These super soft pumpkin crumb cake muffins are topped with pumpkin spice crumbs and finished with sweet maple icing. They’re a reader favorite and after baking one batch, you’ll understand why!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and more success tips.
Let’s be honest: the crumbs are the best part of crumb cake.
At least, that’s what I thought… until I created these. Underneath the crumbly pumpkin spice topping is an irresistible pumpkin muffin—soft, moist, and full of fall flavor. And when you add the maple icing? Forget about any other breakfast food (unless you’re making a batch of these baked pumpkin donuts!).
Readers’ Favorite Pumpkin Muffins
Like clockwork, September rolls around and we all go crazy for these pumpkin crumb cake muffins. They’re the perfect combination of everything we love about fall. Their ease and flavor also help us transition into the chillier months.
Here’s why you’ll love them:
- The batter is based off of my pumpkin bread—it’s SO good
- Easy to make and no mixer required
- Ready in less than one hour
- Soft and moist thanks to power ingredients like pumpkin, oil, eggs, and milk
- Topped with pumpkin spice crumbs + maple icing (you could also leave them plain and you’ll basically have my regular pumpkin muffins)
- Delicious as a breakfast, snack, or dessert
- Packed with warm and cozy fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
How to Make Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins
Instead of using my iced pumpkin coffee cake recipe as the base, I turned to my pumpkin bread. I LOVE using that bread recipe to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. All you do here is take out the chocolate chips, reduce the sugar, and use milk instead of orange juice. Though you could definitely use orange juice if you’d like! (Orange juice provides incredible flavor to the bread, trust me on that one.)
Made with basic ingredients, these pumpkin muffins come together quickly.
Mix the dry ingredients together. This includes lots of spice flavor and you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here.
Whisk the wet ingredients together. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then fill the muffin cups—almost full, but leave room for the topping.
Make the crumb topping. Spoon it evenly onto each muffin, pressing the crumbs into the tops. Bake, then whisk the 3 icing ingredients together. Drizzle and serve.
Pumpkin Spice Crumb Topping
If you thought crumb topping couldn’t get any better, think again. We’re topping pumpkin crumb cake muffins with pumpkin spice crumbs. YES!
We use oil in the muffins themselves for extra moisture, but we use melted butter in the crumb topping. Why? FLAVOR. The crumb topping also has brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. (Like my traditional crumb cake topping but with pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.) There are repeat ingredients used in the muffins, so this is not only an easy recipe, it’s a convenient one too. By the way, this crumb topping would be fantastic on zucchini muffins and these chocolate pumpkin muffins, too.
I reduced the sugar in these muffins because they’re getting an extra dose of sweet from the crumb topping and maple icing. With that, I also reduced the salt to make sure the muffins didn’t taste salty with less sugar.
Optional Maple Icing
“Optional” might not be the right word here, because the icing seeping into the crumb topping is outstanding. While the muffins are wonderful on their own, I highly recommend the quick maple drizzle for an extra indulgent finish.
You could also try the maple icing on these mini pumpkin muffins, too.
Be sure to enjoy a batch with a cup of coffee and homemade pumpkin coffee creamer for the ultimate fall breakfast!
More Crumb Lover Recipes
- Coffee Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Crumb Cake Donuts
- Apple Crumb Cake
- Crumb Cake Muffins
- Raspberry Almond Crumb Cake
- Zucchini Crumb Cake
- Crumb Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 15 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft and moist pumpkin crumb cake muffins with pumpkin pie spice and maple icing topping.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk, at room temperature*
Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
Maple Icing (optional)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 15 muffins, so prepare a second muffin pan in the same manner. Set aside.
- Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them almost full.
- Make the crumb topping: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Using a fork, lightly mix in the melted butter until crumbs form. Don’t over-mix. Spoon crumbs evenly on top of the batter and gently press them down into the batter so they’re snug.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21-22 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan as you make the icing. *For mini muffins, bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the entire time.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together until combined and smooth. Drizzle over muffins and serve warm. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: For longer storage, freeze muffins (with or without icing) for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave if desired. Top with icing before serving if needed.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Spatula | Whisk
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice in the muffin batter. Do not leave out the 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon that is also in the muffin batter. The crumb topping also uses pumpkin pie spice and, again, if you don’t have store-bought or homemade, use 1/4 teaspoon of each of those spices and add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon too.
- Milk: Any milk works. I’ve tested with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, whole milk, and skim milk. You can use any, dairy or non.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are DELICIOUS! I made muffins and some minis for my toddler. I did substitute the vegetable oil
For coconut oil and it turned out great! Great and easy to follow directions! Thank you
Not sure what I did wrong. They did not rise and were very dense. Not sure if I overmixed? Will try again!
Hi Rosemary, overmixing could certainly be the culprit. You’ll also want to make sure your baking soda is fresh for optimal rise—we find it starts to lose its effectiveness after three months, even if not technically expired. Hope this helps for your next batch!
Can I use butter in place of vegetable oil?
Hi Jessie, you could substitute melted butter in a pinch, but the muffins won’t be nearly as moist. We recommend using oil for best results.
Is it doable to use fresh pureed pumpkin instead of canned??
Hi Trinity, that should be fine. Enjoy!
I used fresh pumpkin and they turned out great!!
I made these for an after sermon/church snack today. The members loved them and many ladies asked for the recipe! Thanks!!
I made these muffins and they were amazing. They looked like store bought. And they tasted delicious. Best recipe ever. I will definitely make them again. Wow
Can’t wait to try these! Any substitution suggestion to make these into jumbo muffins?
Hi Julia, absolutely — you can follow the bake time from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide. Enjoy!
These muffins are SO SO SO GOOD! I didn’t even make the icing and they were still amazing with just the muffin and crumb topping! My husband and son love them too. I don’t think these will be lasting long in my house!
I’m more of a jumbo muffin girl. Would you know the bake time and temperature for the 6 pan jumbo muffin tin for this recipe?
Hi Ashley, absolutely — you can follow the bake time from these jumbo blueberry muffins as a guide. Enjoy!
Hi! I don’t have maple syrup where I live. I make a simple syrup with sugar, water and maple extract. Would that work?
Hi Brittany, if the consistency is similar to pure maple syrup, that should work. Let us know how it goes!
This is a great recipe! The muffins are so soft and tender, I added pecans to the crumble for a little extra crunch. I will definitely be keeping this recipe, I think next time I will add pecans to the batter, or maybe a cream cheese filling.
Loved, loved, loved these!
This looks amazing! Can I substitute the vegetable oil for butter and if so what ratio?
Hi Maren, you could substitute melted butter in a pinch, but the muffins won’t be nearly as moist. We recommend using oil for best results.
Made these muffins for the first time. They were delicious but the crumbs were not what I expected. They were kinda ctunchy. I think I did something wrong. Any ideas?
Hi Susan, you’ll want the crumbs to be slightly crunchy, so it doesn’t sound like you necessarily did anything wrong. You can try decreasing the bake time by just a minute or so next time for a softer top, or move the pan a rack further from the heating element. Be sure to use a toothpick to test that the insides are still done. Thanks for giving these a try!
I would like to make these a mini size muffin.
How many would the recipe yield and how long would I bake them?
Hi Julie, See the end of step 5: For mini muffins, bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the entire time. Enjoy!
Thank you!
This recipe is amazing! This is my second time making these, and both times I’ve made several substitutions/ additions including using Cardamom instead of the pumpkin pie spice, half of the oil for butter, adding 1 tsp. baking powder for a fluffier muffin, and extra pumpkin puree. They have turned out amazing, 100% would recommend!!!
Cardamon is always a good idea! You
Made these with partial gluten free flour and they came out insanely good!! I was able to get about 28 muffins using a small cookie scoop for my batter.
I love these muffins. My daughter-in-law is visiting and I’d love to make this recipe. She is gluten intolerant and I’m wondering if I can substitute something like almond flour or gluten free flour etc.
Your site is my go to “cookbook. I have so many favourites I return to time and time again. I’m looking forward to your upcoming recipes.
Hi Cheri, Almond flour has very different baking properties, so we wouldn’t recommend that. You can try using your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead if you need them to be gluten free. We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but know some readers have had success using 1:1 GF flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill).
Can I make this into a loaf instead of muffins?
Hi Brandy, yes, you could bake this batter in a loaf pan. We’re unsure of the bake time. Enjoy!
I sub for bobs red mill gluten-free 1:1 for nearly everything. Came out great!
I made these for Sunday breakfast as I had some pumpkin from another recipe to use. They were delicious. I needed to bake them about 4 minutes more and that might be because I used the bigger parchment fancy muffin cups and I was able to fill them fuller. I will make them again in the fall.
I bake these all the time (at least 3x a month) but without the crumb topping and add walnuts to the batter instead. So they are a delicious Pumpkin/Walnut Muffin. I substitute applesauce for the oil. Also, use closer to 2 c. of wheat flour and substitute about 2/3 c. of the flour with Bisquick. Bake at the recommended 425 for 6 minutes, then 350 for 20 minutes. They are perfectly fluffy every time!
I made these today according to the recipe. The toothpick came out clean after the 16 min at 350 following the 5 minutes at 425. Left them cool 10 min in the pan and further cooked on racks. The inside is not baked through. And I believe the spices are too heavy. I was disappointed.
Hi Kathy! What could be happening is the crumbs are wiping the toothpick clean as you pull it out – so it looks like the muffin underneath is done, but it really isn’t. What you can do is wiggle the toothpick around a little to create a hole in the crumb topping, through which you can test that cake. Does that make sense? It’s a little confusing but should help!
I had to bake for approx 20 min for best results
These are delicious! Add chopped pecans to the batter OR the crumb topping for that extra crunch.
My family & I LOVED them! I’m going to make a double batch next time. Thank you thank you! I made them with gluten free flour & nonsweetened almond milk.
I subbed 1/4 c of almond flour and a 1/4 collagen peptides to add more protein and then cut the sugars to 1/3c each and they turned out great!
I’ve made this recipe over a dozen time and LOVE THEM!! Question: is it possible to substitute pureed sweet potatoes for the pumpkin? I’ve been looking for a fun sweet potato muffin recipe and none look as yummy as this tried-and-true recipie.
Hi Leila, we haven’t personally tested it, but that substitution should work just fine here. Please do let us know if you try it!
This recipe was to dye for I love lots of spice so added more pumpkin pie spice. Don’t usually like pumpkin muffins but will make again.
I have made this recipe several times now and it’s a favorite with my family and my co-workers. I use Kodiak Cakes instead of flour to add more protein and I make 1/2 the amount of the crumble topping and don’t do the icing part and they’re still sweet and moist and delicious.
Also, maybe my oven runs hot but I have reduced the baking time (after the first 5 minutes at 425) to 12 minutes for the 350 part of the recipe.
Love this recipe, have made it many times! Can I add some oats to it? Would I need to adjust the amount of flour?
Hi Maureen, we haven’t tested adding oats to this recipe, but let us know how it goes if you do!
I had leftover filling from a pumpkin pie and streusel from sweet potatoes so I improvised and they turned out delicious.
This recipe is amazing! I used heavy cream and add 1/2 cup extra pumpkin with no problems. I used real Vermont maple syrup for icing and reduced the powdered sugar to just 1 cup, this worked well and was delicious. Amazing moist and delicious!