Easy Pumpkin Muffins From Cake Mix

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These easy pumpkin muffins are made from a cake mix, canned pumpkin and spices. Perfect fall treat that can also be frozen for later.

A close up of food, with Pumpkin and Muffin

There’s just something about a slight chill in the air that encourages baking and filling the house with the smells of autumn.

Maybe it’s the joy I get from wearing sweaters and jeans after a long summer.

Pumpkin muffins in basket on top of fall table decorations

I’m not really sure but this is the time for all things baking! With only five ingredients (no eggs or vegetable oil, all purpose flour, baking powder or salt is needed!) this easy pumpkin muffin recipe sure fits the bill for simple and delicious!

This may not be the prettiest recipe but it’s moist and tastes amazing! (If you like a little zing with your pumpkin try my Cranberry Pumpkin Quick Bread recipe. Makes the perfect gift for the holidays as well!)

Ingredients

Ingredients for easy pumpkin muffins
  • yellow cake mix
  • canned pumpkin
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground nutmeg
  • ground cloves

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use cooking spray to grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Pour cake mix into a large mixing bowl.

Add yellow cake mix to glass mixing bowl

Add canned pumpkin to dry mixture.

Add canned pumpkin to muffin mix

Add one teaspoon ground cinnamon to dry ingredients.

Add spices to pumpkin muffin dough

Stir in nutmeg and cloves.

add spices to pumpkin muffin dough

Mix ingredients until smooth.

If you don’t want to drag out your electric mixer (I just used a hand held one) a whisk will do the job with a little elbow grease!

Use hand mixer to beat ingredients for pumpkin muffins

Use an ice cream scoop to spoon equal amounts of pumpkin mixture into the prepared muffin tins or muffin liners.

If you love all things sweet you could always sprinkle a touch of sugar on the top before baking.

scoop pumpkin muffin dough into muffin cups

Cooking time is 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Plate with pumpkin muffins and basket with glass of tea

Let cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

pumpkin muffin broken into two pieces in woman's hands

Substitutions

Using a yellow cake mix is my favorite way to make this recipe but you could try other types such as a spiced cake mix or maybe even carrot cake! (If you try it let me know how you like it!)

You can also substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg and cloves or even add a smidgen of ginger.

Depending on how adventurous you are you could also try adding raisins, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips or maybe even butter or cream cheese frosting for the top!

pumpkin muffins on white plate with butter

Can I refrigerate or freeze these pumpkin muffins?

Pumpkin muffins don’t need to be refrigerated but you can if desired. Otherwise put in an airtight container or in the freezer. These are perfect to tuck in a lunch box or send to work with a loved one.

FAQs about Pumpkin Muffins

Use pie filling or pie mix only if you’re making a dish and don’t want to add your own sweetener or spice. For most other recipes, it’s hard to go wrong with the pure canned pumpkin. Since this recipe uses a cake mix stay with canned pumpkin!

These easy pumpkin muffins are made with a box cake mix, but I promise no one can tell! Already you’ve bypassed a bunch of measuring and a bunch of prep time. Win win!

This recipe adds cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, but if you’re a little more creative try ginger, cumin and chili.

If you want more recipes with canned pumpkin check out these 58 easy recipes from Real Simple!

A close up of food, with Pumpkin and Muffin
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Simple recipe for a moist, delicious muffin.
Calories 2394kcal
Author Marty’s Musings

Ingredients

  • 1 18.25 oz pkg yellow cake mix
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
  • In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth.
  • Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Video

Notes

You can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice for the nutmeg and cloves.
Easy pumpkin muffins with a cake mix

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49 Comments

  1. I’ve done these before and they are so easy. I had forgot I had a recipe on my blog for this too.

    1. Hi, Stephanie. I don’t see why you couldn’t just add the extra ingredients to a pumpkin muffin mix. There might even be a recipe on the box. Let me know if you try it!

      1. 5 stars
        Hi Marty, I have made these muffins many times. Sometimes I use spice cake mix and sometimes I use the same recipe that you use. I also add cinnamon chips to mine. They are delicious. Thanks for posting.

  2. I tried this recipe on a loaf pan because I could not find the muffin pans. I only added 1/4 cup water (because mix seemed a bit thick) and tiny bit of olive oil. Cake turned out moist. I ate 1/3 of it after baking it today, so the recipe works.

    1. Hi, Dina. Thanks for letting me know the muffins turned out well in a loaf pan. That’s definitely something I need to try. I’m guessing you liked it since you 1/3 of it! I can just taste it with melted butter on it right now! Have a wonderful holiday season!

  3. Pingback: All Of The Things You Can Make With A Can Of Pumpkin - RubysDiary.com
  4. I had leftover pumpkin from after making some pumpkin granola and so I was trying to find a way to use up the leftover pumpkin. Oh my goodness! I am so glad I stumbled upon this. I just made it, and the muffins turned out so yummy! I did add chocolate chips to mine, but I think they would be just as delicious without chocolate chips. I bookmarked this one!

    1. Hi, Kristin. I’m going to have to try chocolate chips in my pumpkin muffins because I’ve had other folks tell me it was great as well. You can’t go wrong with chocolate!

    1. I think that would be fine in a loaf pan but you would need to adjust the bake time and add a bit more time. I would just check every few minutes and test the inside for doneness. You could also put tinfoil over the top if it gets browned faster than the inside cooks. Let me know if you try it!

    1. Hi, there. I’m really not sure about the pie filling. I’m thinking it might make the muffin dough too runny. I really don’t know. If you try it let me know!

      1. The prepared pie filling already has sugar in it. Since the cake mix also has sugar in it, using prepared pie filling instead of canned pumpkin, will at the very least make these muffins very sweet.

  5. I just baked the pumpkin muffins and they tasted absolutely delicious! I cooked them 7-8 minutes longer and they still came out a bit undercooked. I plan to try again without the paper liners in hopes they will cook better. Either way they are easy and taste great! 🙂

    1. Hi, Amanda. The time may vary with whether you used a dark or light muffin pan and on your oven so cook them until you’re happy! I usually use paper just because it’s easier cleanup. Thanks for commenting!

  6. The pumpkin muffins turned out grest.just wanted to know if they go in the fridge when cooled off

  7. Pingback: All Of The Things You Can Make With A Can Of Pumpkin | All Of The Things You Can Make With A Can Of Pumpkin | Social Dashboard
  8. Hello! i was wondering if you use the ingredients on the cake box as well? Like eggs, etc.?

  9. Pumpkin muffins made with a cake mix. YUM! I have to try that – mine are usually way flat. Yours are beautiful!

      1. 5 stars
        I really want to try these. Wonder what a spice cake would be like instead of yellow ?

  10. I topped this with a drizzle of sweetened condense milk after taking it out of the oven. Really good!!!

  11. I was wondering how you got all of your “sites” (pinterest, instagram, bloglovin’ etc.) at the bottom of each post. If you could help point me in the right direction that would be awesome! I just found your blog today and I LOVE it. I love finding new recipes to try and your blog provides just that. I have already suscribed on blog lovin’ and can’t wait to see what’s in store!!