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    Home » What We're Eating » 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

    2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

    Published: Oct 2, 2020 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Long collage image of 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
    Easy pumpkin muffin recipe on a plate with text title box at the top
    Front shot of a tray of 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins with cake mix
    Tray of homemade pumpkin spice muffins with text title box at the top

    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 spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin for a lighter way to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings!

    Serving tray full of easy pumpkin muffins

    How to Make 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins | 1-Minute Video

    Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

    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, snack, or side dish with dinner, 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!

    Front shot of a pumpkin muffin on a plate with a glass of milk in the background

    Ingredients for Easy Pumpkin Muffins

    That's right -- these are just about the easiest muffins you will ever make. After all, you only need 2 ingredients:

    • A box of spice cake mix
    • A can of pumpkin puree

    Cake mix and pumpkin for easy pumpkin muffins

    How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with a Cake Mix

    First, combine the dry cake mix with the pumpkin puree. Do not add any other ingredients called for on the box.

    Pumpkin and dry cake mix in bowl for pumpkin muffins

    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!

    Pumpkin muffin batter in glass bowl with electric mixer

    Divide the batter evenly among 12 standard muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Square image of a pumpkin muffin on a plate

    What to Serve with Pumpkin Spice Muffins

    If you’re serving the pumpkin muffins for breakfast or brunch, try pairing them with any of these other dishes:

    • Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
    • Overnight French Toast Casserole
    • Fresh fruit salad
    • Sally’s Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole
    • Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche or Quiche Lorraine
    • Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
    • Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
    • Crustless Quiche with Spinach

    At dinnertime, the muffins go well with any of these entrées:

    • Fried Chicken
    • Shrimp and Grits
    • Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy
    • Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans
    • Cornflake Chicken
    • Crock Pot Ribs
    • Pulled BBQ Chicken in the Crock Pot
    • Crab Cakes
    • Shrimp Creole
    • Beef Barbecue
    • Chili con Carne or “Good Luck” Southern Chili
    • Smothered Pork Chops
    • Southern Fried Catfish
    • Fried Chicken Tenders
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast
    • Sour Cream Chicken
    • Apple Cider Pulled Pork

    Storage -- Homemade Pumpkin Muffins

    Stored in an airtight container, the muffins will keep at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    Freeze the extras! These 2 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.

    Tips for the Best Pumpkin Muffins

    • To make pumpkin mini muffins, decrease the baking time to about 8-10 minutes.
    • Use a box of yellow cake mix or chocolate cake mix instead of the spice cake mix. Since those flavors don't have spices, you may want to add a dash of pumpkin spice to the batter.
    • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins: Add 1-2 cups of chocolate chips to the batter.
    • Mix-In's: Get creative and make these your own! In addition to chocolate chips, other great add-in's include chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins or dried cranberries.
    • 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.

    Front shot of homemade pumpkin muffins on a cake stand in front of a dark background

    More Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love

    • The Best Pumpkin Bread
    • Pumpkin Dip
    • Pumpkin Chili
    • Pumpkin Dump Cake
    • 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Gingerbread
    • Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
    Serving tray full of easy pumpkin muffins
    Print Pin
    4.89 from 18 votes

    2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

    These pumpkin muffins only require 2 ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep!
    Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snacks
    Cuisine American
    Keyword easy pumpkin muffin recipe, healthy pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffins with cake mix
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 18 minutes
    Cooling Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 38 minutes
    Servings 12 - 13 standard muffins
    Calories 133kcal
    Author Blair Lonergan

    Ingredients

    • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (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.

    Video

    Notes

    This recipe yields approximately 12-13 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 5090IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1.2mg

    This post was originally published in February, 2013. It was updated in September, 2018.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JANET BIRTWISTLE

      September 19, 2020 at 4:13 pm

      I'd like to add raisins but also some oatmeal would that work?

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 19, 2020 at 4:33 pm

        Hi, Janet! The raisins will definitely work well. I'm not sure about the oatmeal -- maybe just sprinkle some on top of the muffins before baking? I worry that adding extra dry ingredients may dry out the batter, but I haven't tested it to know for sure. 🙂

        Reply
        • Vinnie

          June 13, 2021 at 10:07 am

          5 stars
          I added some liquefied Coconut oil to each paper cup and put the leftover partial Tbsp into the batter and stirred with the rubber spatula and baked the 12 muffins aT 375° for 18 minutes and the muffins came out beautifully so there is a bit of flexibility there and the mix I used was a Duncan Hines perfectly moist "Signature" spice cake and If I make this again I'll experiment by adding some Chocolate chips or dried Cranberries

          Reply
          • Blair

            June 13, 2021 at 12:15 pm

            Sounds great, Vinnie! Thanks for sharing your adjustments, too! I know you'll love them with the extra add-ins as well. 🙂

            Reply
          • Sally

            August 05, 2021 at 6:43 pm

            I have been making these for years and I add a bag of cinnamon chips to spice cake mix, really good. I also made devils food cake mix with a bag of choclate chips. Both are great!

            Reply
            • Blair

              August 05, 2021 at 7:23 pm

              YUM! I bet the cinnamon chips are delicious, Sally! 🙂

    2. Catharine

      September 30, 2020 at 3:00 pm

      Can this recipe be made with Namaste gluten free Spice Cake Mix ??

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 30, 2020 at 3:04 pm

        Hi, Catharine! I'm not sure -- I'm not familiar with that brand, and I've never tried a gluten free cake mix. If it's otherwise comparable to a regular cake mix as far as the ingredients and baking instructions go, I would think it should work. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Randolph Kotaki

      March 08, 2021 at 6:52 am

      Brilliant blog...

      Reply
    4. Bitsey Webb

      September 24, 2021 at 7:11 pm

      5 stars
      Thought I bought a spice cake mix but bought a carrot cake mix instead. The muffins were delicious even though I used the wrong mix. On top of that, my house smelled like a bakery !! Thank you for this versatile recipe.

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        September 24, 2021 at 8:00 pm

        Oh, that's great to know, Bitsey! I bet they were delicious. Thanks for your note!

        Reply
    5. Mindi

      September 25, 2021 at 4:18 pm

      Think you can mix in cream cheese for cream cheese muffins?

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        September 25, 2021 at 5:38 pm

        Yes, I think that would probably work fine! Let me know if you give it a shot. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Denise

      September 26, 2021 at 11:28 am

      These are so easy and delicious! They are very moist which I like but my husband thought they were a little too moist almost doughy. But you can tell by looking at them they are fully cooked. Wondering if adding a little flour might help this or maybe just a little less pumpkin? I used a small 15 oz can of pumpkin puree.

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        September 26, 2021 at 12:51 pm

        Hi, Denise! Yes, you could try either of those options. The moist almost doughy texture is a result of no added fat (like oil or butter) and a lot of moisture from the pumpkin. So again, you could try adding flour or reducing the pumpkin to see how that changes the texture. You might also try adding an egg or two to the mix. I know some folks have done that...

        Glad that you enjoyed them -- especially given how quick and easy they are! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Debra Davis

      October 26, 2021 at 7:50 pm

      5 stars
      I have tried just pumpkin and cake mix. I prefer to add two eggs to the batter. They rise higher and are less dense.

      Reply
    8. Denise Frederick

      November 08, 2021 at 8:33 am

      I thought better too dry so I added 1 medium egg & baked 20 minutes. Loved them! Can't wait to try other suggestions on previous posts.

      Reply
    9. Kim

      November 15, 2021 at 10:48 am

      4 stars
      They are so yummy but the tops are crazy sticky even though toothpick comes out clean. What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        November 15, 2021 at 11:58 am

        I don't know, Kim. I haven't had that issue. Is your house really humid? I notice that baked goods sometimes get sticky in the summer when my house is particularly humid. Other than that, I can't think of a reason that they would be sticky. You might try sprinkling the tops with coarse sugar, just to give them some good texture and maybe avoid some of the stickiness.

        Reply
    10. Becky Hansen

      December 10, 2021 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      I saw another 2-ingredient pumpkin spice muffin recipe that added 1 c water to the pumpkin before mixing in the cake mix. They are delicious! Not dense at all. I love them! Thanks for posting!

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        December 10, 2021 at 3:58 pm

        Thanks, Becky!

        Reply
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