Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins
These pumpkin snickerdoodle muffins are incredible! A perfect, fluffy pumpkin muffin + cinnamony buttery streusel. YUM!
Yes, it’s time to make room in your life for one more pumpkin muffin. I promise you’ll be happy you did.
These pumpkin snickerdoodle muffins are all the best flavors of fall wrapped up in one amazingly cute and tasty little muffin.
Pumpkin Muffin Batter
Modeled after these best-ever pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, the batter is straightforward.
Even better, we’re using the entire can of pumpkin so you don’t have half a can of pumpkin puree staring balefully back at you pleading for a purpose.
Pumpkin muffin batter:
- canned pumpkin
- sugar
- oil or melted butter
- eggs + vanilla
- flour + b. soda + b. powder
- pumpkin pie spice OR handy little list of easy pantry substitutions
Pro Tip: if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use the following recipe for every tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice needed. 1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger + 1/4 teaspoon allspice + pinch cloves.
Stir just until that batter has no evidence of dry streaks. Don’t over mix! (I know you know that already.)
Snickerdoodle Streusel
While the cinnamon in the muffin batter definitely helps along the snickerdoodle profile of these muffins, it is the streusel that really screams “SNICKERDOODLE!”
(And if you aren’t actually really a snickerdoodle cookie lover, like, ahem, me, don’t worry, I think you’re still going to love these muffins.)
Snickerdoodle Streusel: cinnamon + sugar + butter + flour.
Streusel is the food of the gods and this cinnamony version is other-worldly.
Muffin to Streusel Ratio
Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full and then top with a heaping tablespoon of streusel.
These pumpkin muffins dome beautifully!
And because the streusel is strategically built with just the right amount of butter and flour, it sticks to the muffins exactly like it was told to do.
A Few Notes
- The recipe makes 16 muffins. If you only have one 12-cup muffin tin, the remaining batter is fine to rest on the counter waiting to bake in the second batch.
- The recipe can easily be halved…or doubled.
- I haven’t tried freezing these, but it should work fine albeit the streusel softening and maybe getting a little messy post-defrost.
- As noted below, whole wheat flour works great in these muffins and the heartiness and texture compliments the pumpkin flavor. If using whole wheat, I prefer white whole wheat or einkhorn wheat flour. Measure with a light hand so the muffins aren’t dense.
- The streusel will soften a bit if the muffins are stored in a covered container or bag. There’s no way around this, especially if you’re storing leftovers for the next day. They are still terribly delicious (the muffins stay moist – sorry – for days).
I am powerless in the face of most muffins, but even still, these pumpkin snickerdoodle muffins are special.
The streusel is a little bit buttery and a little bit crunchy which is a stellar companion to the soft fluffiness of the pumpkin muffin.
I can’t wait for you to try them!
One Year Ago: Scotcheroos {New and Improved}
Two Years Ago: Skillet Sweet Potato Black Bean Burrito Bowls
Three Years Ago: Buttery Pull Apart Bundt Bread
Four Years Ago: Thin and Chewy Toffee Bits Cookies
Five Years Ago: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Six Years Ago: Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Seven Years Ago: White Bean Chicken Chili
Eight Years Ago: Classic Slow Cooker Chili
Nine Years Ago: White Texas Sheet Cake
Ten Years Ago: Cheesecake Rice Pudding {Plus a Chocolate Version!}
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 15-ounce can (425 g) canned pumpkin
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) neutral-flavored oil or melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 (249 g) cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour (see note)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see note for substitution)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Snickerdoodle Streusel:
- ½ cup (71 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter, cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners (this recipe makes about 16 muffins).
- For the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well-mixed.
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice (or other spices – see note below), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- For the streusel, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter cubes and cut in with a pastry blender, two knives, or a fork, until the mixture is evenly combined and crumbly.
- Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared liner, filling the muffin cups about 2/3 full (a #20 cookie scoop works great for this).
- Divide streusel evenly over the muffin batter (about 1 tablespoon streusel per muffin, give or take). Bake the muffins for 18-25 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch. Remove from the muffin tin and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Thank you again, Mel, for a wonderful-fun-moist-perfectly-spiced Fall muffin to enjoy with my fresh-roasted, pureed, and strained blue pumpkin. Everyone loved it. I used fresh ground soft white wheat for the flours. For the oil, I love the healthy and tasty neutral perilla oil that just makes it so pleasant and doesn’t interfere with the flavor or leave a greasy texture. Yum!
Oh boy these are so good!! The balance of sweetness is perfect for me. Can’t wait until my husband tries them. It’ll be a great breakfast grab for work for him tomorrow.
Great recipe!
I have made this recipe twice now. The last time was for breakfast guests, they all loved them.
My daughter and I made these muffins and they were a huge hit with everyone! We’ll be making them again soon.
I’ve made this recipe several times and this specific pumpkin muffin recipe is now requested as the best one.
However, I’m baffled by the “makes 16 muffins”, and a comment about doubling the recipe and getting 30 muffins. I doubled the recipe today, as I usually do, and got 44 muffins, as I usually do. I guess I’m not filling them full enough!
Hi Susie, it’s likely due to a variance in the brand of muffin tins and how full the muffin cups are being filled. I use a USA muffin tin and am likely able to get a bit more batter into the muffin cups.
These are delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
Amazing! I made them for my daughter to take to school and got rave reviews! They are so perfect. I doubled the recipe and it worked great!
Soft. Fluffy. Amazing. Even the next day. This might be my new favorite pumpkin muffin, but it is so hard to say. I love all of your baked goods and everyone I share with loves them too. So, so delicious!
Super tasty! My son helped me make them and the kids all gobbled them up. Thanks for another keeper, Mel!
Should the butter for the streusel be cold or at room temperature?
It can be either, but I usually use cold butter.
Should the butter for the streusel be cold or at room temperature?
It can be either, but I usually use cold butter.
What would the baking time be if this was made in an 8×8 square pan?
I’d check it right around 22-25 minutes.
Delicious!!
I made these tonight- very easy and very delicious! Not too sweet nor is the pumpkin spice too much. A Goldilocks kind of muffin indeed: “ just right”!
I was about to make the pumpkin snickerdoodle muffins from the bake from scratch magazine this month when I noticed you posted this. I did a double take and thought you were posting their recipe but it’s totally different! Great minds think alike I suppose. I haven’t made theirs yet, but this one is very tasty. Thanks!
Glad you liked these, Melissa!
These were so easy and so good! I doubled the recipe so I wouldn’t have to make breakfast the next morning and we loved them so much I wasn’t sure we’d have enough! These will be a regular.
So glad they were a hit!
Made these muffins this morning and within a minute of pulling them out of the oven we were eating them without waiting for the muffins to cool down at all. Very tasty and we will definitely make them again soon. I am not a huge pumpkin lover (although I want to be) but I loved these. The streusel really makes them. Great recipe!
Thanks for letting me know! Happy you loved them!
These are delicious! We loved that they weren’t overly sweet, but the streusel topping adds just the right sweetness. I doubled the recipe and it made 30 muffins for me. I have the USA muffin tins, which you recommended and I LOVE. I may not get the chance to make cinnamon rolls this weekend, but thankfully we have muffins!
I’m glad you like those pans! They really are the best.
sO good!
Thanks, Allison!
Made these they day you posted them… took some to a neighbor, and the fam ate the rest way too fast. My kids have all asked if the pumpkin muffins are gone! Guess I’ll be making more tonight! We loved these as a snack and for breakfast with butter slathered on them and a few slices of bacon. SO GOOD. Thank you, Mel!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Heidi! Thanks for letting me know!
Wow! Amazing as always! I feel like you’re a part of our family! Your recipes have been feeding my family of 7 for years. Always know I can count on you for ideas that everyone here just loves. These muffins are no different. Already ate 2 and sent a picture to my kids who can’t wait to get home from school to try them! Thanks Mel
Thank you so much, Sienna!
A few weeks ago I picked up a 4-pk of pumpkin snickerdoodle muffins and knew I would have to make my own because they were delicious. Thank you Mel for doing the work for me. I really like the streusel topping, I finely chopped some roasted pecans into mine. These muffins are divine.
Pecans would be fantastic! Thanks for the comment, Stella.
Just made these and they are fantastic!! Yet another hit recipe, Mel!
Thanks, Niki!
So moist and flavorful!
Thank you, Valerie!
So good! Will be making these again this fall I’m sure!!!
Glad you enjoyed them, Laurel!
These were a hit. Used brown sugar because it was all I had, 1/2 cup of avocado oil, and they were perfection. Definitely going in the regular rotation. We are a pumpkin-all-year kinda house.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Amy! We love pumpkin all year round too. Glad we aren’t the only ones!
Hey! Quick clarification. The streusel ingredients list 1/4 c butter as being 113 g. 1 full stick or 1/2 cup equals 113 g, as printed on the wrapper. Do we use 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup? I’m going to try 1/4 and see…
Hi Megan, it’s 1/4 cup butter for the streusel. Thanks for the heads up – I’ll fix the gram amount to 57 g.
As delicious as they look! It was just the recipe I needed to see this morning and Derek apologized for eating 4 while I was out. 😉 Kids are going to love them when they get home from school and I’ll feel like a hero. Thanks, Mel!
Haha, Derek is awesome. If Brian still was home all day, I’m sure he would have beat Derek by several muffins. 🙂
These were delicious! I cut the sugar to 3/4 c and used half whole wheat, and they still tasted rich and decadent. (I think 1/2 c oil is correct–that’s what I used, and they were perfect.)
Thanks, Amy! So happy you loved them (and thanks for taking the time to let me know!).
These. Are. Fabulous. Truly truly truly
Thank you, Jenny!!
I believe you gave the gram amount of oil for a cup, not a half cup.
Just fixed it! Sorry about that. 🙂
these look great and I’m ready to make them…but is it ½ cup of oil or 226g which is 1 full cup?
I noticed that too. I went with 1/2 cup, they’re in the oven right now. Fingers crossed that’s the right guess!
yes, I think it’s ½ cup…I ended up using ½ cup (100g) softened coconut oil. Just took them out of the oven and they are perfecto!❤️
Sorry about that! The 1/2 cup is correct (I fixed the weight measure).
I bet applesauce could be used for the oil, right? These look so yummy!
I haven’t tried it, but worth experimenting! Maybe try half applesauce/half oil to start?
My five-year-old loves pumpkin muffins enough that we have them an average of 50 times a year. As I pulled up Mel’s website to find the recipe as I somehow don’t have it memorized it, I saw this new recipe. We decided to make it instead and do not regret that choice.
I followed the recipe as written except for reducing the sugar in the muffin to 3/4 cup. I figured with a sugary topping, we wouldn’t miss the sugar. The muffin was very soft and moist. I had enough batter for a dozen muffins plus two small ramekins. The streusel topping made enough to very generously top every muffin with some left over.
In the future, I don’t think we will add the streusel every time since my three little kids don’t always have the patience to wait an extra five minutes.
Excellent recipe! My five year old changed her rating from five stars to five and a half.
Laura!! You’re amazing for making these muffins so quickly! Thanks for the review! Glad you and your kiddos enjoyed these.
I know the bake time would be different but do you think I would successfully get 6 jumbo muffins out of this batter? When I make regular size muffins, everyone always wonders why they are so small 🙂 Can’t wait to try these!
Yes, I bet you could do that!