A different recipe for pumpkin muffins with maple syrup and warm spices. The crumb is soft and moist with a wonderful crust. They freeze well and can be adjusted to the amount of spice you like.
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Unique flavor
This blog's recipe archive has received many new pumpkin muffin recipes these past months, and it continues to grow.
Enter these pumpkin spice muffins with maple syrup. Sweet and moist, with that characteristic maple flavor.
They sound modern, but this is still an old-fashioned recipe. The dry and wet ingredients are mixed separately and then combined to create the final batter.
- Quick and easy: As with most muffins in this blog, they come together easily and quickly. If you use canned pumpkin or have homemade pumpkin puree ready, you can have them out of the oven in 30 minutes.
- Moist and tender: they're fluffy, soft, and everything you want in a muffin.
- Make ahead: they keep well for several days and freeze for a month. So have them ready at all times and warm them before eating.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Pumpkin puree: use canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) or fresh pumpkin puree, both work well.
- Maple syrup: I like to use grade-A pure maple syrup, but the one you regularly use works just fine.
- Spices: this recipe uses ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Sometimes, I add a pinch of cloves. You can also use our homemade pumpkin spice mix or a store-bought option. As long as you like it, it's fine.
- Baking soda: make sure it isn't expired.
- Whole milk makes the muffins richer. If you have only reduced-fat milk, you can use it.
Variations & substitutions
- Honey: instead of maple syrup for a much sweeter muffin.
- Sweet potato or yam puree: instead of pumpkin, same amount.
- Maple extract: add ½ teaspoon to the muffin batter for an enhanced flavor.
- Maple glaze: mix ¾ cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup and drizzle on the cooled muffins.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pans: I use regular-sized tins, but you can also make mini muffins (which will yield a larger quantity and require less baking time) or jumbo muffins (which will yield fewer muffins and take longer to bake).
- Filling the muffin pans: fill them no more than ¾ of their capacity to avoid overflow during baking.
- Freezing: Wrap in plastic and freeze for up to a month. I defrost them directly in a medium oven, but you can let them come to room temperature first.
- Double batch: This recipe can easily be doubled if you are making them for a large crowd or if you want to make them ahead and freeze them.
Steps to make them
These moist muffins are very simple to make. No fancy equipment is needed, just a bowl and a whisk.
- Butter: it must be melted and warm.
- Mixing: you only need to integrate the ingredients well so you can use a whisk. If using an electric mixer, do so at a low speed.
- Sifting: it adds some air to the batter. And this recipe has baking soda, which can clump during storage and be hard to dissolve once during baking. So sifting it is highly recommended.
Wet ingredients
Combine the pumpkin puree and other wet ingredients in a medium bowl until fully integrated.
Use a whisk
You only need a hand whisk. An electric mixer is highly discouraged, as it's easy to overmix the preparation, and we don't want that.
Dry ingredients
They are stirred in a separate mixing bowl, large enough to accommodate the whole muffin batter.
Final batter
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. The final batter is thick and shiny.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
After adding the flour, don't overmix the preparation. We don't want the gluten to start developing, as it will make the muffins tougher.
Preparing the muffin pan
- Paper liners: also called paper cups or muffin liners. This is the easiest way, but the muffin tops are the only part that will be crusty.
- Butter or baking spray: this is messier, and you have to wash the pan afterward, but the crust forms all around the muffins because the whole surface touches the metal.
Baking
Thick batter: it will make the muffins rise well and not overflow.
When are they done? A cake tester or toothpick inserted should come out clean. When this happens, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Storage
- Room temperature: you can keep them for up to 2 days. Always covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
- Refrigerator: wrapped well, they keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days. Let them come to room temperature or warm them in a medium oven before eating.
- Freezer: They can be kept well wrapped for a month. I recommend warming them in a medium oven before eating.
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Maple Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves, optional
- pinch of ground allspice, optional
OR
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, instead of the spices above. I use our homemade pumpkin pie spice, but you can use a store-bought mix.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Or, butter or use baking spray and not liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup butter, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup whole milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- In a separate large bowl, sift the dry ingredients (1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, pinch of ground cloves and pinch of ground allspice OR 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice) and stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack before serving.
- Store at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for a month. Always well wrapped.
Anonymous says
I love these so much. They're so easy and delicious. I didn't have butter this last time so I used coconut oil and they still turned out amazing
Sarah says
Much better than the other honey/maple syrup muffin recipe i tried. Very light and fluffy. I used half whole wheat pastry flour and it still turned out great.
Paula Montenegro says
I love the whole wheat idea Sarah! Happy to know it worked!
Ann Marie Bloom says
They are so light and airy. Not to sweet. Everyone asked me to make more. Great fall season treat 🍂
Donna says
Amazing!!!
Kelsey says
They came out great. I painted them with melted butter mixed with a little maple syrup and cinnamon as soon as they came out of the oven. Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
HL says
Hello,
The recipe seems great but the instructions differ: in the photo instructions it says to add wet to dry and the listed recipe instructions says add dry to wet? Which is correct?
Thank you
Paula Montenegro says
Hi, both ways work. I like to add the wet to the dry.
Jenna says
Came out perfect! I used gluten free 1-1 flour and it worked well.
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for letting me know Jenna! I'll add a note for those who want to make them GF.
Paula Montenegro says
They’re also my go to for a quick breakfast. I have them frozen and love eating them warm.