Pumpkin muffins are a taste of fall for me. But my kids don't know that yet - they're just obsessed with Panera Bread's pumpkin muffins. Since I'm not driving there every time they ask, I came up with an easy way to make them at home. (Update: turns out Panera actually discontinued these😲...all the more reason to bake them yourself!)
Warm spices and pumpkin puree make these muffins the most requested one in my house, right alongside my All Bran Muffins and Zucchini Carrot Muffins, which are also in weekly rotation.
The real Panera recipe is a secret, but this copycat comes close. Pair it with my Dunkin' Avocado Toast copycat and a homemade iced coffee, and you've basically got your own cafe without leaving home.
TL;DR - Copycat Panera Pumpkin Muffins
- 🎃 Why you'll love it: Comes together in minutes with mostly pantry ingredients, one bowl for the batter, no mixer needed.
- 🥄 Ingredients: Pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, flour, sugar, oil, eggs, plus a buttery streusel topping.
- ⏲️ Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes bake, 30 minutes total.
- 🍽️ Great for: Breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a lunchbox treat.
Pumpkin flavor shows up all over this site, pumpkin pie smoothies, no-churn pumpkin ice cream, and my pumpkin overnight oats, but these muffins have their own personality. Not cloyingly sweet, and the pumpkin flavor tastes real, not artificial.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: Canned puree, not pumpkin pie filling mix. The pie mix has extra ingredients you don't need here. Libby's is my go-to, though store brand works fine.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Trader Joe's or McCormick both work. May be labeled "pumpkin pie spice" or just "pumpkin spice."
- Oil: Something neutral, like vegetable or canola. Coconut oil works too, but you'll taste a bit of coconut which is different from the actual Panera flavor.
Make the Streusel Topping
The crumb topping is what takes this from good to great, don't skip it.
- Mix it: A fork and a small bowl, about 2 minutes.
- Top the muffins: Press down gently once it's on the batter so it doesn't fall off during baking.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then mix up the ingredients for the streusel topping in a small bowl.
Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients together in a large glass measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently, just until combined. Overmixing leads to tough muffins.
Step 4: Scoop the batter into lined muffin cups with a cookie scoop for even sizing.
Step 5: Top with the streusel, pressing down gently so it stays in place while baking.
Step 6: Bake 19-21 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the tin, then move to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if you're feeling fancy, or just dig in once they're cool enough to eat.
Storage Note
The streusel topping won't stay crisp once stored, but the muffins will still taste just as good as day one.
FAQ's
No, but there's something about Panera's version that just tastes better in a liner. In a pinch, liberally spray the tin with baking spray instead.
Yes, absolutely. You'll need to have a muffin top tin to bake them in. The baking time for pumpkin muffin tops will be less than for the muffins, so keep a careful eye on them while they bake.
Double the recipe and use the entire 15oz can. You'll be one ounce short of a perfect double, and that's completely fine.
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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More Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Panera Bread Pumpkin Muffin (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 TB vegetable oil
Pumpkin Muffin Batter
- 1 ½ cup All purpose flour I like King Arthur Bread flours
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ TB Pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup White sugar
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then prepare you cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- Make streusel topping by mixing all the streusel ingredients in a small bowl until it looks like wet sand, then set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir them together with a fork to blend everything together.
- In a large glass measuring cup mix up the wet ingredients. You can always do this in another separate bowl, but I don't like to dirty extra dishes.
- Add the wet ingredients (the pumpkin mixture) into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix gently. Mix until it's all just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin cups. Then cover the top of the muffin batter with the the streusel topping pressing it down gently so it says in place.
- Bake for 19-21 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Traditional paper liners work great, but if you want to be fancy, try these tall brown paper muffin liners. Your pumpkin muffins will look like they came straight from the bakery.
- Overmixing leads to stodgy muffins. To keep these pumpkin muffins light and airy, be sure to mix the batter gently, just until you can't see the flour any more
- If you want to be fancy, use a sifter to dust powdered sugar over the top of the cooled muffins. They will look just like the Panera version!
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, or freeze up to 3 months. Cool completely before freezing.
Marni Katz says
These are as close to the original as I've found! Thank you 🙂