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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imarancher
I make these all the time and have enlisted WalMart in my addiction. They keep me supplied in canned pumpkin. Prior to this I used Pumpkin in the fall and never the rest of the year unless I had a sick dog (they will take any medicine in pumpkin, ask the Vet). Now I buy all that Walmart has once a month. I make them for the neighbors, I use them to swap for exotic jellies friends' make, take them to sick folks that need something to brighten their day and coax them to eat. They are a huge success here. I had not really cooked since the kids left home. Now I am back in the kitchen a couple of hours a day and I love it.
I tried the cherry pie filling and chocolate cake but was not as impressed with that as I am with these simple little pumpkin muffins.
Thank you so much for giving me back my kitchen as well as a great snack.
Barbie
I used french vanilla mix n one egg.awesome
Anonymous
Mix pumpkin and yellow cake mix- put in muffin pan half way full-press a bite size snicker bar into it- fill up with more batter-bake. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Anonymous
We love these and I put a little cream cheese frosting on it. They taste like a pumpkin roll. 8 oz. Cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 3/4 T. Vanilla, and 2 T. Soft butter.
Jennifer D
I made them and they were a big hit...going to try with a gluten free mix for a friend with an egg allergy and gluten issues. Fingers crossed!
missinfo916
Add some pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and just a touch of allspice and nutmeg in to make them taste even more heavenly. The house smells wonderful when these are made. I made a batch last year and brought them up to the grocery store where I shop to give to a few people. One gentleman raced into the break room with his and was finished with them before my shopping was done@ Got great reviews, and so simple!
anonymous
You can add a few white
Chocolate chips and these are even more AMAZING
Anonymous
I added Hershey's cinnamon chips. Delish!
Karen
OK, so they're in the oven and it was no biggie using the larger can, I just scooped out what I thought was 15-16oz. May be a lil more pumpkiny but the batter tasted awesome.
momcrieff
A year later, I still make these every week. A handful of chocolate chips makes them a treat.
Karen
Hello, I was so excited to find this recipe and realized I have the 29oz can. What should I do? Use half the can? I'm really anxious to make these. Thanks in advance..Karen
momcrieff
If you use half the can you should be fine! And, then you have enough to make another batch after you try it!
momcrieff
I'm sorry yours didn't turn out! Did you use the smaller sized can of pumpkin -15 or 16 oz? Purée is what you should use - not the pie stuff. I've made these with different types of cake mix and we've liked them all. I know one of my friends didn't like spice cake so used yellow cake mix. Hope this helps!
momcrieff
There are other ingredients in the pie filling and it affects the taste and texture. Try these. They are wonderful!
Anonymous
I made these for a quick cheap bake sale for my daughter and put pecans on the top before baking and they was the first to sell out had to make another huge batch last night everyone wanted more lol 🙂
momcrieff
Isn't it amazing how something so easy can be so good? Thanks for sharing that with us!
momcrieff
Yes, it certainly can be made in a cake pan! Just make sure you keep an eye on when it's done. Because there are fewer ingredients, there is less bulk so it will bake faster.
Lola Dombrowski
Hey Pam, Don't be a bitch.
Pam, Registered Dietitian
The reason he ate it before school is because no matter how you slice it, it's still cake.
Sam
Simple, easy, delicious. I like to add some dark (really dark chocolate into mine); I make these often. I usually have to bake for 20 min. Thanks again!
momcrieff
I have a friend who makes this and put eggs in. You don't have to but you certainly can! I'm happy sticking to just the cake mix and the tin of pumpkin. The texture is a little different from regular muffins but I don't think it's heavy. Let me know what you decide to do and how you think it turned out!
Katie @ Horrific Knits
I have a similar recipe that I love. My name is Katie and I host Fall Into the Holidays, open Saturdays. I would love to have you link up!
momcrieff
Thanks for the invite Katie. I will drop by and link up!
Laura @ Over The Apple Tree
Great idea, I love to tweak boxed baking mixes!