Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Pumpkin season is the perfect excuse to bake a batch of jumbo pumpkin muffins with streusel topping. These big, bakery-style muffins are moist, full of pumpkin flavor, and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel that bakes into chunky, sugary bites.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Why You'll Love These Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins

Big bakery-style tops. The muffin cups are filled generously and baked in a very hot oven to help create that tall, rounded bakery look.
Moist and tender. Pumpkin puree and vegetable oil keep the centers soft without making the muffins heavy.
That streusel. The cinnamon streusel topping bakes into a crunchy, buttery layer with bigger crumbly pieces instead of a dry, sandy topping.

How to Make Bakery-Style Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is based on my Mini Pumpkin Muffins, but we're changing the portion size and baking method to turn that same easy pumpkin batter into jumbo bakery-style muffins.

There are three things that matter most.

First, we're using a lot of batter in each muffin cup. You're going to look at the filled pan and think, That can't possibly be right.

It is.

For six jumbo muffins, fill each cup all the way to the top.

Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping_full muffin pan

Second, your oven needs to be fully preheated to 450°F before the muffins go in. That initial blast of high heat helps the outside of the muffin set quickly so the batter rises up instead of spreading all over the pan.

Finally, the streusel does more than add a crunchy topping. It also helps hold the batter in place as those big muffin tops rise.

If six extra-large muffins make you nervous the first time you bake them, divide the batter between eight jumbo muffin cups instead. They'll still be very big muffins, just with a little less dramatic of a top.

You can also place a sheet pan underneath your muffin pan to catch any drips.

Ingredients You'll Need

The muffin batter uses basic ingredients you probably already have during pumpkin spice season.

Pumpkin Puree

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin pie filling.

Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices, which will throw off the balance of the recipe.

You'll need ¾ cup pumpkin puree, so this recipe uses roughly half of a standard can.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pumpkin pie spice gives these muffins their warm fall flavor.

You can use a store-bought blend or mix your own for this recipe, use:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
A pinch of cloves or allspice

Vegetable Oil

Oil is one of the reasons these are such tender pumpkin muffins.

Unlike butter, vegetable oil stays liquid at room temperature, which helps keep the crumb soft even the next day.

Use vegetable oil, canola oil, or another neutral-flavored oil.

Granulated and Brown Sugar

This pumpkin muffin recipe uses both white sugar and brown sugar.

Granulated sugar provides sweetness while brown sugar adds a little extra moisture and deeper flavor.

Light or dark brown sugar will work.

Milk

Regular milk works perfectly here. You only need a small amount to loosen the batter.

Room-temperature milk is ideal, but this recipe is forgiving enough that you don't need to wait around if you forget to take it out of the refrigerator.

How to Make the Cinnamon Streusel Topping

A good streusel should not look like dry flour and sugar.

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Pick up some of the streusel and squeeze it between your fingers. It should clump together easily.

That's what you're looking for.

Those clumps bake into chunky pieces of buttery streusel with crisp edges and little bites of sugary crunch.

If the mixture stays loose and powdery, keep mixing until all of the flour is moistened.

For extra texture, add:

3 tablespoons chopped pecans, or
3 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats.

Both work well, but they're completely optional.

How to Make Jumbo Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

1. Heat the Oven First

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

Don't rush this step.

For these muffins, the oven temperature is part of the technique. Give your oven enough time to come completely up to temperature before you put the pan inside.

Spray a jumbo muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.

I prefer baking these directly in the pan rather than using paper liners or cupcake liners. That gives the sides a nice bakery-style finish.

2. Make the Streusel

In a small bowl, combine:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir in ¼ cup melted unsalted butter.

Mix until it looks like wet sand and holds together when you squeeze it.

Set aside.

Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping_dry ingredients

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

There's nothing complicated here. You just want the leavening and spices evenly distributed through the flour.

4. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, milk, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Whisk until smooth.

5. Combine the Batter

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently until combined.

Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of dry flour.

You don't need a stand mixer or hand mixer for this recipe. In fact, mixing by hand makes it easier not to overwork the batter.

The finished batter will be thick but scoopable.

6. Fill the Muffin Pan

Divide the batter between six jumbo muffin cups.

Fill each cup right to the top.

This is the point where it may look like too much batter.

That's intentional.

For the best bakery-style shape, fill every other cup in the muffin pan whenever your pan allows it. Leaving an empty space around each muffin gives those oversized tops room to expand.

If your pan can't accommodate six muffins with space between them, you can bake in two batches or make eight slightly smaller jumbo muffins.

7. Add the Streusel

Cover the tops generously with the cinnamon streusel.

Don't sprinkle it on too lightly.

You want a good layer over the surface of the batter.

Gently press some of the larger crumbs into the batter so they stay in place as the muffins rise.

8. Bake at High Heat

Place the muffins in the fully preheated 450°F oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Do not open the oven door.

After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350°F.

Continue baking for about 15 minutes, then check the centers.

Because jumbo muffins are much deeper than regular muffins, don't rely only on how brown the tops look.

Insert a toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.

If the tops are getting darker than you'd like before the centers are done, loosely lay a piece of foil over the pan and continue baking.

Every oven bakes a little differently, so use the time as a guide and the center of the muffin as your final test.

9. Let Them Cool

Leave the muffins in the pan for about 10 minutes.

The tops will be tender when they're hot, so letting them rest makes them much easier to remove without breaking off the streusel.

Carefully loosen the edges if necessary and transfer the muffins to a wire rack.

Hint: Worried About the Batter Overflowing?

These muffins really do use a lot of batter.

If you're nervous the first time you make them, slide a sheet pan onto the rack underneath the muffin tin.

You can also divide the batter into eight muffins instead of six.

You'll still have generously sized bakery muffins, but with a little more breathing room.

Can I Make These Without Streusel?

Absolutely.

The streusel helps give these muffins their bakery-style look and adds that perfect sweet crunch, but the pumpkin muffins themselves are delicious without it.

If you skip the streusel, keep an especially close eye on the muffin tops during the first part of baking since they'll be more exposed to the high heat.

You could also bake them plain and drizzle them with my Maple Glaze once they're cool.

Easy Variations

Change Up the Streusel

Add 3 tablespoons chopped pecans for a nuttier topping or 3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats for more texture.

Add Chocolate Chips

Fold chocolate chips into the batter before filling the muffin pans for easy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Add Maple Glaze

Once the muffins are completely cool, drizzle a little maple glaze over the streusel.

Equipment

You don't need much special equipment for this recipe, but the right pan makes a big difference.

Muffin tin
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Wire rack
Sheet pan, optional

What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin

This recipe uses about half a can of pumpkin puree.

Cover the remaining pumpkin tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Then use it in another one of your favorite pumpkin recipes.

My Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies are a great way to finish the can.

Storage

Let the muffins cool completely before storing them.

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 to 3 days.

If you find that moisture is collecting inside the container, place a folded paper towel underneath the muffins to absorb the extra moisture and help preserve the crunchy topping.

For longer storage, place the cooled muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

Top Tip

Don't reduce the starting oven temperature.

That fully preheated 450°F oven is what helps the outside of these oversized muffins set quickly enough to support all that batter.

Fill them high, cover them generously with streusel, and trust the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

The high heat helps the outside of the batter set quickly.

That encourages the batter to rise upward and helps keep the very full muffin cups from spreading excessively.

After 10 minutes, the temperature is reduced to 350°F so the centers can finish baking.

Can I make eight muffins instead of six?

Yes. If you don't want to fill the cups quite as high, divide the batter between eight jumbo muffin cups.
They'll still be large muffins, and it's a great option the first time you make the recipe.

Can I make these without the cinnamon streusel topping?

Yes. You'll still have moist, tender pumpkin muffins. You can leave them plain or add maple glaze after baking.

How do I know when jumbo muffins are done?

Use a toothpick or thin skewer and check the center of the muffin.
It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Since ovens and muffin pans vary, this is more reliable than relying on bake time alone.

Related Pumpkin Recipes

If pumpkin spice season has you baking everything pumpkin, try these next:

Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Why You'll Love These Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins

How to Make Bakery-Style Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins