Make the Best Easy Pumpkin Muffins with applesauce and a hint of spice from scratch in just one bowl with this simple healthy recipe! They're moist, delicious and perfect for fall
When fall rolls around, my kids start begging me to make pumpkin muffins for breakfast. We love making 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins with cake mix and easy one bowl pumpkin spice muffins.
But our favorite pumpkin muffin recipe uses applesauce and no oil or butter, so it's pretty healthy. It's also perfectly spiced, made with simple ingredients and super easy to make.
It actually took several tries to get the recipe just right. The muffins were either too dense or had too much spice-- that happens!
So finally, after supplying the kids and their friends with enough muffins to last until Christmas, we got it right. These pumpkin applesauce muffins are hands down the family favorite!
We used applesauce instead of oil, brown sugar instead of white, and we went easy on the pumpkin spice. I wanted the pumpkin flavor to be the star. Oh, these babies are made in just one bowl, so cleanup is super easy. And that's why I'm calling these the BEST easy pumpkin muffins ever!
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Applesauce from Scratch
Whenever I make one-bowl muffins or cake or anything with eggs, I add the eggs first. Then, I stir them up a little and add the remaining ingredients.
You can use a hand mixer for the muffins or make them with a stand mixer. If you want, you can mix the batter by hand.
Next, add the batter to the muffin tin. You'll want to use baking spray or grease the cups for easier removal. You can also use paper liners if you want.
You want these pumpkin muffins to be as tall as possible. So, fill the muffin cups as high as you can. None of this two-thirds full stuff today!
Now, pop the muffin tin into the oven. The muffins take about 20 minutes to bake, and that's it. Aren't they gorgeous?!
Bake some of these homemade pumpkin muffins on the weekend, and you have a grab-and-go breakfast or snack ready to eat during the week. They're perfect for fall, and they make your home smell amazing!
How to Store Them
Store the muffins in an airtight container -- no need to refrigerate them. They'll keep fresh for about 4 days, if they last that long! They also freeze well for longer storage.
Canned Pumpkin or Homemade Puree
You can use canned pumpkin or make your own homemade pumpkin puree. Just be sure NOT to use pumpkin pie filling, as you want to control the spice here. If you're using homemade purée, you need 1 ½ to 2 cups.
Recipe was originally posted in 2018 and updated in 2020.
The Best Easy Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 12-cup muffin tin
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, and beat slightly
- Add the remaining ingredients, and use a hand mixer to blend together until smooth. Batter may have some small lumps, but don't overmix
- Fill muffin cups almost to the tops with batter, then bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
- Remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly, then remove from muffin tin, and serve
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.
Nutrition
Jeri says
Just made muffins. Terrific, super yummy. Homemade applesauce from the last apples on the block. Also puréed pumpkin at home. Had leftover batter to make a small loaf pan for my neighbor. I used some pumpkin juice and maple syrup w/ unsalted butter and powdered sugar for frosting. There goes my diet lol. Thanks so much
Marie says
I made these today. They are so delicious. I had never made pumpkin muffins. They were a big hit with my hubby. I also put a few chocolate chips on the top before baking and mine also took 30 minutes. Thanks for the recipe.
Dee says
Thank you so much, Marie! I'm glad you liked them!
Kelly says
Wow these were really phenomenal. I had a leftover can of pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, and I was looking for a healthier option to send with my toddler to school, and these were really great! I know what people mean about the batter coming out great- you can really smell the spices when its mixed up.
I whisked the eggs at the start and mixed the rest with a spoon- didn't use a mixer. I made these as mini muffins with no liner- came out wonderful. In a 350F convection oven the mini muffins take 15 minutes to bake fully- it's a wet batter but they're also still very moist coming out and after a few minutes of cooling they came right out of the tin- no paper liners needed.
Great recipe to use up any extra cans of pumpkin- not overly sweet and I had all the ingredients in my pantry. Not sure what it is about this batter or mix but they came out of the oven like showstoppers- real 'wow' effect. Thanks for the recipe!
Dee says
I'm so glad you liked the pumpkin muffins, Kelly. Thank you!
Emily J says
Fantastic recipe! These muffins are easy, delicious, and look gorgeous. The batter is very thick, so I took your recommendation to fill the muffin cups to heart and actually had them heaped up slightly above the top of the pan. The muffins came out big and beautiful and my family made short work of them!
Dee says
So glad you liked the muffins, Emily!
Kim says
This was a great recipe and the muffins look beautiful. The only problem I had was I had to bake them 30 minutes because the inside seemed doughy after 20 minutes. Has anyone else experienced this?
Dee says
I've never had that happen, but all ovens are different. Also, if you live at a higher altitude, the bake time might be longer.
James says
We have made these twice recently. Supper easy and everybody loves them. An easy breakfast before rushing off to school.
Dee says
Thanks, James! I'm so happy you like the muffins!
James says
Made these for breakfast/brunch this morning. Easy and what a huge hit. We added a few chocolate chips to the top after we poured the batter into the muffin tin. Yummy!
Ann says
These are my favorite fall muffins! So good!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Ann. I'm glad you like them!
Marci Lynn says
Thanks for the recipe. I've made them twice now, the second time I added a half cup of oatmeal. They're really good!
Dee says
I'm so happy you liked them! I'm actually making another batch this weekend -- yum!
Rhonda says
I made these for the daycare that I work at. Took the recipe 6 times. They are so good.
Dee says
So glad everyone liked the muffins, Rhonda. Thanks for letting me know!
Mother of 3 says
They look delicious! I have never made pumpkin muffins but I know I'd love them. Pinned.
Dee says
Thanks so much! I hope you get a chance to try them. 🙂
Miz Helen says
Your pumpkin muffins look great and will be perfect for fall! Thanks so much for sharing with us on Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
Melanie Bauer says
I have always loved the smell of pumpkin but never the flavor. However, I have always loved pumpkin muffins and these look SO good!
Dee says
Thanks, Melanie. My family just loves them!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This is really a must-make for pumpkin season!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
I LOVE how easy these are to make!!! I bet they taste amazing!!
Jamielyn says
Looks so delicious! I can't wait for fall!
Dee says
It's still hot here, but I needed my pumpkin spice fix! 🙂
Brandy @ Nutmeg Nanny says
I love easy and I love pumpkin, so this is a must make!
Dee says
Thanks! We absolutely love these pumpkin muffins.
Amanda says
I needed an easy pumpkin muffin recipe for this fall and you nailed it, thank you!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Amanda! I hope you like them.
Jenn says
I love how quick and easy these pumpkin muffins are! Woot!
Dee says
Thanks, Jenn. Munching on one right now! 🙂