However, it’s a pretty sure bet that any variety of apple will do just fine.
The apple can be coarsely chopped, finely chopped or even grated!
Sweet Topping
The spiced sugar topping not only adds a boost of cinnamony sweet flavor, but it also gives a tiny texture pop.
And I know we shouldn’t care about looks, but the topping also makes the muffins even prettier!
Having said all that, I’ve been known to leave the topping off a time or two when making these. The muffins are still plenty delicious.
A Favorite Muffin
The recipe for these pumpkin apple spice muffins has been around for a long time (over 10 years!).
They have become a favorite for many of you as well.
Julia says: I just made these muffins. They are amazing! The dough was thicker than I expected it to be, but they turned out fine. Instead of sprinkling the muffins with the spice/sugar mixture before baking, I waited until after they baked. I then dipped the tops in melted butter and then into the sugar mixture. It worked well and they are oh so yummy!
Oklahoma says: I made these because I love pumpkin and I love apples. I used Melanie’s recipe for pumpkin pie spice as well. My husband declared these “The BEST muffin I have ever eaten….what’s in them?” Just delish. Thank you Melanie for another winning recipe.
Mary says: These were awesome! I wondered if pumpkin and apple would really come together, but they were sooo good. Thanks!
Kristina says: I made these this evening to take to church tomorrow, but snuck one for myself. So good! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 1 ⅔ cups (237 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (212 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (235 g) canned pumpkin
- ½ cup (113 g) neutral-flavored oil or melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large (125 g) apple, peeled and finely chopped or grated (about 1 cup, more or less)
Topping:
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see note)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
- In a small bowl, add the pumpkin, oil or butter, and eggs and mix until well-combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir a few times (some dry streaks are ok). Fold in the chopped apples and stir until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Divide the batter among the muffin liners, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
- For the topping, stir together the pumpkin pie spice and sugar until evenly combined. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of the topping on each muffin (more or less).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch. Remove the muffins to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Melissa F.
Recipe originally posted October 2008; updated October 2022 with new photos, etc.
86 Comments on “Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins”
My boys devour these! I made it with whole wheat flour and they were moist, puffy, and delicious. I forgot the topping this go around and they didn’t even notice.
Thanks for this yummy recipe!
These were delicious!!!
I doubled the recipe to use the full can of pumpkin. However, I used 1 cup of applesauce and 1/2 cup of butter. I meant to substitute the second half cup of butter with 1/2 cup of applesauce but just realized I used a whole cup. I didn’t put any sugar on top because I was in a rush. My family can’t stop eating them and my daughter says I definitely should make them again. Thanks!
Fabulous! I did make a few changes and they were still light and tender and tasty. Split the flour amount 1/2 white and 1/2 spelt, used 1/2 the butter but added a single serving container of applesauce, cut back the sugar a bit and split the amount as 1/2 truvia baking blend and 1/2 brown sugar. I did double the batch so I could use the whole can of pumpkin. Made 12 muffins and a loaf pan, baked at 375, 20 minutes for the muffins, an extra 20 minutes longer for the loaf until a toothpick came out clean. Really wonderful recipe!
I am stress baking my way through the MLB playoffs and made these tonight when I realized I was out of brown sugar and chocolate chips and needed something to bake. They turned out amazing! I think they are due for an updated photo session to help their status as a recipe that the world forgot. I only made one substitution – I used honeycrisp because that’s all I had on hand. Thank you for inspiration in the kitchen once again.
I agree! I need to get the pictures updated ASAP.
I just made these muffins. They are amazing! The dough was thicker than I expected it to be, but they turned out fine. Instead of sprinkling the muffins with the spice/sugar mixture before baking, I waited until after they baked. I then dipped the tops in melted butter and then into the sugar mixture. It worked well and they are oh so yummy!
I made these because I love pumpkin and I love apples. I used Melanie’s recipe for pumpkin pie spice as well. My husband declared these “The BEST muffin I have ever eaten….what’s in them?” Just delish. Thank you Melanie for another winning recipe.
Hi Mel! My daughter has some texture issues and I tried these a few months back just following the recipe, but the bits of finely chopped apple was too much for my munchkin. Could I sub in applesauce for the apple, thinking yes, but not sure if that would be too much moisture, but if so, how much applesauce for one apple? Thank you!
I think applesauce would sub well – you could also try grating the apples. Do you think that would help with the texture your daughter doesn’t like?
Love these! I used coconut sugar instead of regular sugar, used replaced 1/3 of flour with whole wheat, and used refined coconut oil instead of butter. Delish! Pinning:)
I am considering making mini loaves. How long do you suggest I bake them?
You’ll have to experiment, Sofaia since I haven’t tried it. I’d probably check them after 25-30 minutes and see how they are doing.
Hi- I have an abundance cs of Apple sauce and was thinking of making it with applesauce instead of chopped apples- do you think this would work out okay?
Usually applesauce makes a great sub for butter or oil so you might try that (and then just leave out the chopped apples).
These were awesome! I wondered if pumpkin and apple would really come together, but they were sooo good. Thanks!
Wow, these muffins were oustanding! I only got 12 out of the recipe though but they turned out perfect.
These muffins are our new favorite right next to the applesauce oat muffins! The second time I made them I used whole wheat flour and cut the sugar in half and my kids still said they were ‘the best ever’. I live in the desert at 3200 feet and often have to reduce the flour in muffins and cookies , so I did reduce the flour a little. Thanks for all the great healthy snacks!
I made these this evening to take to church tomorrow, but snuck one for myself. So good! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I made these muffins this afternoon and doubled the recipe. I had enough batter to make 12 extra large muffins. These are some of the very best muffins I have ever tasted. We have a Granny Smith apple tree in our back yard and I am always looking for new recipes. If anyone wants a moist and extremely flavorful muffin, please try this recipe. You will be very happy. Melanie, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us.
Made these and over baked them the first round. They were still good, but much better when I didn’t over bake them of course. This is a great recipe, so festive and easy. Thanks!
Loved these, this recipe is a keeper for sure! I’ve got picky toddlers, and they gobbled them up. I’ll be making another batch with my leftover pumpkin and hopefully they’ll last for longer than a day 🙂
Delicious! Turned out perfectly!
But frustrating to have leftover pumpkin! Does canned pumpkin work in vegetable soups?
I was thinking the same about leftover pumpkin so I may double the recipe, adding applesauce to equal the extra volume needed for 2 cups pumpkin. Just an idea!
I just made these for the first time and they were easy and yummy! They were the perfect blend of pumpkin and apples. It made me secretly want Halloween to be around the corner! The aroma of cooked apples and pumpkin always reminds me of Fall time. But, at last, I made them in the middle of the summer and they were divine!
Just made them- they were easy and the whole family (including the toddler) loved them. I wish I could comment specifically on Rae’s comment- she said she made some modifications to reduce the sugar- would love to hear how she did that… Will be making again 🙂
Thank you so much! I have been making muffins for about 9 months trying to find one that my picky 4 year old will eat. This is THE one!! It’s the only muffin he has been willing to eat … and he wants them all for himself! My 18 month old and 6 year old love them as well (not to mention my husband). Thank you for the perfect recipe! I’ve been looking a long time …
If we have a babysitter and the kids are crazy they get cottage cheese for breakfast the next day. If they are good listeners & polite, they get to have Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins. I am pleased to report 3 muffins mornings and counting! Thanks for a great recipe!
Wow… I love pumpkin so much that I didn’t understand the phrase “leftover canned pumpkin” in an earlier comment — it just must be only me that’ll finish up the can with a spoon if it’s not all needed for a recipe. LOL These sound amazing, can’t wait to try them — even if it is June and wayyy early for Fall! 🙂
My kids think these are the best muffins. I made some minor changes to reduce the sugar, added some whole wheat flour and made them as mini-muffins. I never would have thought of this combination!
Mmmm I am eating them as I type. 🙂 These are delish! We are going on a road trip tomorrow and I made them for the car. They are so moist and I love the texture of the apple chunks in there. Oh and the pumpkin spice seasonings, mmmm it’s like Fall has bursted open inside my mouth. LOL Love it!
Oops. I found it. Not reading correctly. Can’t wait to try these.
In this recipe, how much canned pumpkin? (from what size can?)
Thanks.
Thanks for the quick answer, I made them today with canola oil and they were great! I only got about 12 muffins though, i must have filled the cups to full 🙂 I also made the pumpkin cream cheese muffins which were also wonderful! This is my go to site for great recipes, thanks for sharing so many!
I have tried and loved so many of your recipes! I am planning on trying these and wondering if shortening or oil could be used in place of butter for my dairy free friend, any thoughts? Thanks in advance!
Lesley – I’d probably substitute canola or vegetable oil over the shortening. I bet they’ll still turn out delicious. Good luck!
Hi Mel,
I was thinking of instead of making cupcakes I could make this into a bundt cake. Do you think I should double it for that?
Thank you!
JenH – hmmm, that’s a good question. Yes, I’d probably double it but you may not use all the batter in the bundt pan (don’t want it to overflow!). I guess you’ll have to judge the size of your bundt pan and see. You could always make a few muffins with the leftover batter, if you have it. Let me know how it goes!
So so good! I made them exactly according to directions and got RAVE reviews. Apples and pumpkin–what a combination!
how big is the can of pumpkin for these? The BIG can(32/36 oz?) or the medium size one?
Megan – you can use any size can of pumpkin as long as you are ok with leftovers because the recipe just calls for 1 cup canned pumpkin – so I just measure it out of the can and use the leftover canned pumpkin for something else. Hope that helps!
Made these this morning to share at playgroup… DELISH!!! Came home with an empty container! Great recipe!
Thanks, Meredith!
The verdict: This cooks up as an *excellent* bread! The amount the recipe makes is the perfect amount for the pan, and I let it cook for about an hour. It’s soft and not dried out at all. The apple gives it just the right amount of kick.
I’m looking forward to surprising the family when they come home!
Lisa – thank you so much for checking back in to let me know how the bread experiment worked out. I’m thrilled it worked out because I will be making it like that this week. Thanks!
I wonder… do you think you can take this and turn it into a pumpkin apple spice BREAD instead of muffins just by pouring it into a different pan?
Lisa – yes, I think that it could easily be adapted into a loaf pan. You would have to be careful as you fill the pan to only fill it 2/3 full so I’m not sure how many loaves (maybe only one) this would make. Also, adjust the baking time to much longer. Let me know if you try it!
Lisa – glad you liked these! Thanks for letting me know.
I made this yesterday and my kids loved them. They really are moist and were easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing.
I have leftover pumpkin to use… so it looks like I’m making this today too! Yum!
Thanks!
Shante – thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to know about freezing them. I have frozen them before and used the latter method so it looks like next time I’ll try individually wrapping them.
I love these so much! I’ve made them 3 times now. The last 2 times I doubled the batches and froze them. The first time I froze them I individually wrapped each one in saran wrap after they cooled and placed them in big ziplocks-this made it easy to put in lunches or throw in my purse for a snack. The second time I froze them I didn’t get to it until the next day and just put them in a ziplock. I found that they didn’t taste as fresh this way. I would recommend freezing right after they cool down. Thanks for the recipe! My husband says it’s his favorite muffin ever!
Steph – I have frozen these before and they freeze great, although it sounds like you have the same problem we do – they usually don’t last that long! Thanks for letting me know you and your husband liked them!
Right before I made these I was going to hop on and see if you had “freezing” instructions. Unfortunately (only for my waistline) over half the batch was eaten by my husband and I last night and he brought a bag of them into work and after breakfast there won’t be any left! Muffins have never dissapeared so fast at our house! Mmmm
Hi Melanie,
While I was rounding up some Pumpkin & Apple recipe links to include in a post I did for National Pumpkin Day, I came across your yummy looking muffins in my search engine. I hope you don’t mind that I included your link in my post. Thank you so much for sharing…Now, I must take a look at those Hoagies of yours!!!
rachel – I’m glad you liked these! Thanks for letting me know!
I made these this morning for a playdate brunch and they were a big hit with the kids and the mommies!
Pumpkins and apples in the same recipe! Delicious!!
Yum! Pumpkin and apple!!
Annie – thanks so much for checking back and letting me know these were a hit. I’m so glad!
Those muffins look so moist and yummy. There are so many apple recipes floating around right now… I’m never going to get through them all!
Those look so good! I agree that I don’t often make muffins. But I’ll for sure be trying these!
Martha – oh, pumpkin and cranberry together sound great! The flavors of fall are so fun!
Stephanie – thanks for saying hello! Your comment was sweet and I appreciate it. Check back in as often as you like!
I made these muffins on Thursday, adding a streusel topping. They were delicious! Very light and fluffy, moist, and so yummy – thanks for the great recipe!
I have a pumpkin/cranberry coffeecake that is good — am anxious to try a pumpkin apple muffin.I love the flavors of fall!Martha
I can’t get canned pumpkin over here in the UK – will have to see if I can order some online – they look fantastic
This looks great! I love all the pumpkin recipes popping up 🙂
Well, I am a muffin lover, and these look wonderful! I especially like chopped up apples in muffins. I can’t wait to try these, Mel.
I love your recipes!!! I thought I would say hello, Ive been looking at all your awesome recipes for a few days now. I will for sure be back more often 🙂Stephanie
These sound like a great combination. I actually just made pumpkin muffins today for next week’s Tuesdays with Dorie and they were really great. Now that I’m discovering that I might like pumpkin more than I though I will have to give these a try.
Hi Stephanie – a streusel topping sounds delicious! Thanks for letting me know you liked these muffins!
Patti – yay! I’m so glad they turned out. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who devoured them before they had a chance to get stale. 🙂
I too am not a muffin baker galore . . . I see all these incredible recipes and think “they will just end up frostbitten in the freezer.” (sad I know) But this recipes sparked my interest! It sounds perfect for breakfast in the fall! Yum-E!
oh the moistness of it all. what a stellar muffin, and thanks for the tip about the actual components of pumpkin pie spice!
mmm.yummy! How long did they keep fresh for?They look FAB!
Leslie – my family and I ate the entire batch within 24 hours – so they definitely stayed fresh that long! I would say if you aren’t going to eat them within a day, pop them in a freezer bag and reheat when you want one.
Two of my favorite fall ingredients! PLUS pumpkin pie spice – yum!
These muffins look so good. I love anything pumpkin and my fam would definitely eat these in 24 hours too! Great recipe!
These look fantastic. I love pumpkin recipes.
Pumpkin and apple, so perfect for fall!
I also made some of these yesterday to bring some to work and some to daycare with my daughter and they were a HIT! They were SOOOO GOOD!! YUM! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
I made these yesterday, and they were fabulous! I can’t say how long they’ll stay fresh either, because they were gone by the end of the day. I’ll be making them again soon!
Great choice- they look so seasonally delicious. And that blue background… wow! Great !
Oh my… these look amazing! Definitely going to be on my “to make” list and will probably go to the top of the list since my kids LOVE muffins. Thanks for sharing!
Apple and pumpkin together?! Yum, yum, and yum!comforttable.wordpress.com