2-ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

It’s almost Halloween! Time to make treats for the little ghosts and goblins! Most savvy trick or treaters these days only accept pre-made treats, but if you need to make something for a Halloween party that is on the healthy side and easy to make, try these 2-ingredient Pumpkin Muffins. This quick 2ingredient pumpkin muffins recipe is hardly any trouble at all. If you really love pumpkins, you can make them for a quick and light Thanksgiving breakfast. Just slap together two ingredients, shove them in the oven and watch the parade. They should be done by the next commercial break.

It’s an easy 2ingredient pumpkin muffins for beginners recipe. Muffins are great for lunch as well and are so easy to fit in a lunchbox.

The muffins are good at room temperature, but they’re best piping hot and served with butter and/or honey. Apple butter, fig jam, orange marmalade or some of that cranberry sauce are also great accompaniments to this simple 2ingredient pumpkin muffins meal.

The secret here is spice cake mix. It’s got your dry ingredients measured and mixed. All you need to add is a can of pumpkin purée. It’s convenience food with a taste of homemade! 

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You only need two ingredients.
• It’s quick and easy to make. 
• The two ingredients are very easy to come by.
• Nothing to prepare
• Delightful taste and smell of pumpkin baking. 

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Because only two ingredients are needed, there isn’t much that needs to be said.  

You will need a box of spice cake mix. This has the flour, sugar, baking soda and other dry ingredients to bake all mixed in. The spices in spice cake generally include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. There will be no need to use oil, water or eggs as the pumpkin purée will add enough moisture. This flavor of cake mix is typically pushed in the holiday season. 

If you have a fresh pumpkin and a food processor, you can make your own pumpkin purée if you like. However, a fifteen-ounce can of pumpkin purée will get the job done. Do not use pumpkin pie mix. This has sugar and spices mixed in. The boxed cake mix has all the sugar and spices needed. You don’t want your muffins to be too sweet. 

The only other ingredient you might need is cooking spray for the muffin tin. And you can skip that if you have liners. 

How to make 2-ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Heat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree and spice cake mix until well blended. You want it all to be evenly mixed together so that your muffins come out nice and moist.

As with all muffin recipes, the trick is to get the batter moist without overmixing. Overmixing causes too much gluten build up, resulting in a tough pastry. Remember, this isn’t sourdough! These are muffins and super quick muffins at that. For that tender crumb, mix until just blended. A fluffy batter with a few lumps is just right. Remember to scrape the side of the bowl so everything gets mixed well.

Line or spray your muffin tin. With a regular sized ice cream scoop, drop a bit of batter in each cup. Try to even things out as much as you can but don’t overfill the cups. These things expand.

Bake for 20 minutes. You can then use a toothpick to test in they’re done. You may need a couple minutes more if the toothpick doesn’t come out clean.

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Tips for Success

Beat everything together until just moist. While you don’t want your muffins to be too dry, you also don’t want them to have a too tough texture either. Muffins should be soft and fluffy. 

Don’t get too distracted by the parade! Check on them in 20 minutes. You don’t want underbaked glop, but you don’t want charcoal briquettes either! 

Storage and Reheating

If they’re in an airtight container, muffins can be kept at room temperature for 2 or three days. Cooled down muffins can be frozen in a freezer bag for three months. They taste alright at room temperature, but if you just have to have your muffin warm enough to melt butter, they can be reheated. You can put them in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes on 350 Farenheit or in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Maybe cut them in half so that they’re warmed all the way through. 

Serving Suggestions

A warm muffin goes great with butter, jam, cream cheese or honey. There’s no need to frost them. This is what separates the muffin from the cupcake! If you want them to look a little fancy, you can glaze them with an icing made of powdered sugar and lemon juice. You may also sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on top of the batter just before baking. They go great with coffee, tea, milk or hot chocolate. 

FAQs

Is there a healthy 2ingredient pumpkin muffins version?

You may have to look around for a spice cake mix that’s low on sugar or carbs, whichever you’re trying to cut back on. You’ll be glad to know that the pumpkin purée is healthy. (Sh! Don’t tell your kids!) It’s full of beta-carotene fiber, potassium and Vitamins A, E, C and K. 

How much batter should go in each cup?

Muffin batter expands a good deal when baking. Get the cups about two thirds to three quarters full. A little spillover is expected (Hence the famous muffin top) but you don’t want a huge mess. 

Notes:

This is the best 2ingredient pumpkin muffins recipe I’ve come across! Granted, it’s the only 2ingredient pumpkin muffin recipe I’ve come across. If you like pumpkin, you’ll like these muffins. Maybe you’ll like this recipe too:

Easy Pumpkin Bread – Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

And if you want to make your own pumpkin purée:

Homemade Pumpkin Puree – Sweet Pea’s Kitchen 

Cranberry Muffins – As I have said in previous posts, there is nothing better on a busy weekday morning then to have warm from the oven muffins for breakfast.

French Toast Muffins – There is no doubt that these are the best French Toast Muffins you are going to find. 

Snickerdoodle Muffins – These muffins made the best late-night snack I have had in a while!