2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins are one of those wonderfully simple fall recipes that almost feel too good to be true. With nothing more than a box of spice cake mix and a can of pure pumpkin purée, you can make incredibly soft, moist, fluffy muffins filled with cozy autumn flavor. No eggs, oil, butter, or complicated measuring required!
What Are 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins?
The batter will look much thicker than traditional muffin batter. That’s completely normal! Once baked, the muffins become wonderfully soft and moist inside with lightly rounded tops.
And yes, I promised you easy, and here’s proof—there are only two essential ingredients!
Why You’ll Love These 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
There are so many reasons these muffins become a repeat recipe every fall.
They’re incredibly quick to prepare, require very little cleanup, and use ingredients that are easy to keep in the pantry. You don’t even need to pull out the mixer.
They’re also wonderfully versatile. Serve them for breakfast with coffee, tuck one into a lunchbox, offer them as an afternoon snack, or warm one up for an easy dessert.
There are so many reasons these muffins become a repeat recipe every fall.
They’re incredibly quick to prepare, require very little cleanup, and use ingredients that are easy to keep in the pantry. You don’t even need to pull out the mixer.
They’re also wonderfully versatile. Serve them for breakfast with coffee, tuck one into a lunchbox, offer them as an afternoon snack, or warm one up for an easy dessert.
Best of all, they taste like you spent much longer making them than you actually did!
What Do Pumpkin Spice Muffins Taste Like?
Imagine a soft pumpkin cake crossed with a cozy bakery-style muffin.
The pumpkin gives the muffins a rich, moist texture without making them taste overwhelmingly like pumpkin. Meanwhile, the spice cake mix brings flavors such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and other warm spices.
If you add the optional cinnamon-sugar topping, the tops develop a delicately sweet, slightly crisp finish that contrasts beautifully with the fluffy centers.
Pair one with hot coffee on a cool morning and fall has officially arrived.
Benefits of This Easy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
Besides
Besides being delicious, this recipe is wonderfully practical.
Because there are only two main ingredients, preparation takes just a few minutes. It’s an especially useful recipe when you need something quickly for brunch, school snacks, unexpected guests, or a casual fall gathering
.Pumpkin purée also gives the muffins plenty of moisture, which helps them remain soft even after they have cooled.
Another bonus? No raw eggs are needed in the batter, and there’s no oil or melted butter to measure.
Simple recipes really can be anything but boring!!
2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins Ingredients
You’ll need:
1 box spice cake mix, about 15.25 ounces
1 can pure pumpkin purée, 15 ounces
Optional Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
For a sweet finishing touch, combine:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Make sure you’re using pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweeteners and spices and can change both the sweetness and consistency of the muffins.
Tools You’ll Need
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how little equipment it requires.
You’ll need a 12-cup muffin pan, paper muffin liners or nonstick cooking spray, a large mixing bowl, a sturdy spoon or silicone spatula, and a wire cooling rack.
An ice cream or cookie scoop is also helpful for dividing the thick batter evenly between the muffin cups.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
The basic muffins are delicious just as they are, but you can absolutely have fun with them.
For chocolate lovers, fold in mini or regular chocolate chips. Chopped pecans or walnuts are lovely if you want some crunch. Dried cranberries add a sweet-tart contrast, while a little extra cinnamon can intensify the fall flavor.
You could also add a small splash of vanilla extract if you have some nearby.
Just avoid adding too many wet ingredients because the two-ingredient formula depends on the thick consistency of the pumpkin and cake mix.
How to Make 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
1. Prepare the Oven and Muffin Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Alternatively, lightly grease each muffin cup with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix the Pumpkin Muffin Batter
Place the dry spice cake mix and pumpkin purée in a large mixing bowl.
Stir everything together using a sturdy spoon or spatula until completely combined.
The mixture will be quite thick—much thicker than ordinary cake batter. Keep stirring and scraping around the bottom and sides of the bowl until no pockets of dry cake mix remain.
3. Fill the Muffin Cups
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
