These pumpkin muffins only require 2 ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep!
Yes, you read that right. Two ingredients — no eggs, no oil, and no butter — and about 5 minutes of prep! These easy Pumpkin Muffins are made with a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin for a lighter way to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings!
I definitely cannot take credit for this easy pumpkin muffin recipe, since it seems to be a fairly well-known way of “hacking” a boxed cake mix. That said, I’m still excited about these sweet, tasty treats that my boys have been enjoying since they were toddlers!
The healthy pumpkin muffins are a perfect breakfast or snack for kids (or for adults), since they taste great and still manage to sneak in some extra veggies. Keep these two ingredients on hand, because you never know when a baking — or muffin — mood will strike!
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN MUFFINS WITH A CAKE MIX
As we’ve already covered, you only need TWO ingredients: a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin.
Just combine the dry cake mix with the pumpkin puree. Do NOT add any other ingredients called for on the box!
I like to fold the batter together with a spatula first, and then I use an electric mixer to make sure that it’s fluffy and completely combined. You can do this all by hand — it just takes a bit longer.
That batter is thick!
The standard-size muffins bake at 375 degrees F for about 18 minutes. If you’re making mini muffins, you will need to decrease the baking time to about 8-10 minutes.
Grab a girlfriend and a hot cup of coffee, or tuck a muffin in your kiddo’s lunchbox for a busy school day. These easy pumpkin muffins are a lighter way to celebrate the best season of the year!
COOK’S TIPS:
- This is really just a method, which can be tailored any number of ways to suit your family’s tastes. My kids love the pumpkin spice flavor that you get with a spice cake mix, but you can also use a yellow cake mix or a chocolate cake mix instead.
- Want to make pumpkin mini muffins? Use the same instructions, but bake the batter in a mini muffin tin for about 8-10 minutes.
- Want to make cupcakes? Just dollop these pumpkin spice muffins with a bit of cream cheese frosting, or cover chocolate pumpkin muffins with chocolate frosting. The combinations are endless!
- Be sure to spray your muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups. If using the paper cups, I suggest giving the paper cups a little spritz with nonstick spray as well. Otherwise, these muffins may stick since they don’t have fat in them.
- Freeze the extras! These two ingredient pumpkin muffins keep really well in the freezer, so stash some away for easy breakfasts or snacks throughout the fall. You can thaw them in the microwave or leave them to sit on the counter for an hour or so.
Love pumpkin recipes as much as we do? Try these favorites, too:
- Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Applesauce
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Granola
- Healthy and Easy Pumpkin Soup
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
These pumpkin muffins only require 2 ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep!
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin (just plain pumpkin -- NOT the canned pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box spice cake mix
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with baking cups. If using paper liners, I suggest that you give the paper liners a little spritz of nonstick spray as well, just to prevent any sticking.
In a large bowl, use a spatula to fold together pumpkin and dry cake mix. Then I like to use an electric mixer to make sure that the batter is fluffy and completely combined. It will be thick!
Use a scoop to fill prepared muffin tins with batter.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then remove muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- These freeze really well, so store in an airtight container or a zip-top bag in the freezer and just thaw as necessary.
Recipe Notes
This recipe yields approximately 13 standard-size muffins OR approximately 30 mini muffins.
COOK'S TIPS:
- This is really just a method, which can be tailored any number of ways to suit your family’s tastes. My kids love the pumpkin spice flavor that you get with a spice cake mix, but you can also use a yellow cake mix or a chocolate cake mix instead.
- Want to make pumpkin mini muffins? Use the same instructions, but bake the batter in a mini muffin tin for about 8-10 minutes.
- Want to make cupcakes? Just dollop these pumpkin spice muffins with a bit of cream cheese frosting, or cover chocolate muffins with chocolate frosting. The combinations are endless!
- Be sure to spray your muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups. If using the paper cups, I suggest giving the paper cups a little spritz with nonstick spray as well. Otherwise, these muffins may stick since they don't have fat in them.
- Freeze the extras! These two ingredient pumpkin muffins keep really well in the freezer, so stash some away for easy breakfasts or snacks throughout the fall. You can thaw them in the microwave or leave them to sit on the counter for an hour or so.
This post was originally published in February, 2013. It was updated in September, 2018.
This recipe sounds delicious but I just want to make sure I’m reading it correctly. I’m a bit stumped on step three. Do I follow the cake mix instructions and make the cake batter and then mix the cake batter with the pumpkin or do I just mix the contents of the cake box in powder form with the pumpkin to form a batter? Thank you for taking the time to reply 🙂
Hi, Crystal! Thanks so much for your note! I know it sounds odd, but trust me — these turn out great! You do NOT follow any of the instructions on the box of cake mix. Instead, just mix the contents of the cake box in powder form with the pumpkin to form a batter. After a bit of folding the ingredients together with a spatula, I promise that you will end up with a batter. 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to clarify. My son is a very picky eater and I think he will love these muffins 🙂
You’re welcome, Crystal! I actually just made another batch of these this morning to send to preschool for snack time with the other kids. They’re always popular. 🙂 I will say, though — make sure that you whisk your dry cake mix powder before adding the pumpkin…that will just help to break up any big clumps of mix so that the batter is smooth throughout. Enjoy!
Finally got around to making these. Absolutely delicious and both husband and kid approved. Will be making these for my daughter’s preschool class. Thanks so much!!!
That’s awesome!! So glad that you liked them! I take them to my son’s preschool class as well and they are always a huge hit!
Can you use carrot cake mix instead of spice cake
Yes! Any cake mix will work, Jackie. It will just change the taste of the muffins. 🙂
If I want to make standard size muffins how long should I bake them ? How long for jumbo muffins?
Hi, Rebecca! For the standard size muffins, I would bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. I’ve never made the jumbo muffins, but I imagine that you will just need to add a few minutes to the regular baking time. So start with 400 degrees for 23 or 24 minutes, check them, and leave them in longer if necessary. Enjoy!
I thought the temperature for a standard muffin was 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Has the recipe changed?
Hey, Kerry! Sorry for that confusion — she was asking about the old version of the recipe, which was mini muffins. The instructions above are for the standard size muffins (18-20 minutes at 375). The post was just updated since her old comment! 🙂
Got it, thanks!
Can I use a bundt pan for these and what oven temp and time?
Hi, Vikki! I honestly don’t know, since I haven’t tested the recipe in a bundt pan. In general, I would go with a standard cake mix instruction. So, I would try baking the bundt cake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
This isn’t 2 ingredients. Boxed Cake Mix has your basic dry ingredients in the box like flour, baking powder/soda, salt, sugar, etc…
I think it just implies you NEED 2 INGREDIENTS, (1)A CAKE MIX AND (2)A CAN OF PUMPKIN. Clearly that’s what she means. If I say just add butter, I’m not saying all the ingredients in butter.
These were delicious! Thanks so much for this easy recipe. I experimented a bit and added some chopped up pecans and that was delicious as well. I now have an easy, quick go to last minute healthier treat when my grandsons pop in.
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad that you like them. The pecans sounds like a delicious addition!
You only need 2 things to make the muffins!
These are so easy to make and delicious! New mid morning go to.
Yay! Thanks, Jaymee!
Can i use any other can of filling like cherry?
Hi, Megan! I honestly don’t know. I’ve never tried it with cherry pie filling. It might work with a yellow cake mix, though! Just make sure that you’re using about 15 ounces — often the pie fillings come in larger size cans, so you wouldn’t need all of it. Let me know if you give it a shot!