These easy pumpkin muffins are a spot-on Panera copycat! Soft, spiced, and topped with streusel; 5-star rated by 30+ readers and easy to make at home. These pumpkin streusel muffins have been tested from sea level to high altitude.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader JP Raved: “This is a fabulous recipe. And one of the few that includes adjustments for us high-altitude (Wyoming) bakers. A big THANKS! for that. I feel like it was a gift from you to me…in addition to what is now the best muffin recipe I have. Kudos!”
Why You Will Love this Recipe for Pumpkin Muffins
My youngest is a big Panera Bread fan, especially their orange scones and pumpkin muffins. So when they stopped selling his favorite muffin, I set out to recreate it at home. After a few test runs (okay, maybe more than a few), I handed him one and waited. He took a bite, looked up, and gave me the look. Nailed it.
These pumpkin muffins are soft, tender, full of warm spices, and topped with the dreamiest streusel. And the best part? They’re out of the oven in about 30 minutes.
Since I bake at high altitude, I’ve got recipe testers across the country making sure these turn out great no matter where you live. Don’t just take my word for it; Carol left a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review saying, “Tasted just like Panera. I’ve been missing them.” And SP shared, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “We made these last night and loved them! My kids have been bummed that Panera discontinued the Pumpkin muffin and these are the perfect replacement.”
What are you waiting for? You should probably make a double batch.
Watch our video showing how easy they are!
Easy Pumpkin Muffin Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil – For these muffins, I used avocado oil. But you can use melted coconut oil, veggie oil, or canola oil. If you choose coconut oil, use refined unless you want it to taste of coconut.
- Sugars – You will need both white sugar and brown sugar for this recipe. For High Altitudes, the sugars are reduced. As for the brown sugar, feel free to use light or dark brown.
- Honey – Honey locks in moisture and keeps the muffins deliciously moist!
- Eggs – I use large, room-temperature eggs for my baking.
- Pumpkin Puree – Not pumpkin pie filling. You want pure pumpkin puree to get the authentic flavor of pumpkin.
- All-purpose Flour – I used organic, unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder, & Kosher salt – They are the leavening agents. If your baked goods don’t rise well, check that these are fresh!
- Warm Spices – Cinnamon and pumpkin spice brings together the distinct spicy fall essence, with hints of ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C) and line your muffin pan with paper liners.
Step 1 – Making the Crumb Topping
Take a small bowl and combine all the crumb ingredients called for in the recipe card. Use a fork to stir until a crumbly texture forms. Then place that bowl into the fridge while you make the pumpkin batter.
Fresh Tips: For the best crumb topping, use softened or mostly melted butter; it makes everything easier to mix together. Just don’t forget to pop it in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes so it firms up before baking. And for less mess, I highly recommend using these parchment baking cups; they do a great job of keeping all that delicious topping in place instead of spilling over the muffin tin.
Step 2 – Mix the Wet Ingredients
Now you are ready to begin mixing the spiced pumpkin muffin mix.
In a large bowl, measure in the oil, sugars, honey, eggs, and canned pumpkin. Whisk the pumpkin batter until smooth and creamy.
Step 3 – Mix the Dry Ingredients
Now mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Give it a quick whisk so everything’s evenly combined (no one wants a bite full of baking soda!).
Step 4 – Combine the Two
Add the flour mixture to the wet, about a cup at a time, gently folding with a spatula. Don’t overmix, just fold until you no longer see streaks of flour.
Step 5 – Fill the Muffin Tin
Place liners in a regular or jumbo muffin tin, your choice! Use a large cookie scoop to fill each cup about ⅔ full with pumpkin muffin batter so they have room to rise without overflowing.
Step 6 – Add the Streusel Crumble
Break the crumble apart with a fork. Then, using a tablespoon, add the streusel crumb topping to the top of the muffins.
Now you are ready for the oven! This is why I love these tulip cupcake liners; they hold everything in place, preventing it from tumbling onto the muffin tin!
Step 7 – Bake and Cool
Place your pan of batter with crumble in the oven and wait for that comforting smell to waft throughout the house!
Bake the muffins according to the size of the muffin tins. See the recipe card for instructions.
When the timer’s up and a toothpick comes out clean, move the pan to a cooling rack. Let the muffins sit for 10 minutes before removing, trust me, they’re hot, and I’ve learned the hard way!
Once they have cooled completely, dust the tops with the powdered sugar and serve.
Best Pumpkin Muffins Tips
- Don’t overwork the batter! Mixing the batter will result in heavy, tough muffins.
- Don’t overbake; these muffins are best when just barely finished cooking. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are fine!
- Allow pumpkin muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.
Variations & Substitutions
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitute – If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, (make your own!) or replace it with ¾ teaspoon cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon of each of these spices: ginger, allspice, cloves, or nutmeg (or some combination, omit spices you dislike, increase spices you love!)
- Additions – Feel free to add chopped nuts; walnuts, pecans, grated carrots, cranberries, or even raisins. Heck, why not add chocolate chips?! You can even pipe in a cream cheese filling.
- Vanilla Extract -I almost always add vanilla to a recipe, but not why I didn’t in these, so feel free to add up to 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
- Out of Muffin Cups? No problem. Either grease your muffin pan or use squares of parchment paper pressed into the muffin form.
- Want Cream Cheese Frosting? Skip the Crumble topping and frost away! Use my easy cream cheese frosting.
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Muffins
The only ingredient you need to switch is the butter in the crumb topping. Just use a dairy-free butter substitute in the crumble, and you’re all set!
Gluten-Free Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
I have had great success replacing unbleached flour with a ½ oat flour (or almond flour) and ½ GF All-Purpose Flour, my favorite mixture!
High Altitude Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C), then REDUCE to 375° F (190° C) for baking.
- Increase all-purpose flour to 1 ¾ cups.
- Decrease granulated sugar to ⅓ cup.
- Reduce brown sugar to ⅓ cup.
- Decrease baking powder to ½ teaspoon.
How to Store Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Store the muffins on the counter in an airtight container for 3-7 days. Muffins are best when not refrigerated, as it can dry them out!
- Freeze: These muffins may be frozen for up to 3 months when wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and sealed well in an airtight freezer bag or container. To enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter.
How to reheat Panera Pumpkin Muffins
In a preheated 350° F (175° C) oven, place the muffins back into the muffin tin or on a baking sheet. Warm for 10-15 minutes and enjoy. Or if desired, place on a microwave-safe plate and heat at 70% in 30-second increments until warmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Panera pumpkin muffins used to be dairy-free, but they have since changed their ingredients to include dairy based ingredients. But you can easily adapt my Pumpkin cupcakes to be dairy-free and even vegan! Swap the butter for coconut oil or plant-based butter and use your favorite egg replacement or try using 2 small ripe mashed bananas.
According to the Panera website, their pumpkin muffin has 40 grams of sugar, not to be confused with the pumpkin muffie which has 270 calories. Each pumpkin muffin contains 560 calories; my copycat version has 335 calories and 27 grams of sugar.
Refrigerating muffins and other quickbread recipes can actually dry them out. Cover them well in an airtight container and leave them on the counter for 2-7 days. Freeze if needed up to 3 months.
Typically, they will last between 2 and 7 days depending on storage, house temperature, and humidity. Pumpkin muffins are always best served warm or at least room temperature.
As long as you adjust the cooking time, any size is great. Make jumbo, traditional muffin tops, mini muffins, and even mini donuts.
Where are my Panera lovers?
If you love a good Panera copycat recipe, you are not alone! For instance, try my popular Orange Scones and my Cinnamon Crunch Scones recipe.
Try out one of these tried-and-true copycat soup recipes like my Panera Autumn Squash Soup, 10 Vegetable Soup Recipe, or my copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup.
More Fluffy Muffin Recipes to Enjoy
- Healthy Banana Streusel Muffin
- Honey Bran Muffins <<== a crazy popular muffin recipe, Mimi’s copycat!
- Healthy Strawberry Bread Muffins
More Copycat Recipes You’ll Love
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Rice Recipe
- Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe {The Best}
- Best White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake {Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipe}
- Maple Pumpkin Scones {Starbucks Copycat}
- Cilantro Lime Rice {A Chipotle Copycat}
- Olive Garden Steak Alfredo (Copycat Recipe)
10+ Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin Puree
- Make these incredible Copycat Noosa Pumpkin Yogurts — NOM!
- Add a tablespoon to your coffee or chai tea, even! Stir in well!
- Stir it into your oatmeal for a delicious fall twist.
- Spread it like jam onto your favorite toast or bagel.
- Make a pumpkin milkshake or smoothie by adding a generous scoop, a little cinnamon, and milk, then whir!
- Stir into soups to thicken or chili — nobody will even know!
- Add into pancake batter for the best pumpkin pancakes ever! Waffles too!
- Mix in butter or cream cheese for a delicious spread or cracker dip!
- Stir into apple cider or your favorite fall cocktail for a pumpkin flare!
- Make a pumpkin pie smooth! YUM!
- Stir ¼ cup into your favorite pasta sauce, for a fall twist.
- Pumpkin bread of course!
- Stir into your favorite curry or hummus!
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Video
Ingredients
Crumb Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour regular may be used
- ¼ cup granulated sugar I used all natural cane sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark, I used light
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Make your own (see notes)
- 6 tablespoons butter partially melted, or soft (see notes for dairy-free or vegan version)
Panera Pumpkin Muffins
- ½ cup vegetable oil I used avocado oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar I used organic cane sugar (reduce to ⅓ cup for high altitude)
- ½ cup brown sugar packed, light or dark (reduce to ⅓ cup for high altitude)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree heaping or mounded, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour I used organic (increase to 1 ¾ cups for high altitude)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder reduced to ½ teaspoon for high altitude
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon ground
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice see notes on how to make your own
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F (400° F for High altitude, then reduce to 375 once muffins are placed in the oven). Line pan with cupcake liners or spray well.
- In a small bowl combine crumb topping ingredients, using a fork to stir until crumbly. Place in the fridge while you prepare the pumpkin muffin mixture.¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 6 tablespoons butter
- In a large mixing bowl combine vegetable oil, sugars, honey, eggs, and canned pumpkin and whisk until smooth and creamy.½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 large eggs, 1 cup pumpkin puree
- In a smaller bowl mix together dry ingredients, flour, salt, soda, baking powder cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, whisk until combined.1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, folding with spatula to combine, do not overmix but make sure no flour streaks remain.
- Place muffin liners in a 12 cup muffin tin or 6 jumbo liners in a jumbo muffin pan. (note that tulip liners will still fit jumbo muffin tin)
- Scoop pumpkin muffin mixture using an ice cream scoop filling to ⅔ full. Remove the crumb topping from the fridge and break apart.
- Using a tablespoon, spoon crumb topping onto top of each muffin evenly. Pressing down slightly into batter.
- Bake regular muffins for 18-22 minutes and jumbo muffins for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted comes out clean or just a few moist crumbs. Important to allow pumpkin muffins to rest in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the pan.
- After 10 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan onto rack to cool completely, then sprinkle with powdered sugar., if desired.
Notes
- Preheat oven to 400° F (205° C) then REDUCE to 375° F (190° C) for baking
- Decrease granulated sugar to ⅓ cup
- Increase all-purpose flour to 1 ¾ cups
- Decrease brown sugar to ⅓ cup
- Decrease baking powder to ½ teaspoon
Nutrition
Liz
Love these! The texture is wonderful, great taste and the muffin liners allow you to put lots of streusel topping on and it won’t fall off😁 lovely extra special fall treat for my friends. Thanks
Thank you so much, Liz! So happy you loved them!!
Colleen Wilkins
How long would you bake these if they were in a 3” muffie pan?
Hi Colleen, can you tell me more of what you mean by a “muffie” pan, is it a muffin top only pan? If so, I don’t believe that the streusel part will work as planned, but if you only use the muffin batter, it might, but I’ve never tried it. It would probably be similar to baking mini muffins which you would reduce the time to 11-18 minutes, but you will have to experiment yourself here. Let me know how it goes!
Carol
Tasted just like Panera. I’ve been missing them. Only thing I changed was instead of oil I used Greek yogurt.
Brilliant!! Love it Carol! Thanks for your sweet comment!
SP
We made these last night and loved them! My kids have been bummed that Panera discontinued the Pumpkin muffin and these are the perfect replacement. Many thanks for the high altitude adjustments, too!!!
LOVE hearing this!! Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
Yay!!!! I love making great new memories with our kids!! Thank you so much for your kind comment.
JB
This is a fabulous recipe. And one of the few that includes adjustments for us high-altitude (Wyoming) bakers. A big THANKS! for that. I feel like it was a gift from you to me…in addition to what is now the best muffin recipe I have. Kudos!
Makes me thrilled to read this JB, both that you loved them and that you feel the high altitude win!! I’m in Colorado so I understand the struggle! Thanks for your sweet comment!
Ashley Cruz
The best muffins I’ve ever made!!!!
What a huge compliment Ashley! Thank you!
Thank you so much!! Made my day!
Ana
I made the recipe exactly as written and the muffins came out delicious! Perfectly moist, the right amount of pumpkin and spices… sooo good! Thank you for sharing it with us
Love hearing that Ana, thank you so much for your kind words, now I’m craving pumpkin muffins again! LOL!
Carol
I made these muffins this morning and they were amazing! It was also a great way to use up the leftover pumpkin purée from your Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake that I baked last weekend! Question: you use avocado oil in many of your recipes, and I did the same with the muffins. Any particular reason? Thanks for the great recipes.
YAY! So glad you found this recipe too, thank you Carol!
Kara
I was looking for a perfect Fall muffin to leave for my Airbnb guests. These are absolutely it!!! I’ve made about 10 batches so far and they turn out perfect every time (I always have to taste test ????) Thank you for this recipe! I’m starting my search for the perfect winter muffin and will check out your recipes first!
Thank you SO MUCH, Kara!! Guess I need to get cracking on a winter muffin. But do try the Cranberry Christmas cake!! It’s amazing!