Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins: Dessert With a Morning Alibi

Let’s be honest, muffins pretend to be a practical breakfast solution. It’s a subtle gaslight, but really they’re dessert with better branding. They’re cake dressed as business casual, cupcakes without the frosting, and the “healthy” ones taste like whole wheat hockey pucks, heavy on the bran dust and regret.

My pumpkin buttermilk muffins remind you why all the lies work. Buttermilk adds a tang and lift that plays right into the pumpkin’s richness, while the streusel topping doesn’t let you forget what lane you’re in: indulgent. The result is simple. Muffins that taste like the reason we all play along with the disguise in the first place. I think you’ll love them as much as I do.

Why I Love This Recipe

• Nutmeg and ginger spotlight with a cinnamon snub.
• Streusel isn’t an afterthought, it’s the strategy.
• Thick batter = bakery dome flex. Not too high, but enough.

Ingredients

What you’ll need to make these tender buttermilk pumpkin muffins with a sweet, crunchy armor of streusel.

• All-purpose flour – the base behind the rise.
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt – the lift and the edge in one.
• Nutmeg and ginger – spice with purpose.
• Butter – flavor insurance that makes it cake-adjacent.
• Granulated sugar – makes it dessert. if you want that deeper brown sugar flavor instead, my pumpkin brown sugar muffins do exactly that.
• Eggs – the binding contract.
• Pumpkin purée – the reason we’re here.
• Buttermilk – tang, tenderness, and dome power.
• Vanilla extract – background.
• Pumpkin pie spice – streusel spice.

How to Make Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (prep and dry mix)
  Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Getting the dry mix ready first makes sure everything bakes evenly later.
• Step Two (cream and combine)
  Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. The batter should look thick and creamy.
• Step Three (mix and fill)
  Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. The batter will be thick, which is what gives those tall muffin tops. Spoon it into the liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Step Four (make the streusel)
  Combine the sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cold butter in a small bowl. Rub it together with your fingers until it feels like damp sand with a few small clumps. Scatter the streusel evenly over each muffin.
• Step Five (bake and cool)
  Bake for 15 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack. They’re great warm, but even better once they’ve settled.

Recipe Tips

These tips keep homemade pumpkin muffins tall, tender, and full of flavor.

• Room-temperature butter mixes faster and traps more air for that fluffy texture.
• Don’t skimp on the butter-sugar whip time. Three minutes of mixing makes all the difference.
• Don’t overmix once the dry ingredients go in. A few streaks of flour are better than tough muffins.
• Cold butter in the streusel is non-negotiable. It’s what makes the crunchy, buttery clumps.
• Streusel ingredients can be doubled if you want more. if you like that kind of thick, buttery crunch baked over a cake instead of muffins, my pumpkin crumb coffee cake is the one.
• Bake on the center rack so the tops rise evenly and the streusel doesn’t brown too fast.
• Let them rest for ten minutes before lifting out of the tin. They set as they cool.

Storage

Here’s what to do with any extra pumpkin muffins.

• Keep them covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days; they’ll stay tender.
• For longer storage, stash them in the fridge. They’ll firm up a bit, but a quick microwave blast brings them back.
• Freeze in a single layer, then bag once solid. They’ll hold for up to 2 months.
• Thaw on the counter or warm straight from frozen if you’re impatient like me.

FAQs

• Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
  You can, but the texture and flavor won’t be the same and the exaact reason I also use buttermilk in my pumpkin brown sugar crunch ice cream – the tang effect. Also, buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to give these muffins their lift and subtle tang. If you’re out, make some by stirring a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk and letting it sit for about 5 minutes. It’s not quite the same, but it works in a pinch.
• Can I add cinnamon or other spices?
  You can. I skip cinnamon here so the nutmeg and ginger stay in charge, but if you want that full pumpkin spice flavor, add a little. A pinch of clove or allspice fits too, as long as it doesn’t drown out the pumpkin or buttermilk.
• Why is my streusel melting instead of staying crunchy?
  That happens when the butter gets too soft. Keep it cold and rub it in until the mix feels like damp sand with a few little clumps. If you’re nervous about it, make the streusel first and stash it in the fridge while you mix the batter.
• Can I double the recipe?
  Yes. The batter handles it fine, just mix gently once the flour goes in so it stays thick and airy. If you’re baking two pans, switch their spots halfway through so everything rises and browns evenly.

If you’re into these but want to switch things up, my sweet potato muffins with cinnamon sugar coating have the same soft middle and spiced edge, just in a different key.

Pumpkin Season, Continued

Pumpkin season never really ends around here.

• Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake – shortcut recipe with apple cider glaze.
• Lightened-Up Pumpkin Bread – honey and walnuts are the move.
• Pumpkin Cake Donuts – cake in donut form.

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Print Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins Soft, spiced pumpkin muffins made with tangy buttermilk and a buttery streusel topping. The batter bakes into tall, tender muffins that taste like cake pretending to be breakfast. Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack Cuisine American Keyword brown sugar pumpkin muffins, buttermilk pumpkin muffins, fall muffin recipe, pumpkin buttermilk muffins, pumpkin muffin recipe with buttermilk, pumpkin muffins with streusel, Streuseled Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 20 minutes minutes Cooling Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 45 minutes minutes Servings 18 muffins Calories 227kcal Author Cathy Pollak Equipment 2 12-Count Muffin Tin Standard size for baking. mixing bowls One for dry, one for wet ingredients. hand mixer or stand mixer. For creaming the butter and sugar. paper liners keeps muffins from sticking. Ingredients Muffins: 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour 1 tbsp (14 g) baking powder 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda ¼ tsp (1 g) table salt ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground nutmeg ⅛ tsp (0.25 g) ground ginger ½ cup (113 g) butter 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pumpkin puree ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk ½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract Streusel: ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour 1 tsp (3 g) pumpkin pie spice 3 tbsps (42 g) cold butter cut into small pieces Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl to evenly distribute the leavening and spices. 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp (14 g) baking powder, 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda, ¼ tsp (1 g) table salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp (0.25 g) ground ginger In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. That air you build in now helps the muffins rise. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. ½ cup (113 g) butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) pumpkin puree, ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, ½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Overmixing knocks out the air you’ve already built, so stop as soon as the batter looks uniform. The batter should be thick, which gives the muffins their bakery-style domes. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. For the streusel, combine the sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cold butter in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the texture feels like damp sand with a few clumps. Sprinkle it evenly over each muffin. ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp (3 g) pumpkin pie spice, 3 tbsps (42 g) cold butter Bake on the center rack for 15 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They’re great warm, but the texture settles as they cool. Notes Buttermilk and pumpkin purée balance each other. One brings tang, the other richness. The batter will be thick before baking. That’s what gives it lift, not what slows it down. Muffin height depends on not overfilling. Two-thirds full is the sweet spot. Mixing the streusel by hand gives the best texture. A food processor makes it too fine.   If you’re making these pumpkin buttermilk muffins, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.   Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.   ©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed. Nutrition Serving: 95g | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 2263IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made these Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins Recipe

When it comes to chocolate, real chocolate is always the better choice. Waxy, weak-flavored chocolate should not have a prominent place in your most treasured recipes. Luckily for you, the most decadent brownie muffins definitely deliver when it comes to deep, rich, full-on chocolate flavor. What could be better than that?

These brownie muffins are exactly the recipe to satisfy those wild chocolate cravings, it would be impossible to feel denied after having one. Just remember to not get hung up on what time of the day to eat one of these decadent muffins – they’re adaptable! Breakfast, dessert or midnight snack, these brownie muffins will satisfy all the cravings.

The intense flavor of these muffins comes from using two types of chocolate, dark and milk. The dark chocolate is melted for the batter, while the milk chocolate is folded in and added on top. The two chocolate flavors balance each other perfectly, turning out a brownie muffin that hits all the right buttons.

How To Use Foil Cupcake Liners

When it comes to foil paper liners, did you know you’re supposed to remove the paper liner that sits in between them? Most people I ask say they always leave the paper ones  inside the foil wrappers. The paper separators are there only to keep the foil liners separated. Even though the paper liners are the same shape and size as the foil liners, they are not coated either quilon or silicone. Both of these substances keep your muffins and cupcakes from sticking to the paper liners. The paper separators in between the foil liners don’t have that coating.

Now, here’s another thing, foil liners do not require you to use a muffin pan. You are supposed to use the foil liners right on a cookie sheet. I don’t use them that way because they do expand more during baking and I prefer my muffins or cupcakes to be more compact.

For the purpose of this recipe, I have found using non-stick spray on the foil liners (even though they are non-stick) helps release these very chocolaty muffins from the liners more easily.

How To Melt Butter and Chocolate

Butter and chocolate are melted together in this recipe to add necessary fat, as well as to thin out the chocolate, making it easier to blend together easily with the other ingredients. Melting the butter with the chocolate is important when a recipe calls for actual chocolate instead of cocoa powder. The butter also replaces any need for other fat such as oil.

Melting chocolate on the stovetop isn’t difficult, but it does require some care.

• Add chocolate (broken into pieces) and cubed butter together in a large saucepan, 10-12″.
• Stove heat should be on the lowest possible setting.
• Use a rubber spatula to slowly stir the butter and chocolate together until butter is completely melted and chocolate is smooth.
• Remove from heat and let cool at least 10 minutes.

What Happens If You Overmix The Batter?

When batter for cakes, brownies, muffins is overmixed, the gluten in the flour will form form elastic gluten strands. This is usually what you want for cookies, but not for cakes and muffins. Overmixing can also cause uneven baking as well as resulting in dense, chewy textures.

The flour for this recipe will incorporate after gentle folds, even though it looks like it won’t.

Because eggs are the only leavener, these brownies do not rise very much when they bake. To get the dome-like top, you really need to heap the batter into each cup. Add about 1/3 cup batter into each prepares cup and top each with with another heaping spoonful of batter. Lightly press extra milk chocolate chips onto each muffin before baking.

Overbaking Woes

Overbaking definitely has an effect on brownies, so checking for doneness is key. Gently press on the top of the dome, it should spring back when it’s ready. The toothpick test does not work in baked goods where whole chocolate chips are in the batter.

The Beauty Of These Muffins

As you can see in the picture above, these brownie muffins are super chocolaty and dense. The dome has the same texture of the top of a craggy brownie, but once you break through, the middle is this amazing soft and delicious brownie. It’s the best of both worlds, especially if you love brownie edges.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Equipment Needed For This Recipe

• Sauce pan for melting the chocolate. Stainless steel works best.
• Foil cupcake liners. These work considerably better than paper liners for this recipe.
• My favorite muffin tin.

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The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins

The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins are muffins by morning or brownies by evening - whatever time of day you decide to indulge, these decadently amazing brownie muffins will tame the fiercest of chocolate cravings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Decadent Brownies, The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 11 muffins

Calories 487kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 10 oz dark chocolate (85% cacao), broken into squares
• 10 tbsp butter, cubed
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips, plus extra for the tops
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 11 muffin cups with foil liners and coat each with nonstick spray.
• Melt dark chocolate and butter together in a large sauce pan (10-12") over very low heat. Stir continuously with a rubber spatula until smooth and fully incorporated. Remove from heat and let cool at least ten minutes.
• Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl. Slowly add chocolate, whisking together with egg mixture. (Make sure chocolate is not too hot that it will cook your eggs.)
• Gently fold in flour, just until incorporated. Add chocolate chips and nuts.
• Fill prepared foil cups with batter as indicated in the post in order to get the height of these muffins. Top each muffin with additional milk chocolate chips. Bake 35 minutes or until muffin springs back to the touch. Let muffins cool in the pan on a rack for twenty minutes before trying to remove them. They are amazing warm, but are perfect when cooled.
• Store in a tightly closed container for up to a week.

Notes

Using high quality butter, such as Kerrygold, and high quality chocolate, such as Guittard, really makes a difference in the taste of this recipe.

Make sure to read the whole post for tips and tricks for this recipe and the reasons we do/don't do certain things. 

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.4g | Protein: 8.3g | Fat: 32.6g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 93.9mg | Sodium: 123.4mg | Potassium: 67.1mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 30.4g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 10.1mg | Iron: 4.3mg

If you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #NOBLEPIG on INSTAGRAM so we can see what you’ve made. FOLLOW Noble Pig ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER to keep up with all our latest recipes.

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Eggnog Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

If you prefer spending holiday mornings around the tree with family, instead of in the kitchen, these Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins are the perfect answer to a pre-made holiday breakfast. Make these eggnog muffins the day before for a stress-free Christmas or New Year’s Day breakfast. They are simple to put together and you likely already have all the ingredients you need.

There are lots of things that make the holiday season special, but the one stand-out is the food. For many, this is the only time of the year we allow ourselves to enjoy certain dishes, many of which have cultural significance. It’s definitely the perfect time of year for festive breakfast and brunch recipes.

Still Looking for Holiday Breakfast Recipes? Try these:

• Mouthwatering Oven Omelet
• Streuseled Overnight French Toast
• Peppermint Bark Hot Chocolate
• Grapefruit Prosecco Cocktail

How To Make Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

1. Mash bananas well with a fork and place them into a 2-cup liquid measuring bowl. Add egg, melted (cooled) butter, vanilla and enough eggnog to make a total of two cups. The addition of eggnog will only be enough to make a total of two cups of all the wet ingredients mentioned. Do not add more eggnog.
2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold them into each other.  Do not over-mix, about 10 strokes is about enough.
3. Spoon the batter lightly into the muffin pan. If you want your muffins to look like the pictures, place extra nuts and chocolate onto the top of each muffin.
4. Place muffins oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan (on a wire rack) before removing.

How To Ripen Bananas Quickly

Ripe bananas are essential for these eggnog muffins. Bananas should have yellow skins (no green!) with an even array of brown freckles. Since ripening bananas can take a few days and sometimes up to a week, there is a quicker way. All you have to do is bake your unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 250 degree F oven until they are soft, 15-20 minutes. Let them cool, peel, and add them to your recipe. It’s so easy and no more waiting for brown bananas when you have an urge to bake.

Recipe Tips

• Bananas should be ripe. See above for how to ripen bananas quickly.
• Your wet ingredients should not exceed a total of two cups. Because bananas are different sizes, the addition of the amount of eggnog will vary.
• Thoroughly whisk together your dry ingredients, making sure baking powder and baking soda are fully combined within the flour.
• Do not add hot ingredients like melted butter to cold ingredients like egg and eggnog. Try to bring ingredients to room temperature before mixing together.
• All eggnog is not created equal. Check the labels and grab the brand that has the highest fat content.
• Do not over-mix the batter or your muffins will not be tender.
• Add extra nuts and chocolate to the tops of the muffin if you want them to look like the picture.

Can I Freeze Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins?

Yes you can. Wrap each muffin individually with saran wrap and place in a tightly lidded container for up to six months. Let them thaw on the counter for six hours before serving.

How To Keep Muffins Moist Overnight

• Let your muffins cool completely.
• Keep muffins in their paper liners.
• Place them in a resealable bag or a tightly lidded container.

Why Did My Muffins Turn Out Dense?

Most likely it was too much leavening by measuring incorrectly; too much baking powder or soda in your muffin batter will cause muffins to rise temporarily, then collapse. This is how they become dense.  Over-mixing is another cause of dense muffins.  Mixing the muffin batter too much creates a dense muffin, with huge pockets of air inside.

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Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

These Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins are tender, delicious and full of pure banana flavor. The eggnog lends a gentle nod to the holidays in a format that is perfect for celebrating Christmas brunch. This holiday breakfast muffin is the perfect cure to hunger while unwrapping those holiday gifts.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Bread, Eggnog, Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 236kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1-1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
• eggnog, add only enough eggnog to make your wet ingredients equal two cups
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips (72% cacao)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
  
  
• Mash your bananas well with a fork and place them into a 2-cup liquid measuring bowl. Add egg, melted (cooled) butter, vanilla and enough eggnog to make a total of two cups. The addition of eggnog will only be enough to make a total of two cups of all the wet ingredients mentioned. Do not add more eggnog.
  
  
• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold them very carefully into each other.  Do not over-mix, about 10 strokes is about enough. (Over-mixing is the death of baked goods. There might even be some dry spots of batter left and it will be lumpy. That is fine! If you mix until the batter is runny, your muffins will be average, and a little tough.) Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate just until incorporated.
  
  
• Spoon the batter lightly into the muffin pan (do not pack it in). If you want your muffins to look like the pictures, place extra nuts and chocolate onto the top of each muffin.
  
  
• Place into your preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  
  
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan (on a wire rack) before removing.
• Will keep several days in a tightly covered container.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 11.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31.4mg | Sodium: 296.5mg | Potassium: 93.3mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 303.3g | Vitamin A: 11.6IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 4.5mg | Iron: 3.5mg

If you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #NOBLEPIG on INSTAGRAM so we can see what you’ve made. FOLLOW Noble Pig ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER to keep up with all our latest recipes.

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