These 2-ingredient pumpkin muffins need nothing but a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. No eggs, no oil, no butter, and about 5 minutes of prep before they go in the oven. It’s the easiest pumpkin recipe I make all fall!
More Easy Pumpkin Breads and Muffins:
Before You Get Started
Two ingredients doesn’t leave much room for error! Here’s what matters most before you start:
- Skip the box directions. Don’t add the eggs, oil, or water listed on the package. The pumpkin replaces all of it, and anything extra leaves the batter too wet to set.
- Use the whole can of pumpkin. One 15-ounce can to one 15.25-ounce box of cake mix. The full can is what stands in for the eggs and oil, so don’t measure out less.
- Spray the paper liners. There’s no fat in this batter, so the muffins grab onto bare liners and tear when you peel them. A quick spritz of nonstick spray keeps them whole.
Which Cake Mix Works Best
Spice cake mix is my pick, and it’s what I use every time. The warm spices are already blended in, so you don’t have to measure out cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg separately.
Yellow and white cake mix both work, but they have no spice of their own. Add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the dry mix before you stir in the pumpkin, or the muffins will taste flat. Chocolate cake mix is a fun one for kids, and it doesn’t need any added spice.
⇢ Any 15.25-ounce box will do. Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker both work well here, and store brands are fine too. If you like this combination, my Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix uses the same trick in a 9×13 pan.
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.
– Linda
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix
I can’t take credit for this one! Hacking a boxed cake mix this way has been around for years, and my boys have been eating these since Aunt Bee taught me the recipe when they were toddlers. Here’s how it comes together:
Step 1: Heat the Oven and Prep the Pan
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line it with paper cups and give those a light spritz too.
Step 2: Stir the Batter Together
Add the canned pumpkin and the dry cake mix to a large bowl, then fold them together with a spatula until they’re mostly combined. This way you don’t send dry cake mix flying all over the kitchen (and into your face) when you turn on an electric mixer!
Switch to an electric mixer and beat for about a minute.
The batter will be much thicker than a normal muffin batter, closer to a soft cookie dough. That’s what you get without eggs or oil, so don’t add liquid to thin it out. You can mix it entirely by hand if you’d rather, it just takes some elbow grease.
This is also the point to stir in any add-ins: Chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins, and fresh or dried cranberries all work well. A cup or two is plenty.
⇢ Add an egg for a lighter muffin. Without eggs or oil, these bake up dense and moist, closer to pumpkin bread than a bakery-style muffin. If you want a fluffier crumb, beat one egg in with the pumpkin.
Step 3: Fill the Muffin Cups
Use a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups. The batter is fairly sticky, so a scoop saves a lot of frustration here. Fill each cup about three quarters full.
For those crunchy, bakery-style tops, I like to add a generous sprinkle of sparkling sugar to the top of each muffin at this point (it’s optional, though!).
⇢ Mini muffins take about half the time. The same batch makes roughly 30 minis. Bake those for 8 to 10 minutes and start checking early, since they go from done to dry quickly.
Step 4: Bake and Cool
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. These should dome, rise a mile high, and crack the way a standard muffin does!
Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. They firm up as they cool, so give them a few minutes before you dig in.
⇢ Turn them into cupcakes: Let the muffins cool completely, then top each one with a swirl of cream cheese frosting. My Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting use the same pairing if you want to see how it comes together.
Storage
To Store: Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They have more moisture than a typical muffin, so the fridge is the safer choice past day two.
To Freeze: Cool the muffins completely, then wrap tightly or store in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To Reheat: Thaw frozen muffins on the counter overnight. Warm individual muffins in the microwave for 5 to 20 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my pumpkin muffins dense?
That’s mostly how this recipe bakes. With no eggs, oil, or butter, there’s nothing to lighten the crumb, so these come out moist and dense, more like a slice of pumpkin bread than a bakery muffin.
Beating the batter with an electric mixer for a full minute works some air in and helps. For a noticeably fluffier muffin, add one egg with the pumpkin.
Can I bake this batter as a cake or a loaf instead?
Yes, and plenty of readers do. Spread it in a greased 9×13 pan or a standard loaf pan instead of the muffin tin. It won’t rise as high as a cake made with the full box directions, so expect something closer to a dense snack cake. Start checking a 9×13 around 25 minutes and a loaf around 45, and pull it when a toothpick comes out clean.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?
You can, but homemade puree usually holds more water than canned. Drain it in a fine mesh strainer or press it between paper towels first, then measure out about 1 3/4 cups to match a 15-ounce can. If you skip that step, the batter turns loose and the centers sink instead of setting.
Yumm “O”, what a hit. Easy to make and quick, and Gluten Free in my case. It worked beautifully. Thank you for thinking outside the Cake box!
– Mary
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Fall
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box spice cake mix
Instructions
- Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper cups and spritz the liners with nonstick spray.
- Fold the batter: In a large bowl, use a spatula to fold together the pumpkin and the dry cake mix. Do not add the eggs, oil, or water listed on the box.
- Beat until smooth: Use an electric mixer to beat the batter for about 1 minute, until it's fluffy and completely combined. The batter will be thick. You can mix by hand instead, it just takes longer.
- Fill the cups: Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about three quarters full.
- Optional coarse sugar: For crunchy, bakery-style tops, sprinkle a generous amount (about 1 teaspoon) of sparkling sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake: Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Cake mix options: Spice cake mix needs nothing extra. With yellow or white cake mix, add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the dry mix first.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 standard muffins or about 30 mini muffins. For minis, reduce the baking time to 8 to 10 minutes.
- For a lighter texture: Beat in 1 egg along with the pumpkin. The muffins will rise a bit more and have a fluffier crumb.
- Add-ins: Stir 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins, or fresh cranberries into the batter. Sparkling sugar sprinkled on top before baking gives them a bakery-style finish.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze cooled muffins for up to 2 months and reheat in the microwave for 10 to 30 seconds.
Nutrition
Originally published in February, 2013, this post was updated in October, 2026.
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!
Yumm “O”, what a hit. Easy to make and quick, and Gluten Free in my case. It worked beautifully. Thank you for thinking outside the Cake box
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them, Mary. Thank you!
Just made these 2 ingredient muffins. They are so delicious I will definitely keep the makings for them on hand through the fall/winter season’s! They don’t rise very much but are super moist.
Thanks, Norma! So glad that you enjoyed them!
I just made them too! They’re wonderful!
I must confess, I was concerned about them perhaps not rising enough, ( as another person had observed, so, I DID add one egg. They rose, were light AND Moist!
I also made a homemade light, cream cheese frosting. They are PERFECT!
I added a little box of raisins (dried cranberries) and a about a teaspoon of golden raisins to batter.
Sounds perfect, Priscilla!
I love this recipe, but make a couple of adjustments. I add 1/2 tsp nutmeg and half a bag of mini chocolate chips. Easy and delicious! Let me know if you like these additions.
Yum! Thank you for the feedback, Rachel. We’ll have to try your version as well!
Crystal, only use the box of cake mix and the can of pumpkin, no other ingredients. These are delicious and super easy. I make them every year during the fall season. I am getting ready to make them and decided to see if any of this particular recipes had a suggestion of adding chopped pecans.. I feel reasonably sure it would be ok. My skepticism is to keep the pecans from sinking to the bottom of the muffins, I would normally shake the pecan pieces in a very small amount of flour and sift out the flour for a slight coating to prevent them from going to the bottom of the muffins. My only fear is the tiny amount to flour making the muffins a little dry.
Hi, Jackie! I think the pecans would be delicious. If you chop the pecans pretty small, I bet they won’t sink to the bottom. Also, if you decide to use the traditional flour method, I bet the muffins would be okay. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Try sifting a bit of the cake mix onto the chopped pecans instead of the flour.
Yes — that would work, too! 🙂
Good morning from Clovis, New Mexico. I saw your recipe on Google and I’m going to try it with a Gluten Free cake mix and pumpkin. Yummy. Thank you for a fast and easy recipe.
Welcome, Mary! We’re so happy you’re here and hope you enjoy the recipe.
I’m going to make these muffins tonight. After 10 plus years, do you recommend adding an egg to the recipe? Also I want this to be “spicy” like pumpkin pie. Should I add more pumpkin pie spice? Thank you so much for the recipe!
Very good. I had some Hersheys cinnamon baking chips in mine, yum.
Thank you, Diane. I’m so glad that you enjoyed them!
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. 🙂
I make this all the time with carrot cake and pumpkin. This is a good fall treat.
Sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that combo next! 🙂
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!
I made six jumbo muffins. I baked them at 350 for 35 minutes. I kept using a toothpick to see when they were done.
Thanks, Jim!
Have you ever tried adding Craisins or nuts this recipe? I think a little texture variety might enhance the muffin. Just not sure about quantity or how will it affect the baking time.
We have! It turns out great. Add as little or as much as you’d like. It shouldn’t impact the baking time. Hope this helps!
Can I use banana and cake mix and make muffins with just yellow cake mix..??? Thanks
Hi, Carol! I’m not sure — I haven’t tried it. I would think it should work, but the banana might not have quite as much water content as the pumpkin. You may find that you need to add some milk or other liquid to the mix once you mix it together. Just be careful not to make it too wet, or you’ll end up with mushy, gummy banana muffins. 🙂 If using yellow cake mix, you might want to add some extra seasoning like cinnamon or nutmeg, too. Let me know if you give it a try!
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!
Do you think this recipe would work to make little Whoopi pies?(2″)
Hi, Lillian! Yes, I think it would probably work. They would be like little muffin tops! 🙂 Let me know if you give it a shot!
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!
Can I use sweet potato puree?
You could also have a bowl of cinnamon and sugar ready so that when they come out of the oven you can roll them in the mixture. I bet that would be fantastic! & now I’m going to have to try it lol
That sounds amazing, Shasta!!! Dip them in melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar! 🙂
I make these often and add brown sugar to the top before baking. No butter, I just kind of pat the brown sugar in to the muffin tops and then bake. They are a big hit wherever I take them. ????
I just love how simple they are!
I love that idea, Lindsay! Thank you! 🙂
What would the oven temp.and minutes be for cupcake tin?
Hi, Tami! That’s what I’ve used here — a cupcake tin is the same as a muffin tin, so the cooking time and temp will be the same. Enjoy!
Thank you Blair
Do you think this recipe would work to make little Whoopi pies?(2″)
Do they need to be stored in the refrigerator? If so how long will they last in the refrigerator?
Can they be stored at room temperature? If so, how long will they last?
Hi, Rhonda! No, they do not need to be refrigerated. The muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2-4 days. To keep them longer, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I have been making them for years. I add raisins and pecans. They are delicious.
Perfect additions! Thank you!
I have made these several times & add chocolate chips to the mix….the kids love them!
YUM! Love that combo, Crystal! Thank you! 🙂
These are easy and delicious!! If I were to make a loaf how long would you suggest baking and at what temp? Thanks.!
Hi, Lisa! I typically bake my pumpkin bread at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes (but add extra time if you’re using a light or ceramic pan). It’s done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
You will likely have more batter than you need for 1 loaf of pumpkin bread, so you might have two loaves, or 1 loaf and some muffins. I’ve never tried using this particular recipe for pumpkin bread, so I don’t know exactly how much you’ll get out of one box. Enjoy! 🙂
I just made these and found that they take longer to bake than the recipe calls for. – I baked a bath at 350 degrees for 13 minutes and another at 375 for 10 minutes but the middle of the muffins seem to be a bit too soft – or is it that they are just moist?
They’re definitely moist, but you want them cooked through all of the way in the center. Depending on the type of muffin tins, the temp of your oven, whether or not you use silicone liners, etc. the baking time may vary. Just use a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin to know when they’re done. The toothpick should come out clean. 🙂
These were so easy and SO DELICIOUS!!!
Thanks, Daniella!
I’ve made these many times in the past and I LOVE them. I’m wondering if I could add some of my protein powder to these as well? Any insights on how to go about doing that?
Hi, Ellie! I’m so glad that you like the muffins! I’ve never experimented with adding protein powder, so I have no idea how it would impact the taste and texture of the muffins. I would just start adding it really slowly. For instance, add 2 tablespoons or 1/4 cup and see how it works. If you’re pleased with the result and you want to add more the next time, you can gradually step it up. They will be a bit drier the more that you add, so I wouldn’t go crazy with it. 🙂
I added around a 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. It adds protein and a little moistness. I may add more next time I’ll let you know how it turns out.
So should I add an egg for moisture?
Hi, Stacy! No, I’ve never added eggs and these muffins stay really moist (thanks to the pumpkin). 🙂 Of course, if you want to add an egg, it won’t hurt. In addition to their nutritional value, eggs can provide structure, leavening, richness, color, and flavor to baked products — they just won’t make the muffins more moist.
I love these I do bake mine on 350 for 18 mins and I always add dark chocolate chips I always add 2 eggs even tho I don’t need to. They are super moist and have become a hit for girls coffee get together. Thanks for a great idea
Sounds perfect! Thanks, Barbara!