Scoot over ordinary muffins—these pumpkin sour cream muffins are ready to shine. Soft, moist, and fluffy, they’re made in one bowl with no stand mixer required. Top them with sparkling sugar for a simple finish, or dip warm muffins in melted butter and roll them in pumpkin spice sugar for extra fall flavor. These are an ideal pumpkin muffin for crisp autumn mornings and holiday gatherings.
This recipe was inspired by the small holiday muffins my mom used to make—dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. I wanted to recreate that nostalgic flavor with pumpkin, and the result is perfect on a crisp fall day.
These muffins are easy and require only basic kitchen tools. Pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon give them a warm, seasonal profile. If you enjoy pumpkin baking, try other favorites like pumpkin walnut bread, pumpkin chocolate chip cake, or a cheesecake swirl pumpkin loaf.
There’s nothing quite like a still-warm pumpkin muffin on a chilly day. The sour cream and neutral oil keep these muffins insanely moist, while a slightly higher amount of baking powder and an initial high oven temperature help create tall, bakery-style tops. Finish them with sparkling sugar or dip them in melted butter and pumpkin spice sugar for a sweeter crust.
Just 12 Ingredients!
- Canned pumpkin: Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices that will alter the recipe.
- Sour cream: The secret to keep these muffins tender and moist. Bring it to room temperature before baking so it blends smoothly with the other wet ingredients.
- Oil: A neutral oil—vegetable, canola, or sunflower—keeps muffins soft for longer than butter.
Let’s Make Some Muffins!
- Step 1: Whisk all wet ingredients together until smooth.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Let the batter rest 10–15 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Step 3: Fill muffin liners all the way to the top with batter. Add sparkling sugar now if you prefer that finish.
- Step 4: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 16–18 minutes.
Making Pumpkin Spice Sugar Muffins
- Whisk granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a shallow bowl.
- Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove.
- Dip a still-warm muffin top into the melted butter.
- Roll the buttered top in the pumpkin spice sugar until coated.
- Return muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.
What to Do with Leftover Pumpkin Puree
If your can of pumpkin isn’t used up, here are a few easy ideas to avoid waste:
- Pumpkin sauce for coffee: Mix pumpkin with warm spices and a little sweetener, then stir a spoonful into coffee or espresso for a cozy drink.
- Pumpkin cookies: Use leftover puree in soft, chewy pumpkin cookies for a quick bake.
- Pumpkin pie smoothie: Blend pumpkin, milk or yogurt, spices, and a frozen banana for a seasonal smoothie.
Even More Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Custard Pie
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Moist and Easy Pumpkin Banana Muffins
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Easy No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cups
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Simple Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a rating and review below. You can also tag @alpineella on Instagram so I can see your bakes. Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Pumpkin Sour Cream Muffins
Ella Gilbert
Equipment
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Muffin pan
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 1/4 cup (240 g) sugar
- 1 1/3 cup (300 g) pumpkin puree
- 8 tablespoons (90 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Sparkling sugar (optional)
Pumpkin Spice Sugar
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale for the best results.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a muffin pan with 10 liners.
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In a large bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until smooth: sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla, sour cream, and eggs.
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Add the dry ingredients and fold gently until the batter is smooth: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
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Let the batter rest 10–15 minutes to encourage taller muffin tops.
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Scoop batter into liners to the top. Optionally sprinkle sparkling sugar on the tops.
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Bake 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then without opening the oven lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake 16–18 more minutes.
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Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
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For pumpkin spice sugar muffins: melt butter, whisk sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a shallow bowl, dip warm muffin tops in butter, then roll in the spice sugar. Return to rack to cool.
Notes
These recipes are developed and tested using metric grams—using a kitchen scale yields the most consistent results. Cup conversions are provided but may vary.
Pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Oil: Neutral oils such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower are best.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate up to five days. Avoid storing in a ziploc bag if coated in butter and sugar, as they can become soggy.
Tall muffin tops: Resting the batter and the initial high bake temperature both help produce taller tops.
Freezing: Freeze baked, cooled muffins in a freezer bag up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature; you can also microwave to reheat. Freeze before rolling in butter and sugar for best texture.
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