Best Ever Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I may be a little behind on the pumpkin hype (especially considering we’re halfway through November now), but these Pumpkin Spice Muffins are too good not to share! If you like carrot cake, you’re going to love these. Not only light, fluffy and delicious, but when combined with a healthy dollop of cream cheese icing, you’ll be devouring every last crumb!

If you have the time and some leftover pumpkin, you can boil the flesh in a saucepan with some water to use as your pumpkin filling. (Takes about 10 – 15 minutes). However, most large supermarkets tend to stock pumpkin puree in a tin which is much easier to use instead. 

With autumn’s arrival, it’s time for Pumpkin Spice to have its moment. Often associated with Pumpkin Pie, the mix of spices is the real flavour behind the muffins as the pumpkin puree provides more liquid than taste. However, the puree is essential to the moist batter and delicious texture.

Still in the mood for Pumpkin? Give these Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing a try! 

Serves 12 

Dairy-free: Use dairy-free butter in the cake batter and icing, omitting the cream cheese.

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Cook time: 20 – 25 minutes

Total: 1 hour (to allow for some cooling time)

Ingredients: 

For the Pumpkin Spice muffins: 

6 oz / 170g butter 

6 oz / 170g soft brown sugar 

3 eggs

6 oz / 170g soft pumpkin puree (Can use a tin or boil pumpkin until soft)

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ginger 

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp mixed spice

6 oz / 170g self-raising flour 

For the icing: 

7 oz / 200g cream cheese 

3.5 oz / 100g soft, unsalted butter 

10 oz / 300g icing sugar 

Cinnamon to dust

Pumpkin seeds (optional)

Muffin Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a muffin tin with muffin cases or baking parchment and set aside.

First, in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until you have a light and fluffy mixture. You want to mix longer than you think as this creates the foundation for your muffins – Very important! 

Next, add one egg at a time and mix thoroughly between adding each one. Then, add the pumpkin puree and combine. If you’ve boiled the pumpkin yourself, make sure the puree has cooled completely as you don’t want to cook the eggs when you add it to the mixture. 

Sieve the flour and spices over the bowl and fold the mixture until it just comes together. Use large, slow motions with a spatula being sure not to knock out the air.

Spoon into the muffin cases and place into the centre of the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden on top and a knife comes out clean when poked into the centre. Set aside to cool.

For the Cream Cheese Icing

While the pumpkin spice muffins are baking, you can begin making the cream cheese icing. Place the butter and cream cheese into a medium-sized bowl and mix until fully combined and light in colour. Like the early stage of the cake batter, you need to mix the butter and cream cheese for longer than you think to get a smooth, light base to your icing.

Next, sieve the icing sugar over the bowl and slowly mix together until you have a smooth paste. Take your time when you initially begin to stir, otherwise you’ll be coated in icing sugar!

Finally, when the muffins have cooled, spread the icing over the top and dust with cinnamon to finish. As I have an unhealthy obsession with cream cheese icing, the quantities for the icing make a healthy amount, so don’t worry if you have some leftovers. Dust with a little cinnamon and some pumpkin seeds if you like. Then dive right in!

Light, creamy and addictive, these muffins are a delicious autumn afternoon tea treat, or perhaps a breakfast snack – as it’s never too early to eat cake in my opinion. 

To view how I made these Pumpkin Spice Muffins, head to my Instagram @theardentbakery 

For more recipes, visit my baking section. 

Els x