Best Easy Pumpkin Muffins

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 1/2 to 2 cups.

May contain affiliate links. See disclosure for more information.

Recipe was originally posted in 2018 and updated in 2020.

If you like this recipe as much as we do, leave a comment or give me a shout-out on social media! Sign up to receive weekly recipes by email!