Scoot over regular muffins, it's time for these pumpkin sour cream muffins to ✨shine✨! These pumpkin muffins with sour cream are incredibly soft, moist, and fluffy. They're made in one bowl, and you don't need to pull out the stand mixer. You can either cover the tops in sparkling sugar (I told you, it's time to shine!) or dip the still warm muffins in melted butter and then roll them in pumpkin spice sugar (my personal fave!). These are seriously the perfect pumpkin muffins for fall!
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When I was testing my pecan pumpkin muffins, I was reminded of the little muffins my mom used to make for the holidays when I was a kid. They were dipped in melted butter and then rolled in cinnamon sugar - I can literally taste them now!
I thought it would be super fun to make a pumpkin version of those mini muffins, and believe me, they are SO good for a crisp, chilly fall day.
These muffins are super easy to make, and you don't need fancy equipment. They're packed with pumpkin flavor thanks to pumpkin pie spice and warm ground cinnamon. If you want more pumpkin recipes, you need to try my pumpkin walnut bread (it has a maple glaze!), pumpkin chocolate chip cake, or cheesecake swirl pumpkin bread!
Is there anything better on a chilly, fall day than sitting back with a still warm pumpkin muffin? These muffins are insanely moist thanks to sour cream and neutral oil. They have tall bakery-style muffin tops because of a higher amount of baking powder, as well as baking the muffins at an initial high temperature. You can either sprinkle over sparkling sugar or dip them in melted butter and pumpkin spice sugar.
Just 12 Ingredients!
- Canned Pumpkin: Check that label and make sure you're using 100% canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has a lot of other ingredients in it (like sugar) which will throw off this recipe.
- Sour Cream: Our secret ingredient to making these muffins moist. Take the sour cream out of the fridge about an hour or two before you start baking so it can come to room temperature. That'll make it easier to emulsify together.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil. Oil keeps our muffins soft for days rather than butter!
Let's Make Some Muffins!
- Step 1: Whisk all of the wet ingredients together until smooth.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Let the muffin batter sit for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Step 3: Fill the muffin liners all the way to the top with batter! Feel free to add sparkling sugar if you don't want to dip them in pumpkin spice sugar.
- Step 4: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 16-18 minutes.
Making Pumpkin Spice Sugar Muffins
- Whisk together granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a shallow bowl.
- Melt the butter in the microwave.
- Dip the still-warm muffin top into the butter.
- Dip the buttered muffin into the pumpkin pie spice sugar.
- Place back on your wire cooling rack and let cool.
What to do with leftover pumpkin puree 🎃
I know, I know, this recipe doesn't use a whole can of pumpkin - I'm sorry! But here are a few things I like to do with my leftover canned pumpkin:
- Pumpkin sauce for my coffee: I loooove making a jar of this sauce and keeping it in the fridge during the fall months. I add a spoonful to my coffee cup, then pour my espresso over it. Give it a good stir so it melts into the hot coffee, and you're good to go.
- Pumpkin Cookies: Make a batch of my super popular soft and chewy pumpkin cookies!
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie: Uhm, is it obvious I love pumpkin recipes? I love making this pumpkin pie spice smoothie in the BER months (September, October, November.. you get it)
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Pumpkin Sour Cream Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 ¼ cup (240 grams) sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup (300 grams) pumpkin puree
- 8 tablespoons (90 ml ) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream room temperature
- 2 large large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups (220 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Sparkling Sugar optional
Pumpkin Spice Sugar
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°Fahrenheit/220°Celsius and line a muffin pan with 10 muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients until smooth.1 ¼ cup (240 grams) sugar, 1 ⅓ cup (300 grams) pumpkin puree, 8 tablespoons (90 ml ) vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream, 2 large large eggs
- Add the dry ingredients and fold everything together until the muffin batter is smooth.2 cups (220 grams) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Let the muffin batter rest for 10-15 minutes, this will help you get taller muffin tops!
- Scoop out the muffin batter into the muffin liners to the very top. You can add sparkling sugar to the tops of the muffins now if you want!Sparkling Sugar
- Bake for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°Fahrenheit/175°Celsius and bake for an additional 16-18 minutes.
- Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Take them out and place on a wire rack.
- If you want pumpkin spice sugar muffins, melt the butter in a shallow bowl.5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter
- Stir the sugar and pumpkin spice together in a separate shallow bowl, set aside.⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Pick up a still warm muffin and dip the top of the muffin into the melted butter. Then dip and roll the buttered muffin into the pumpkin spice sugar mixture. Place the muffin back on the wire cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining muffins.
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Adam says
These are so good! The texture is just perfect, super moist and fluffy. The only thing I added was a small touch of molasses for flavor, but they are definitely good as is too.
Sandra Mijares says
I made them for my grandson and he loved them ❤️ 💙 ♥️
Ella says
Hi Sandra! I'm so glad!!