Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins take just two ingredients: a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. No eggs, no oil, no water. Stir them together, scoop the thick orange batter into a muffin tin, and 18 minutes later you have a dozen soft, warmly spiced pumpkin muffins that taste like fall. It makes 12 muffins.
How to make it: Fold a 15-ounce can of pumpkin into a 15.25-ounce box of dry spice cake mix, beat for about a minute until fluffy, divide the batter among 12 greased muffin cups, and bake at 375°F for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Why You’ll Love It
- Two ingredients: a box and a can, and you probably have both in the pantry.
- 5 minutes to mix: one bowl, one spatula, a quick beat with the mixer.
- Soft and moist: the pumpkin replaces the eggs and oil and keeps the crumb tender.
- Easy to change: use yellow or white cake mix with pumpkin pie spice, or stir in chocolate chips.
Ingredient Notes
Spice cake mix: One 15.25-ounce box, used dry. Spice cake mix already has the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, so it needs nothing extra. A standard box between 15 and 17 ounces works.
Pumpkin puree: One 15-ounce can of plain pumpkin. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling: it has added sugar and spices and a different consistency. Plain pumpkin puree is just pumpkin.
What you leave out: Skip the eggs, oil and water listed on the cake mix box. The pumpkin holds the batter together and takes the place of the oil.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree, plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) spice cake mix, dry
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
How to Make Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins
1. Prep the pan. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line it with paper cups and spritz the liners with nonstick spray.
2. 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.
3. Beat until smooth. Use an electric mixer to beat the batter for about 1 minute, until it is fluffy and completely combined. The batter will be thick.
4. Fill the cups. Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
5. Bake. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then move the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Which Cake Mix to Use (and What to Skip)
Yes, you can make pumpkin muffins from a box of cake mix, and the flavor of the box decides whether you need to add anything:
| Cake mix | What to add |
|---|---|
| Spice cake mix | Nothing; it’s already spiced |
| Yellow cake mix | 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, stirred into the dry mix first |
| White cake mix | The same 2 teaspoons of spice as yellow |
| Chocolate cake mix | A dash of pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg |
Don’t follow the box. Leave out every egg, all the oil and all the water listed on the package. The only other ingredient is the can of pumpkin.
Expect a thick batter. It looks more like a stiff dough than a pourable cake batter, and that’s right. Fold it with a spatula first so the dry mix doesn’t fly, then beat it for about a minute until fluffy. You can mix it by hand, but it takes longer.
Expect a dense, soft muffin. Without eggs, these don’t rise like cupcakes. They bake up dense, soft and moist. For a lighter texture, beat 1 egg in with the pumpkin: the muffins rise a bit more and have a fluffier crumb.
Tips for Success
Grease the liners too
There’s no oil in the batter, so the muffins can stick to paper liners. Give the liners a quick spritz of nonstick spray, or spray the tin well if you’re not using liners.
Fill the cups evenly
A scoop gives you 12 muffins the same size, so they all finish baking at the same time. Fill each cup about three-quarters full.
Use the toothpick test
The tops look done before the middles are. Poke a toothpick into the center of a muffin: when it comes out clean, they’re ready.
Variations
- Chocolate chip: fold a handful of chocolate chips into the batter before scooping.
- Yellow or white cake mix: season the dry mix with pumpkin pie spice before adding the pumpkin, as in the table above.
- Chocolate pumpkin: use chocolate cake mix with a dash of pumpkin pie spice.
- Fluffier: beat in 1 egg along with the pumpkin for muffins that rise a bit more.
Storage
Let the muffins cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly or pack them in an airtight container. Warm a single muffin in the microwave for 10 to 30 seconds.
What to Serve With It
Pumpkin muffins are made for breakfast with a cup of coffee, an after-school snack, or a warm side with a fall dinner. For more easy pumpkin and cake mix treats, try pumpkin oat cookies, a savory pumpkin whipped feta dip, cake mix cookie bars or cinnamon sugar French toast muffins. When you want a whole pan of dessert, make a pecan pie dump cake or a slow cooker caramel apple dump cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use box cake mix to make pumpkin muffins?
Yes. Mix a box of dry cake mix with a 15-ounce can of plain pumpkin puree and bake it in a muffin tin. Leave out the eggs, oil and water on the box.
Can you mix a can of pumpkin into a cake mix?
Yes. A 15-ounce can of pumpkin replaces the eggs, oil and water, and holds the batter together.
Do I need to add eggs?
No. The muffins bake up dense and soft without them. Beat in 1 egg with the pumpkin if you want them a little lighter and fluffier.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
No. Use plain pumpkin puree. Pie filling has added sugar and spices and a different texture.
What other cake mixes work?
Yellow and white cake mix work once you stir in some pumpkin pie spice. Chocolate cake mix works with just a dash of it.
Final Notes
Keep a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin in the pantry, and a batch of muffins is always 30 minutes away. If you make them, tell me in the comments which cake mix you used.
Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins
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Ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin puree 15 ounces, plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 box spice cake mix 15.25 ounces, dry mix
- nonstick cooking spray for the muffin tin and liners
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line it with paper cups and spritz the liners with nonstick spray.
- 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.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the batter for about 1 minute, until it is fluffy and completely combined. The batter will be thick.
- Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then move the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
