Pumpkin muffins are a taste of fall for me. But my kids don't know that yet, and are obsessed with the Panera Bread Pumpkin Muffins. And since I'm a meanie and won't take them there all the time, I've come up with an easy way to make them at home.
(update, I think i was a little too mean, seems like these muffins have been discontinued 😯, giving us even more reason to bake them at home!)
Warm spices mixed with delicious pumpkin puree make these the best pumpkin muffins. As you may already know, we love muffins around here. And while All Bran Muffins and Zucchini Carrot Muffins are in the oven weekly, this pumpkin muffin might be the most requested.
The Panera Bread pumpkin muffin recipe is a secret, but this easy copycat recipe comes quite close. Paired with my Dunkin' Avocado Toast and a homemade iced coffee, you'll feel like you are running your own cafe without ever leaving home!
The best pumpkin muffin
This copycat Panera bread pumpkin muffin recipe is the epitome of fall flavors. Packed with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, you'll feel fall in your bones the minute you take a bite.
- These muffins take just minutes to mix up
- They use mostly pantry ingredients
- Are a fraction of the cost of what you'd pay in store
While pumpkin spice everything pops up in baked goods, ice cream, coffee, and even sandwiches every fall, not all pumpkin products are the same. These muffins aren't cloying sweet, nor taste "fake".
And the best part of all: not only do you likely have all of the ingredients for this pumpkin muffin recipe in your pantry already, but you'll only need one bowl and no mixer to make these. So while they have more than the 7-ingredients I try to stick to, they are still a super easy recipe you can handle! I promise 😊.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree: You want to make sure you are using canned pumpkin puree in this recipe and not pumpkin pie filling mix. The pie mix has additional ingredients that you don't need in this recipe. I typically use Libby's brand pumpkin puree but if I can't find that the store brand will work just find. If you would rather make your own, you can but be sure to puree the roasted pumpkin until totally smooth before adding it in this muffin recipe.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is a great spice blend that can be found at Trader Joes and at your local grocery store (McCormick makes a good blend). It might say pumpkin pie spice or just pumpkin spice on the container.
- Oil: Be sure something neutral like vegetable or canola. You can use coconut oil if you prefer, but remember that you may taste the coconut a bit in the final product (which is different than the Panera pumpkin muffins)
Step by step instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, then mix up the ingredients for the streusel topping in a small bowl.
Prepare a muffin tin by putting cupcake liners into the muffin tin.
First add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir them together with a fork to blend everything together.
In a glass measuring cup (I like to use this 4 cup measuring glass, but a 2 cup one works as well) mix up the wet ingredients. You can always do this in another separate bowl, but I don't like to dirty extra dishes.
Then, add the wet ingredients (the pumpkin mixture) into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix gently. You just want to incorporate all the ingredients, but don't want to overmix. Overmixing leads to tough muffins.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin cups. It makes for even sized muffins and is a really simple way to get the batter into the tins quickly and cleanly.
Then cover the top of the muffin batter with the the streusel topping being careful to keep it all within the muffin cup.
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.
If you are feeling fancy, dust powdered sugar over the top of the muffins once cool, then serve. Otherwise, wait till the pumpkin muffins are just cool enough to eat, and enjoy.
Make the streusel topping
The crumb topping is what takes this recipe from yum to YUMMY and makes you dream about the next bite. Don't leave it off!
- Mix it: Mix the topping up in a small bowl with a fork. It takes an additional two minutes to mix and top the muffins, but the payoff is worth it.
- Top the Muffins: Make sure the topping really connects with the muffin batter so that it doesn't fall off while baking. I do this by simply pressing down a bit on the topping once it's on the batter.
Storage Tips
These pumpkin muffins are great as leftovers. You can store them in an airtight container on the counter for a few days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Much like my chai spice muffins, bran muffins, and carrot zucchini muffins these freeze great. Just be sure they are completely cooled before putting them in a zip top freezer bag.
Storage note: that the crumbly streusel topping will not stay crisp once they are stored, but will taste just as delicious as the day you baked them.
FAQ's
You do not have to however there is something about the Panera Bread Pumpkin Muffins that just taste better contained in cupcake liner. In a pinch you can use baking spray, being sure to cover the muffin tin liberally.
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.
You can use the entire 15oz can of pumpkin puree and double this recipe. Make a double recipe using one can of pumpkin puree even though you'll be one ounce short. It's okay!
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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📖 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 large 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.
- If you are feeling fancy, dust powdered sugar over the top of the muffins once cool, then serve.
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!
Marni Katz says
These are as close to the original as I've found! Thank you 🙂