The best pumpkin muffins are super tall and fluffy, have the perfect dome-shaped top, tons of pumpkin flavor, and are loaded with chocolate chips. This recipe checks all of those boxes. Made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spices, you will not be able to stop at one.

Why you will love this pumpkin muffin recipe

  1. They’re super fluffy. There is nothing better than a fluffy muffin. What helps these muffins fluff up is the half hour of rest the batter gets before we bake. By resting the batter, we give the leaveners a head start. I’ll go into this more later.
  2. Their dome tops. These muffins are SO tall with a perfectly round dome top. Alternating the muffin cups with a space between each allows the heat to evenly distribute around the muffin and gives them space to flourish and rise to create that perfect dome top.
  3. The pumpkin flavor. These muffins are perfectly pumpkin-y. Made with pure pumpkin and a combination of warm spices, these muffins have the best flavor.

Key ingredients

  • Pumpkin puree: pumpkin puree adds that pumpkin flavor we all love, and tons of moisture.
  • Spices: a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves make the muffins super warm and the perfect fall treat.
  • All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice for this recipe. It yields the perfect texture for these muffins.
  • Granulated sugar: granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness and it allows for the tops of the muffins to get brown around the edges.
  • Fats: the key fats in this recipe are the butter, milk and eggs – they add a ton of moisture and make a perfectly tender muffin.

Steps

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients. This includes the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
  2. Whisk the wet ingredients. This includes the butter, eggs, vanilla, milk and pumpkin puree.
  3. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until a batter forms, leaving a few streaks of flour in the batter.
  4. Add the chocolate. Add the mini chocolate chips to the batter and fold until completely incorporated and the streaks of flour have mixed in.
  5. Let the batter rest. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. It IS possible for the batter to over-rest – it will lead to very strangely shaped muffins, so make sure to only let the batter rest for 30 minutes or so.
  6. Bake. Line a muffin tin with cups leaving every other one empty. Fill the cups with the batter all the way to the top and then some. Bake for 8 minutes at 425F, then drop the temperature to 350F and bake for another 8-10 minutes for regular sized muffins and 17-20 minutes for jumbo muffins.

The secret to tall muffins

There are a few tips/tricks that I discovered lead to tall muffins and now I will NEVER not do them.

  1. Let the batter rest. Letting the batter rest for 30 minutes gives the leaveners a head start in the rise process. You will notice that after the muffin batter rests, the batter will be very airy, light and fluffy. After the 30 minutes is up, do not mix the batter, fold the batter, or anything. That will knock out all the air and damage the work that was just done by the leaveners. All you want to do is scoop and plop the batter into the muffin tin. Nothing else! Baking soda & baking powder activate when mixed with the wet ingredients, so that is what occurs during this half hour. It IS possible for the batter to over-rest – it will lead to very strangely shaped muffins, so make sure to only let the batter rest for 30 minutes or so.
  2. Start the bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I love this trick! Baking powder has double activation, so it activates for the second time when it hits the heat in the oven. This extreme heat activates the baking powder and allows it to quickly rise, giving it that dome top. 
  3. Alternating muffin cups. Alternating the muffin cups is another helpful tip! Alternating the muffin cups allows for the heat to evenly hit the muffin and gives it room to overflow over the top and create that dome-like shape.

FAQ

Why are my muffins dry and tough?

A dry and tough muffin could potentially be from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer.

A dry muffin can also be from over baking. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist muffin into a tough and dry muffin, so make sure to keep an eye on it. It is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Why did my muffins sink?

Muffins can sink from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Additionally, an underbaked muffin can sink, so make sure to bake the muffins all the way through.

Can I use a different milk instead of whole milk?

Technically, yes. However, I really recommend sticking to whole milk due to its fat content. The fat content of the milk really adds to the moisture and softness of these muffins.

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5 from 2 ratings
Yield: 6 jumbo muffins or 12 regular-sized muffins

The Best Pumpkin Muffins

The best pumpkin muffins are super tall and fluffy, have the perfect dome-shaped top, tons of pumpkin flavor, and are loaded with chocolate chips. This recipe checks all of those boxes. Made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spices, you will not be able to stop at one.

Ingredients
 

  • 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 mL) whole milk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (130 grams) pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup (180 grams) mini chocolate chips*

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, and pumpkin puree.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together until combined but with a few streaks of flour remaining.
  • Add the mini chocolate chips and fold until the streaks of flour are gone and the chocolate is fully incorporated into the batter. Do not over mix.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
  • Once the batter has 5 minutes left to rest, preheat your oven to 425F and line a muffin tin with cups leaving every other one empty. This is optional but I highly recommend it – it will give the muffins room to rise. This may require baking the muffins in two batches if you only have one muffin tin.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling them all the way to the top. Be careful not to disrupt the batter too much when scooping, this will cancel out all the work the leaveners did when the batter was resting. Just scoop the batter, then plop in the muffin tin. Sprinkle more chocolate chips or turbinado sugar on top if desired.
  • Bake at 425F for 8 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350F and continue to bake for another 7-9 minutes for regular sized muffins or 16-19 minutes for jumbo muffins. The muffins are finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
  • *If baking the muffins in two batches, make sure you increase the oven temperature back up to 425F for the second batch of muffins.
  • Let the muffins cool in the pan for 20 minutes. These muffins are best when still slightly warm and the chocolate is all melty. Enjoy!
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Mini chocolate chips are preferred, however you can use another size of chocolate chips if you can’t find mini. Please note the muffins may take a few extra minutes to bake in the oven if using any chocolate chips that are bigger than the mini size.
 
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