Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins

These mini pumpkin muffins get rolled in cinnamon sugar before serving, giving them texture and an extra cozy flavor. Not only do they taste delicious, they couldn't be simpler to make; the batter comes together with just a bowl and whisk. No need to turn on a mixer, cream butter, or wait for anything to come to room temperature. One batch makes 32, they bake in 10 to 15 minutes, and they freeze for up to three months. Also of note: eating three or more in a sitting is totally fine because they're small!

Jump to:

• Why These Mini Pumpkin Muffins Work
• 📋 Key Ingredients
• Best Results: Baking in Grams
• Recipe Substitutions and Variations
• 📖 Prep and Baking Instructions
• How Long to Bake Mini Pumpkin Muffins
• Check Your Baking Powder and Soda
• ❓ Recipe FAQ
• Storing, Freezing, and Making Them Ahead
• 🎉 Breakfast Party Suggestions
• More Fall Recipes
• Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar

Why These Mini Pumpkin Muffins Work

• Super moist muffin -  Thanks to pumpkin puree, canola or vegetable oil, and water, these muffins are so moist! They stay fresh for days, stored at room temperature or the refrigerator. Be sure you're using pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, though.
• No special equipment required - My favorite thing about this easy recipe is that it doesn't require an electric mixer. Use a whisk to mix by hand all the ingredients that you eventually combine in one large bowl.
• Perfect baking recipe for a Halloween or fall dessert - If you love the fall season and want an easy dessert to bring to parties, these tiny treats are a winner. Throughout pumpkin season, these bite-sized desserts could double as a great school snack or breakfast treat.
• Use your favorite fall spices - This mini pumpkin muffin recipe is easily adaptable. While I definitely recommend including cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, you could amp up some of your own favorite spices by including a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, or ginger, to name a few.

📋 Key Ingredients

The recipe card contains all the steps and ingredients, but below are some highlights about how these ingredients bring flavor and structure to this recipe. 

• All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the muffins, helping them rise while keeping them soft.
• Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: Sweeten the muffins, with brown sugar adding a subtle molasses flavor and extra moisture.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents help the muffins rise and create a light, fluffy texture.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice & Cinnamon: Essential for giving these muffins their signature warm, fall flavor.
• Salt: Enhances the flavor of the spices and balances the sweetness.
• Vegetable Oil (or Canola Oil): Adds moisture to the muffins, making them tender and soft without using butter.
• Egg: Acts as a binder, holding the muffins together and helping them rise.
• Pumpkin Puree (not pie filling): Provides moisture and rich pumpkin flavor. Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree to avoid added sugars or spices. This recipe uses 1 cup (230 grams), which is right around half of a 16-ounce can — the other half is almost exactly what you need for my pumpkin chai latte cake, so I usually bake both in the same week.
• Water: Lightens the batter, creating a smoother texture.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds depth and enhances the flavor of the pumpkin and spices.
• Cinnamon Sugar (for coating): A simple mix of cinnamon and granulated sugar adds a sweet and crunchy finish to these delicious pumpkin muffins.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

While I haven’t personally tested these, here are some suggested swaps that should work in these mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins:

• Coconut Oil: For a hint of coconut flavor (or if you're out of vegetable or canola oil), you could sub in this ingredient. It will alter the flavor a bit, though.
• Applesauce: Replace part of the oil with applesauce to make the muffins lighter and lower in fat.
• Dried Fruit: For a different flavor profile, consider adding any of the dried fruit to your muffin batter: raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots. These will add a chewy texture and bursts of sweetness. I'd go up to about half a cup of one of these ingredients.
• Chocolate chips - Like the dried fruit option, you could opt for chocolate chips here. Pumpkin and chocolate go well together, but this will definitely change the flavor. But more power to chocolate lovers!
• Other Add-ins: Feel free to add in up to ½ cup of nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or seeds (like chia or flaxseeds) for extra crunch.
• Dairy-free and vegan: This recipe is already dairy-free as written; there's no butter or milk in it, just oil, water, and pumpkin. To make it fully vegan you'd need to replace the single egg. I haven't tested it here so if you give this a try, I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

📖 Prep and Baking Instructions

Pan Prep - Use mini muffin cups or lightly grease and flour your mini muffin pan.

Mix the Dry Ingredients - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.

Whisk in the Wet Ingredients - To your bowl, add and mix together the vegetable oil, water, egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until your pumpkin mixture and dry ingredients are combined. Be sure to avoid overmixing, which can create dense, dry muffins.

Fill the Muffin Pan - Using a small cookie scoop, fill each cavity of the mini muffin pan about ⅔ full with batter.

Bake - Bake mini muffins for 10-15 minutes, checking around the 10-minute mark to see how they’re doing and if they're ready to exit the oven. Once they're out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes before removing from pan and placing on a cooling or wire rack.

Optional cinnamon sugar coating - If you're dusting these pumpkin mini muffin bites, pour cinnamon and granulated sugar into a small bowl and mix. Immediately before serving, roll muffins in cinnamon sugar mixture.  

How Long to Bake Mini Pumpkin Muffins

Mini pumpkin muffins bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 375°F. Start checking at 10 minutes. Because all ovens run a bit differently, you want to make sure they don't overbake.

They're ready when the tops spring back if you press one gently with your finger. You can also use the toothpick test; insert it into the center of a muffin. Your muffins are done when it comes out with a crumb or two clinging to it. If it comes out with wet batter, give the muffins another minute or so to bake.

Let them sit in the pan for a few minutes before you move them to a rack. They firm up as they cool and come out of the pan cleanly instead of tearing.

Check Your Baking Powder and Soda

To make sure your baked goods rise properly in the oven, periodically check the freshness of your leavening agents. 

Mix a pinch of baking powder with hot water to see if it reacts. For baking soda, you can mix a pinch of it with a few drops of something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice. If your leavening agents have no reaction (i.e. you see no fizzing or bubbling), it means they also won’t help your ingredients rise during the baking process. 

❓ Recipe FAQ

Storing, Freezing, and Making Them Ahead

Room Temperature and Refrigerator Instructions

Consume these muffins within two days if left at room temperature or eat within 5 days if kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Freezing

You should also use a freezer bag or airtight container if you want to freeze your muffins. They'll remain fresh for up to 3 months.

If you need to stack them on top of each other, add wax or parchment paper between the layers so they don't stick to one another.

Serving and Reheating Instructions

For best flavor, gently warm these muffins in the microwave or let them come to room temperature before serving.

Making them ahead for the week

I love preparing these in advance to enjoy them! Freeze them plain (not yet dusted with the cinnamon sugar) in an airtight container.

Pull out as many as you want the night before, or microwave one straight from frozen for about 20 seconds. Then roll it in the cinnamon sugar before eating or serving.

Keep the cinnamon sugar mixture in a small jar on the counter. It keeps indefinitely and takes ten seconds to make more.

If you want to stock up on yummy fall treats that use the rest of the can, my mascarpone cookies with pumpkin take a half cup of puree. These cookies also freeze well.

🎉 Breakfast Party Suggestions

These pumpkin spice muffins would be great in a brunch spread.

More Fall Recipes

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