Pumpkin Muffins with Walnuts
Tender, moist pumpkin muffins studded with toasted walnuts and warm spices. These are less sweet than typical grocery-store muffins, allowing the natural pumpkin flavor to shine while cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg add depth. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups
- Toast walnuts at 350°F for 5–7 minutes while preheating
- Measure all dry ingredients into one bowl ahead of time
Mix wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree (1½ cups / 360 ml), vegetable oil (½ cup / 120 ml), granulated sugar (¾ cup / 150 g), brown sugar (¼ cup / 50 g), and eggs until well combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add vanilla extract (1 tsp / 5 ml) and whisk again until incorporated.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale orange and smooth
Tip: Whisk the eggs vigorously to incorporate air; this helps the muffins rise evenly.
Combine dry ingredients
- In a second medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour (1¾ cups / 220 g), baking powder (1½ tsp / 7 g), baking soda (½ tsp / 2.5 g), salt (½ tsp / 3 g), cinnamon (1½ tsp / 4 g), ginger (½ tsp / 1 g), and nutmeg (¼ tsp / 0.5 g) until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No visible streaks of cinnamon or cocoa remain
Tip: Sifting isn't necessary, but whisking ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed.
Fold in flour mixture
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients bowl.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold gently with about 12–15 strokes until just combined.
- A few streaks of flour are fine; do not overmix or the muffins will be tough and dense.
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Ready when: No visible dry flour remains, batter is thick and lumpy
Tip: Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough.
Add walnuts
- Fold in the toasted walnuts (1 cup / 120 g, cooled) with 3–4 gentle strokes until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
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Ready when: Walnut pieces are scattered throughout
Tip: Toasting the walnuts first brings out their flavor and prevents them from tasting bitter.
Fill muffin cups
- Using an ice cream scoop or ¼-cup measure, divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Gently smooth the tops with the back of a spoon if desired.
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Ready when: All 12 cups are equally filled
Tip: Using a scoop ensures even baking; muffins will rise and bake at the same rate.
Bake muffinsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven on the center rack.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
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Ready when: Tops are golden and firm to the touch; toothpick shows only moist crumbs, no wet batter
Tip: Do not overbake or the muffins will become dry. Check at 20 minutes; overbaking by even 2–3 minutes can make them tough.
Cool in tin and remove
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
- They will firm up slightly so they don't fall apart when unmolded.
- Run a small knife or offset spatula around the edge of each muffin, then turn them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
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Ready when: Muffins release easily from cups and hold their shape
Tip: Unmolding while still warm prevents condensation from making the bottoms soggy.
Good to know
Tips
- Toast your own walnuts rather than buying pre-toasted. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5–7 minutes until fragrant. Cool completely before chopping and adding to the batter.
- Measure flour by spooning it into a dry measuring cup and leveling the top, or use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Scooping directly from the bag can pack the flour and result in too much per cup.
- For extra flavor, add ¼ tsp ground cloves or a pinch of allspice to the dry ingredients.
- Muffin tops brown quickly. If they begin to darken too much before the insides are done, loosely tent the muffin tin with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Make ahead
Batter can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated. Add 1–2 minutes to the baking time if baking from cold. Fully baked muffins can be frozen up to 1 month and thawed at room temperature or warmed in the oven.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature (in an airtight container) for 2 days. Refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezer for up to 1 month (thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes). Do not store in a sealed plastic bag, as condensation will make them soggy.
Substitutions
- neutral vegetable oil → melted unsalted butter. Use the same volume. Butter will add a richer flavor and slightly denser crumb.
- walnuts, chopped → chopped pecans or toasted pumpkin seeds. Pecans provide a similar texture and flavor; pumpkin seeds add crunch and a subtle nuttiness.
- all-purpose flour → whole wheat flour (up to half the amount). Replace up to 1 cup of all-purpose with whole wheat for a nutty, denser muffin; increase liquid slightly if needed.
- granulated sugar → honey or maple syrup (use ⅔ cup / 160 ml instead of 1 cup sugar total). Reduce liquid elsewhere slightly (use 1¼ cups pumpkin instead of 1½). Muffins will be moister and have a deeper flavor.
