These super-soft, moist pumpkin pecan muffins are topped with a pecan streusel and finished with a maple-espresso glaze. They taste like fall in every bite. No mixer required, and they freeze well so you can enjoy them all season long.
I wait all year for that first crisp day to bring out fall flavors and decorations, and these pumpkin pecan muffins are the perfect way to celebrate that change in the air. They’re based on a pumpkin-walnut quick bread but adapted into muffins that stay extra tender and tall.
The batter is light and soft thanks to oil and a bit of sour cream, and extra baking powder helps create bakery-style, sky-high tops. If you prefer a different texture, try a pumpkin sour-cream muffin variation. The maple-espresso glaze adds a slightly bitter-sweet note that balances the spices and pecans perfectly.
My Favorite Recipe for Fall! 🍁
Why these muffins are a fall favorite:
- Simple & easy to make
- Super soft—oil and sour cream keep them tender
- Tall muffin tops for that bakery look
- The best maple-espresso glaze to finish them
Grab Your Ingredients!
- Pumpkin: Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Pecans: Finely chop for the streusel and muffin batter—food processor or knife both work.
- Oil: A neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or sunflower) keeps the muffins soft longer than butter.
- Sour cream: Adds extra moisture and tenderness.
Let’s Make This Recipe!
- Step 1: Make the streusel by mixing its ingredients until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the batter.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients—pumpkin, oil, sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla—until smooth.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt—fold until combined, then stir in the chopped pecans. Let the batter rest 10–15 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Step 4: Fill muffin liners to the top, sprinkle the chilled streusel over each, and gently press. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake 16–18 more minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Getting Bakery-Style Muffins
Tips for tall, professional-looking muffin tops:
- Rest the batter: Letting it sit 10–15 minutes helps the baking powder activate so tops rise higher.
- Give them space: Fill every other cavity if you want more room for tops to expand.
- Use high initial heat: Baking at a high temperature for the first five minutes then lowering it helps the rise set quickly.
Craving More Fall breakfasts?
-
Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
-
Apple Waffles
-
Easy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (with banana)
-
Brown Butter Cinnamon Banana Bread with Pecans
Made This Recipe?
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins with Pecan Streusel
Ella Gilbert
Equipment
-
Muffin pan
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (38 g) finely chopped pecans
Muffins
- 1 ¼ cup (240 g) sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup (300 g) pumpkin puree
- 8 tablespoons (90 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (114 g) chopped pecans
Maple Espresso Glaze
- ½ tablespoon freshly brewed coffee
- A drop of maple extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup (56 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Streusel: Whisk streusel ingredients until crumbs are evenly moistened. Chill in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two muffin pans with 12 liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla, sour cream, and eggs until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold until the batter is smooth.
- Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Scoop batter into liners to the top. Remove streusel from the fridge, sprinkle over each muffin, and gently press into the batter.
- Bake 5 minutes at 425°F, then without opening the oven door reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake 16–18 more minutes. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze: Whisk glaze ingredients together. If too thick, add a splash of cream or milk; if too thin, add more sifted confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle over cooled muffins using a squeeze bottle or spoon.
Notes
These recipes are developed and tested in metric grams; using a kitchen scale yields the best, most consistent results. Cup conversions are provided but may be less precise.
Pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Oil: Neutral oils like vegetable, canola, or sunflower work best to keep muffins tender.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Freeze baked, cooled muffins in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, or defrost in the microwave.