For Mother’s Day, Fuzz gave me a bottle of Penzey’s pumpkin pie spice along with a request to make some pumpkin muffins. Because she picked such a sweet present, I took her up on her offer and made a batch of pumpkin muffins with streusel topping. The recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice, but if you don’t have any you can always use a substitute.

This recipe combines an old Libby’s recipe with one from Gourmet. The Libby’s recipe alone was good, but a little on the dry side. The Gourmet muffin was good too, but a little boring. Adding the Libby’s streusel topping to the Gourmet muffin and incorporating some vanilla and brown sugar, resulted in what I think is the perfect muffin.
Streusel Topping
I have so many basic pumpkin muffin recipes. This is a good one, but I really like the streusel topping and find myself referring back to this recipe when looking for a streusel to top other muffins. So if you don’t need the muffin but want a good streusel for sprinkling, give this one a try!
Recipe

Basic Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Streusel
- 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter unsalted or salted
Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups 6.8 oz stirred and aerated all-purpose flour or White Lily
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 7 1/2 ounces half a can of Libby’s pumpkin
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. You will be reducing the heat when you put the muffins in, but for this recipe you start them in a hot oven.
- Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and cut it in with your fingers or a fork until crumbly. Put in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, oil and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir with a mixing spoon until blended.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
- Remove topping from refrigerator and crumble it over the muffins, distributing evenly.
- Put muffins on the center rack in the hot oven. Close the door.
- Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for 25 minutes.
Sue
Great looking muffins! I’ll bet they’re really good with a cup of tea.
Karen
Good way to use up my frozen pumpkin from fall. Sounds great!
Carol
Pumpkin muffins sound good any day of the week or time of year. I have been wanting to go to Penzey’s but driving to the city to get there is a pain! I know I could order on-line but I like to go and smell all the spices before I buy them. I will have to look for this one when I finally make my way down there. I have 4 or 5 of their different cinnamons.
Katrina
They look and sound perfect.
Emily
Great gift! I want some pumpkin pie spice!
I want one of these muffins. I was craving pumpkin scones earlier tonight.
Darlene
How thoughtful of Fuzz! I also love receiving culinary gifts (and streusel-topped muffins). These look moist and delicious.
Martha
I love pumpkin muffins and am always on the lookout for a better one. I’ve bookmarked these to try soon.
Thanks, Anna.