Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are moist, golden, high rise corn muffins, and a delicious answer to what’s going to round out dinner tonight. Make them in just minutes, in one bowl!
These pumpkin cornbread muffins are savory, not sweet
I’ve been inaugurating fall with my pumpkin cornbread forever, but this year I thought it would be fun to scoop the batter into a muffin tin. I was rewarded with moist fluffy muffins with perfectly domed tops. Even with the touch of brown sugar, these muffins aren’t dessert, which makes them so much more versatile than those verging-on-cupcakes kind of muffins. They’ll make a meal out of your favorite chili or soup, and they’re the perfect side for just about any fall dinner, especially Thanksgiving. Pile them in a pretty basket and serve with some honey, cranberry butter, or maple butter on the side.
These muffins are an easy one bowl recipe, here’s what you’ll need:
Cornbread is famously quick and easy to make, and these muffins are no different (just dump into the bowl in the order listed!)
canned pumpkin ~ you can use fresh made if you like. I would recommend cooking it down in a saucepan to reduce some of the water content in that case. You want it to be a spoon-able not pour-able texture.
eggs
brown sugar ~ either light or dark
vegetable oil ~ you can substitute melted butter if you like
molasses ~ don’t skip this fabulous ingredient, it adds flavor, sweetness, and moisture. Avoid buying ‘blackstrap’ molasses, which is very strong and can be bitter.
buttermilk ~ substitute regular milk or half and half
cinnamon
salt
baking powder
cornmeal
all purpose flour
Why I love to bake with pumpkin pureé
Pumpkin pureé does many wonderful things to baked goods, it works similarly to its relative, the zucchini. It adds:
- moisture and softness
- vibrant color
- flavor
- subtle sweetness
- a nutritional boost!
Pumpkin can be used an an egg substitute: use 1/4 cup for each egg in a recipe
Pumpkin can be used in place of oil or butter: use 1:1 ratio for oil, and use just 3/4 of the amount for butter.
There’s something about pumpkin that creates the most amazing texture, I’m a big fan of baking with it. It troubleshoots the most common issue people have with cornbread, which is that it tends to be dry and crumbly.
Pumpkin corn muffins are a last minute dinner solution
Not the best meal planner? It’s hard to think of another satisfying bread that is as quick and easy to cook. So even when you don’t plan ahead, you can have these in the oven in just a few minutes with pantry ingredients. They go especially well with chili (how about Slow Cooked Hatch Pepper Chili or Easy Meat Lovers Chili?)
Reheat your muffins
About 20 seconds in the microwave turns a room temperature muffin into a soft, steamy, butter-melting muffin. Yum!
They freeze well too
Cool completely, then wrap them individually in plastic. Then I like to put them in freezer containers or heavy duty zip lock bags.
Because I know you’re craving pumpkin
- Cranberry Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Pumpkin Spice Biscuits
- Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cornbread
- Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing
Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
Equipment
- a muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (substitute milk or half and half)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (substitute cardamom or ginger)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F Grease and flour a muffin tin, or use paper muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the first 8 ingredients together (pumpkin through salt.) Make sure everything gets well incorporated.
- Whisk in the baking powder, corn meal, and flour, mixing until just combined, but don't over beat this. I usually switch to a silicone spoon at the end.
- Use a standard ice cream scoop to fill 10-12 muffin cups fairly full. My muffin tin is on the large size so I got 10 muffins from my batter.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes until the muffins are fully risen. The tops should spring back when lightly touched. If your muffins are smaller than mine they will take a shorter time. Try not to over bake as they will dry out.
- Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes in the tin, and then run a blunt knife around the edges to loosen before turning out onto a cooling rack. If you use muffin liners you can pop them out immediately.
- Serve warm with butter and honey. The muffins can be reheated for 20-30 seconds in the microwave.
8 Comments
Ann
October 21, 2020 at 1:42 pmThese are so good. I used regular milk and cinnamon. Definitely will make these again
Abi
October 17, 2020 at 4:43 pmThese are absolutely divine.. moist, not too sweet and just all round awesome. I got 12 large muffins out of the recipe and did cut back a bit in the sugar. Bookmarked to be made again.
Mary Ann Bromley
October 17, 2020 at 6:54 amYour recipe doesn’t give the size can for puree. I’m assuming the smaller 15 oz.?
Sue
October 17, 2020 at 7:28 amThe recipe calls for 1 cup, and I think it’s better to measure that way. You’ll generally get about 1 1/2 cups from a 15 ounce can, if that helps.
Enid
October 16, 2020 at 1:14 pmThis looks so delicious! All of your recipes have been wonderful, I’ve been planning to make cornbread, and this looks perfect!
Rose
October 16, 2020 at 11:53 amHi Sue, I’m not a cornbread fan for the reasons you mentioned (dryness, crumbs, etc.) so with the addition of pumpkin, I decided to give yours a try. Just pulled them out of the oven and gave them a taste test – delicious!!! I used only 1 tbsp. of molasses (again, not a fan), a little less brown sugar, and your suggestion of cardamom. Perfection!! Will definitely make again. Thanks so much!
Lisa
October 16, 2020 at 8:41 amWhat a unique and delicious sounding recipe! Never would have thought of this combination, you come up with some great ideas.
Sue
October 16, 2020 at 9:45 amThis one is tried and true Lisa, and I think you’ll be amazed at how lovely the two are together.