Pumpkin Spiced Corn Muffins

Pumpkin makes these spiced corn muffins lightly sweet. On their own, they're a delicious breakfast, but they're also good with a hot bowl of soup.

Pumpkin Spiced Corn Muffins

Currently, I’m sitting inside with three shirts on, one scarf, and one coat. I’ve been in Chicago for the last few days visiting my family, and it’s no surprise that I showed up just in time for the first snow. It always knows when I’m coming.

In my parents’ house, there are 3 options to get warm – first, don’t take your coat off, and second, turn up the heat when no one is looking… but by far the most effective method is to BAKE. Crank that oven and when you’re done leave it open to feel every last bit of the heat. Today I’ll be keeping warm by baking Christmas cookies with my mom and sister, but these pumpkin corn muffins have been a favorite lately.

Pumpkin Spiced Corn Muffins / loveandlemons.com

This is a spin on my favorite corn muffin recipe – and a perfect use for a bit of leftover pumpkin puree that you might have now that you’re in the throes of Thanksgiving cooking. The pumpkin flavor is light here (if you’re craving pumpkin-ey pumpkin muffins, use this recipe), but it makes these corn muffins lightly sweet, slightly healthier, and very delicious. I love to eat them for breakfast or along with a hot bowl of chili.

Pumpkin Spiced Corn Muffins

4.7 from 19 reviews

Pumpkin Spiced Corn Muffins

 
Author:
Recipe type: Snack, side dish
Serves: 10 to 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup spelt flour or whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon*
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg*
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
  • â…“ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.
  5. Evenly divide the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to continue cooling.
Notes
*You can also use pumpkin pie spice.

 

37 comments

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  1. Les Miller
    10.28.2016

    I made these tonight and the texture and flavor was great. The only thing I did different was that I substituted the oil with the same amount of homemade unsweetened applesauce. The only other alteration would be to bake them with cooking spray instead of the Muffin papers. The muffins stuck to the paper leaving much of the muffin uneatable. I may even make it in a pan and then just cut them like regular corn bread.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.29.2016

      So glad you liked them! Yea the oil might have helped them come out of the papers better, but I’m glad they worked with applesauce too!

  2. Wow! These are really easy to make:)
    I’ve made this recipe twice now–my roommates think that it’s the best thing to have ever happened! We don’t have a cupcake tin but we do have a loaf pan so we make more of a “pumpkin spiced corn cake” (and it takes a minute or so more in the oven). It’s delicious and tastes like autumn… great to bundle up on the couch, do reading for class, and nibble on this treat!
    Thank you for the recipe <3

  3. Bismeen Jameer
    09.22.2016

    hai this muffins are very wonderful and lovely…. we have a catering company in india kerala….please see our blog ..

  4. Meredith
    09.12.2016

    Can I use regular flour in this recipe?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.12.2016

      yep, you can

  5. jk
    01.31.2016

    Wonderful recipe! I’ve made several batches of muffins lately and these were a personal favorite, as well as the healthiest-feeling of the lot! I loved the whole wheat flour + cornmeal combo. I subbed mashed steamed sweet potato flesh for the pumpkin.

    Thank you! I think i’ll try your Vegan Coffee Cake Muffins next!

  6. Alicia
    01.31.2016

    Lovely combo of ingredients! I used a rectangular baking pan and increased the time to 30-33 minutes. Great job with this recipe, it has more pumpkin flavor than other pumpkin cornbread recipes, balanced with sweet and savory, and was really fluffy too.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.31.2016

      I’m so glad you loved it – thanks for the great feedback!

  7. Meera
    12.09.2015

    I backed the muffins as the recipe says. It took longer to back, may be because different ovens. Next time I would add 2/3 cups of corn meal and in crease the flour to 1 and 1/3 cups to reduce the grainy texture. Otherwise it had right sweetness and taste. Thank you for sharing.

  8. Erin
    12.05.2015

    Made these and loved them! They went perfectly with a veggie chili. And can’t wait to have them with marmalade in the morning!

  9. Savvy
    12.02.2015

    these look amazing- esp since the ‘puree’ is already waiting!! Thanks!!

  10. Margaret Kessler
    11.26.2015

    Delicious! Made these for thanksgiving and they were simple and a hit. Thanks for such great recipes.

  11. Allyson from consideringtheradish.wordpress.com
    11.23.2015

    These muffins look fantastic- I especially love the suggestion of eating them with chili.

  12. These muffins look perfect to devour on their own, or with butter, or with a big bowl of chili! They look delicious.

  13. Rae from lovefromberlin.net
    11.22.2015

    Oh my lord these look absolutely delectable! Would love to make these and serve them for Thanksgiving. They also seem like the perfect little treats to have for breakfast with a steamy cup of Earl Grey!

    Rae | Love from Berlin

  14. Nothing can go wrong with pumpkin 🙂

  15. My mother is insane about not turning up the heat at her house too, and it drives me crazy! Maybe these muffins will work for us too!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.