This recipe for two-ingredient pumpkin muffin is a fall and now a year-round family favorite. This is perfect when the kids have friends over for a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert! Yes, this is 'that' easy recipe showing you how to make pumpkin muffins using spice cake mix and pumpkin. The spice cake mix makes the muffins taste like pumpkin spice!
I always have the ingredients for this in my pantry. If you ever feel like a smaller version, more like a muffin bite, make these delicious Pumpkin Quickies Cookies. Or, for lots of options, I compiled my 15 easy cake mix recipes for you.
If you want to make bars and want a totally scratch recipe, you will love these Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Table of contents
Every fall, this muffin recipe goes crazy. It was first published in September 2013, and ever since then, I can tell when people get that pumpkin spice craving! This recipe goes crazy on Pinterest. However, now it seems these easy pumpkin muffins have turned into a year-round treat.
Helpful Hint
I've had many questions about how to make this as a 2 ingredient pumpkin cake. I ended up making it and sharing the baking instructions. The Two Ingredient pumpkin bread with spice cake mix recipe is also popular. I figured out and tested the baking instructions for you. Click through the blue links to get there.
These pumpkin two-ingredient muffins are easy to make! It seems like overkill to do the step-by-step, but why not? Do you have a favorite spoon? Here is mine:
Why I Love These Easy Pumpkin Muffins
They are super easy! Many readers have told me this is the first recipe they make with their kids! These muffins are super quick! And with two inexpensive ingredients, it's a great and affordable treat!
My main reason for loving these? They taste so good! And with a whole can of pumpkin in them, they have to be healthier than a typical muffin!
Simplicity is key: Two ingredients, one bowl, minimal cleanup. Baking bliss without the stress, perfect for busy mornings or spontaneous cravings. The whole recipe, including baking time, takes less than 30 minutes.
Feeling adventurous? Add chocolate chips, walnuts, or a drizzle of maple syrup. My kids love the little chocolate chips!
Ingredients
These two ingredients make a wonderfully flavored pumpkin spice muffin. If you crave chocolate with your pumpkin, you may want to check out this three ingredient pumpkin muffin with chocolate chips!
1 box spice cake mix - any brand works. The spice cake flavor is what gives these muffins their pumpkin spice flavor.
1 can 15 or 16 oz of pumpkin puree. The can may also be labeled as pure pumpkin. You want the small can. You do not want to buy the pumpkin pie filling.
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 1
Mix spice cake mix together with pumpkin.
Step 2
Scoop into lined or well-sprayed muffins. Using a scoop helps the muffins be a uniform size and keeps the muffin tin cleaner (no drips).
Muffin-making tip
Use a scoop to put the batter into the muffin wells. Perfectly portioned and less messy!!
Step 3
Bake 18 - 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if done. The toothpick should come out clean.
Below is a closeup of a muffin broken in half. It's not light and fluffy like a cupcake. It is fairly dense and heavy, like a delicious muffin.
Be warned, the kids do like them, as evidenced by the missing muffin that went to school before I took this picture. This was the original picture from 2013!
I'm just happy he ate something before he went to school. I couldn't help but laugh. They are just that good!
Weight Watchers pumpkin muffins
This was originally a Weight Watchers recipe. So, it's low-calorie. It's about 160 calories per muffin if you make 12 (may vary due to different cake mix calories).
I get many requests for the WW point values. With the program changing so often, I cannot keep up with the point values. However, I know you can calculate the points with the nutrition label from both ingredients. Add the values you need from these ingredients together. This recipe will make 12 servings if you like nice-sized muffins.
FAQ's
Use a yellow cake mix with a can of pumpkin puree. The muffins won't have the pumpkin spice flavor. You can add just some cinnamon if you'd like!
I like adding ½ cup of chocolate chips. I know a friend who always adds pecans to hers. Walnuts would work too!
That's happened to me before! Use yellow cake mix and add 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin spice. If you can't find pumpkin spice, make your own - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
Nope. You use the dry cake mix and the can of pumpkin puree. That's it!
Pumpkin pie filling has spices and extra ingredients that we don't need for this recipe.
Other Delicious Easy Pumpkin Desserts
2 Ingredient pumpkin muffins
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree the small can - not pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat to 350 degrees.
- Mix spice cake mix together with pumpkin. Do NOT include the ingredients listed on the box.
- Scoop into lined or sprayed muffin wells.
- OPTIONAL - add chocolate chips
- Bake 18-20 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).
Notes
Nutrition (I am not a nutritionist. These are estimates only)
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Kelly
Can I add walnuts to this recipe?
Susan Moncrieff
Yes! Walnuts or pecans would be good!
Judy messer
Can u make this pumpkin muffin recipe into a bread?
Susan Moncrieff
Yes! I actually have the recipe on my site. Here it is!
https://momcrieff.com/3-ingredient-pumpkin-bread/
CHARLOTTE WINKLER
I am looking forward to baking these muffins. I love pumpkin but don't want to make pies. Thanks for sharing
Charissa
I made these last night, I followed the instructions almost exactly, and omg, they were so soft, fluffy, and moist! Fall in a muffin! I love how they're not overly sweet either. I used my Wilton 12 cup muffin pan and filled it 2/3 way full (almost to the top) and I had enough batter left over for 3 more muffins and it took the muffins about 19-20 minutes to be done. I am DEFINITELY going to be making these alot this holiday season! The only things I added to this recipe was a few dashes of cinnamon, a small dash of canola oil, and a capful of vanilla extract. So yummy! Thank you for this recipe!
Susan Moncrieff
I'm so glad you liked your Pumpkin Muffins! They are good and it's truly a no-fail recipe!
Susan Moncrieff
Pumpkin pie filling has sweeteners and seasonings in it that we don't want (because we are using what comes in the cake mix). You want to use 100% pumpkin.
Libby
I love how easy this is, the only thing I do differently is use either a bundt pan or a bread/loaf pan and I put cream cheese frosting on it!
Sunday baker
They were so easy. Like others, I added an egg and pumpkin pie spice. I only mixed until it was moist. I accidentally baked at 350 degrees but at 20 minutes they were just right and toothpick came out clean. They rose well and are as light as a muffin should be.
Kathy
They are very easy and I added crushed walnuts Deelishis
Milly
So yummy! To change it up, add white chocolate chips and dried cranberries!
Ginger Jablonski
Can you share where you got your cat faced mixing spoon? My muffins were great....but it would be more fun to make them with a cat faced mixing spoon! Thanks - Ginger
momcrieff
Yes! I just wrap in plastic wrap.
Carol
I made these exactly to the recipe but could not find spice cake mix and so used a carrot cake mix. They were done in 18 minutes at 325°. They were very good! I might put raisins in them next time. I ran them through my recipe builder in Weight Watchers and on Green they are one point each. That is based on making 12 muffins.
Donna
When you need to bake something in a hurry, this is your "recipe"...the store I shop at was out of spice cake mix, so I made these with a carrot cake mix and added about 1/2 C. of raisins - turned out great 🙂
Angela
I use this recipe to make a cake every year for Thanksgiving. I use 2 eight inch round cake pans. I layer the cakes. This makes it thicker since this mixture does not rise very much. I then pour an apple cider glaze over it ( apple cinder, powered sugar, pumpkin pie spice)..it is a huge hit. We do this vs..pumpkin pie.
Jenn
So easy and delicious!!!! Great way to take care of that sweet tooth!! I made the 12 and kept 6 out for now and stuck the other 6 in the freezer for next time.... My son loved it! Thank you! Will make again!!!
momcrieff
Thanks for your nice comments Jenn! It always amazes me at how great these taste, considering how easy they are to make!
momcrieff
I've had that spoon for years! I keep looking for a new one like that and can't find it. But, the search will go on : ) !