- 22 November 2017
- Recipe
- Rachel
If the Thanksgiving holiday has you in the mood for pumpkin or you need a festive, last-minute snack to share with friends and family, this ridiculously easy (only 2 ingredient) pumpkin muffins recipe is perfect for you.
These muffins are a fall favorite in our house. They are super quick and easy… just cake mix and pumpkin… yep, that’s it.
I don’t even pull out my mixer most of the time and just stir it together.
The batter is pretty thick, so adding a little water to thin it can make them a bit easier to scoop and give a smoother appearance on top, but isn’t really necessary either. They taste awesome either way.
My favorite thing about these is that you can easily switch them up for variety.
For instance, you can use any flavor cake mix. I really like the spice cake for the autumn taste, but seriously, they are all good! Also, you can throw in some chocolate chips or raisins.
Finally, these are great plain, but I also love to top them with powdered sugar or cream cheese frosting.
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
Related 13 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Thanksgiving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 box of cake mix (15.25 oz) - any flavor!
- 1 can of pumpkin (15 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together pumpkin and cake mix.
- Prepare your muffin tin. I like to use liners for easy clean up. You can also make them without liners, just be sure to grease your pan first.
- Spoon prepared batter into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 min.
Notes
themomsatodds.com
**UPDATED**
Pumpkin Muffins FAQs:
This Recipe has been very popular and we’ve seen some of the same questions come up a few times:
Do I need to make the cake mix according to the box first?
- No. Just mix the pumpkin and the dry cake mix. That’s all, just those 2 ingredients. Adding these ingredients won’t mess up the recipe though, and you may even like the consistency better with them.
Can I add eggs, oil, or the other cake ingredients?
- Yes, you can, but then it isn’t a 2 ingredient recipe so that’s why I didn’t add them here. This recipe can be modified so many different ways. Pumpkin can be a used as a substitute for butter or oil (for instance if you want to make your muffin/cupcakes/cake dairy free). So you could simply replace the oil or butter with pumpkin, if you like.
The mix is too thick, what do I do?
- The mix will be really really really thick. That’s fine. If you want, you can thin it with a little water. Start with a table spoon or two until its the consistency you prefer. I’ve added up to a quarter of a cup before and it turned out fine. It does make the tops of the muffins look prettier, but otherwise I don’t notice much difference.
Can I bake this as a loaf, cake, or mini muffin?
- Yes, but you’ll have to adjust the baking time. For a glass loaf pan, bake ~55 minutes. For mini muffins, bake ~15 minutes. I have tried other size pans yet, so if you do, share your results and how long you baked it for in the comments below!
While you’re here, check out these insanely easy and delicious flavored pancakes!
We really appreciate all of the support and shares this recipe has received! Please keep sharing your modifications and toppings which have been so delicious! We love to hear from you!
About Author
Rachel
Hey, I’m Rachel.
I have three awesome sons and an amazing husband. I left my professional career to be a stay-at-home-mom and love it. Since then I spend most of my time chasing my wild boys and trying to keep the house from looking like a complete disaster.
Occasionally, I get to read a cheesy romance novel, attempt crafty things, or binge Netflix. But when I’m not doing that, you can find me here trying to help you figure out the easiest ways to feed your family, live on one income, or make some of the millions of decisions moms tackle every day.
Cassandra says:September 10, 2019
Do you have to Mix the cake mix with the pumpkin puree with the ingredients on the cake box or is it literally just mix alone and purée?
Reply
- Rachel says:
September 10, 2019
I use just the box mix and pumpkin puree, no other ingredients needed. The batter is thicker than usual and you can thin with a little water if you want, but its not necessary. The thick batter makes then on the denser side when done.
I didn’t really go into it in this post but pumpkin puree does work well as a substitute for oil or butter. So if you want a lighter consistency, you can still add the other ingredients and just use pumpkin instead of butter/oil. This is a great substitution in for those avoiding dairy.Reply
- Sophia says:
November 16, 2019
It’s just the cake mix and the can of pumpkin. You don’t need anything else.
Reply
- Carla says:
September 10, 2019
Love these! I like to crumble a bit of brown sugar, a tablespoon of the dry cake mix and some chopped pecans and add to the top before baking sometimes…but they are great plain too.
Reply
- Rachel says:
September 10, 2019
That sounds so good! Thanks for the tip! I will definitely be trying these topping on my next batch!
Reply
- Karol Radovich says:
November 1, 2019
I added craisins plumped in OJ for about 30 min and crushed walnuts.
Reply
- Betty J Walter says:
September 10, 2019
love easy recipes .
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- Rachel says:
September 10, 2019
I do too!!! 🙂
Reply
- Diane says:
September 20, 2019
Can you put this in a 13 x 9 pan or is it too dense?
Reply
- Rachel says:
September 23, 2019
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would probably be fine and just need to cook longer.
Reply
- Candice says:
October 12, 2020
I have cooked this in an 8×8 (I think, maybe a 9×9). Either way, a square pan, and it came out fine. I think I cooked it at 325 and about 30-40 minutes but it’s been a long time. I can’t remember exactly. But it does come out nicely!
Reply
- Janice says:
September 20, 2019
Can you make this as a loaf also?
Reply
- Rachel says:
September 23, 2019
I would think so, but I haven’t tried, so I’m not sure how long it would need to bake.
Reply
- Amber Schleter says:
September 24, 2019
I made this in a loaf pan and it turned out perfect! I drizzled cream cheese icing on it and added raises… absolutely amazing!! It will definitely be a go to recipe for fall.
Reply
- Jo says:
October 13, 2019
That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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- Elle says:
September 25, 2019
I added 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil before it became what I Friday was the proper texture for muffin mix. Turned out great!
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- Laurie says:
September 26, 2019
Just made these! Hope there are some left for breakfast! Yum! easy!
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- Mikki says:
September 26, 2019
This is actually a Weight Watchers recipe. It’s been around for years. It can also be baked in a 9” x 9” pan as a cake.
Reply
- Rachel says:
October 1, 2019
Interesting. I’m not really familiar with Weight Watchers, does that mean these are healthy? Great to know about baking as a cake!
Reply
- Nancy Andrews says:
September 30, 2019
If I made these pumpkin muffins into small would the cooking time change?
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- Rachel says:
October 1, 2019
I’ve made mini muffins with this and think I baked them 15 minutes (not 100% if I’m remembering that time right). They turned out great, and yes, start checking them earlier as they won’t need to bake as long.
Reply
- Lauren says:
October 4, 2019
What about for high altitude baking? I live at 6,800ft!
Reply
- Rachel says:
October 11, 2019
Sorry, I don’t have any personal experience with high altitude baking. Let use know how it goes if you try!
Reply
- Lyra says:
October 7, 2019
I made this in a loaf pan added chocolate chips….Oh my goodness it was so delicious and so simple!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe 😊
Reply
- Diane says:
December 10, 2019
What size loaf pan and approximately how long did you bake it?
Reply
- Jenell says:
October 10, 2019
Carrot cake mix makes these super good too!
Reply
- Jo says:
October 13, 2019
Nice tip! I’m a huge carrot cake fan, I’ll have to try that 🙂
Reply
- Betty Gammon says:
October 12, 2019
So I’m just making sure…you don’t have to add the eggs, water, oil or butter to the cake mix, right? Just the dry cake mix and the pumpkin puree???!
Reply
- Jo says:
October 13, 2019
Absolutely true! Just the two ingredients – dry cake mix + the pumpkin puree. As Rachel mentioned, the pumpkin puree replaces the oil/water/eggs. The batter is thicker than usual and you can thin with a little water if you want, but its not necessary.
- Jacki says:
October 20, 2019
Hi! I have made these for years but, I prefer to use a couple of eggs and about a half cup of oil. Just my own preference. This muffin recipe is an awesome one.
I also add cream cheese frosting. I take a star tip and put it on my frosting bag then I fill the bag about half way and I push through the mini muffins until my tip is being pushed back out then I just leave a little star on top.
I make the mini muffins for giving to family, friends, neighbors, my doctor’s office, my mail person and even my garbage pickup guys and they beg for more!
This recipe you gave is an extremely veritable one. It allows for all kinds of different ingredients that can be added or not, add a frosting or not. This is truly a great base recipe.Reply
- Jo says:
October 20, 2019
Completely agree! So many possible variations. Last week I made it with carrot cake mix, a can of pumpkin, a small can of crushed pineapple, and 2 eggs – and, of course, topped with cream cheese frosting. AMAZING!
Reply
- Alden Nannie says:
October 21, 2019
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is wonderful blog. An excellent read. I’ll definitely be back.|
Reply
- Diane says:
October 21, 2019
How many muffins does the recipe make?
Thanks!Reply
- Nancy says:
September 20, 2023
I just made these and it made 14
Reply
- Wendi says:
October 22, 2019
I can’t wait to try this. I love all the different tricks to one simple recipe reviewers have tried and shared. As for the reviewer asking about changes on high altitude, I had to learn to cook all over again when we moved from NC., to CO., but now we’re in AL., and I had to change the way I cook yet again, that being said, follow the directions on the cake mix for high altitude and that should be the way to go, however, some even say no change, and you don’t have to do anything different.
Reply
- Mary jo pfeiffer says:
October 22, 2019
Disappointed. Did not look anything like picture. Perhaps you used mini cake pans
Reply
- Rachel says:
October 23, 2019
I”m sorry you’re unhappy with the result. I just use a standard cupcake pan. Adding a little water to the recipe can thin the batter a little and make the tops look smoother if that was the issue.
Reply
- Sherry says:
October 26, 2019
We used to make these. Our daughter would have them at school at lunch and her friends would fight over them.
Any ideas on how to make them with gluten free mixes? Thanks.Reply
- Jo says:
October 28, 2019
Hmm… gluten free would definitely be a little trickier. I’d probably buy a gluten free mix and add the eggs as directed, just use the can of pumpkin to sub for the oil. Maybe some water if the consistency is too thick? With GF I have issues with rising sometimes, so I wouldn’t cut the eggs completely. Try it out and let us know how it goes!
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- Tracy says:
September 11, 2022
I’ve made these gluten free. They came out great. Just used a vanilla gf mix, pumpkin and added some pumpkin pie spice to taste. Loved them!
Reply
- Jo says:
September 11, 2022
Glad to hear they worked out GF!! Thanks for letting us know so we can spread the news 🙂
Reply
- Hiram Pallone says:
October 28, 2019
I needed to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it. I have got you bookmarked to look at new stuff you post…|
Reply
- Cindy Kilianski says:
November 7, 2019
I just used these exact two ingredients and added butterscotch chips and made cookies with it and they turned out awesome!
Reply
- Simonne Teetz says:
November 8, 2019
That is a really good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Short but very accurate information… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read post!|
Reply
- Jessie E Stephens says:
January 22, 2020
Hi
I’m wondering which pumpkin puree to use. The plain pumpkin or the pumpkin one would use to make pumpkin pie that has spices?Reply
- Jo says:
January 23, 2020
Just the plain pumpkin is the one we’re talking about. Although the pumpkin spiced one might be delicious if you mixed it with a simpler mix, like vanilla 🙂
Reply
- Sylvia says:
March 6, 2020
I just used this 2 ingredient recipe in 12 muffin tins with liners. I used the new Sugar Free Pillsbury cake mix- can’t wait to see how they turn out. Only thing I need to know is how to count them in WW
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- Bonnie Daily says:
July 12, 2020
I have also used two cups of unsweetened applesauce in place of pumpkin with either spice or carrot cake mix. Both equally good!
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- Jo says:
July 14, 2020
Great tip!
Reply
- Joyce Gale says:
September 10, 2020
Add a cup of mini choc chips…….oh really good!
Reply
- Alicia says:
September 26, 2020
Super easy recipe. I add some almond milk to make the muffins lighter and a bit fluffy. I also add in pumpkin spice, dry coconut and top with pumpkin seeds and cinnamon and sugar. I brought these to my kiddos teacher appreciation day last year, and they loved them (there were no left overs). Multiple teachers wanted the recipe. Also works well with carrot cake mix when there are no spice cake mixes.
Reply
- Billie S says:
October 9, 2020
I make these muffins but add 1 egg and a bag of cinnamon chips. They are so good.
Reply
October 12, 2020
[…] 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins: These are so stinkin’ yummy and EASY, y’all! Make regular muffins for breakfast or mini-muffins to snack on. Spice cake mix is sometimes hard to find, but no worries if you can’t find it- use this recipe that calls for yellow cake mix and spices instead. […]
Reply
October 19, 2020
[…] 1. Super Easy 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins […]
Reply
- Patti Johnson says:
November 12, 2020
I’m going to brush the top with a little butter and dip in cinnamon sugar.
Reply
- Jo says:
November 15, 2020
LOVE this idea 🙂
Reply
- Donna C. says:
January 7, 2023
I added cinnamon chocolate chips and put turbinado sugar on top(just to make fancy). Big hit.
Reply
- Jo says:
January 11, 2023
That sounds AMAZING! Thanks for the feedback and tips 🙂
Reply
- Brittany says:
October 8, 2023
I made these and LOVE them! I added 1 tbsp of milk and some chopped pecans ! My question is can I freeze them ?
Reply
- Jo says:
October 13, 2023
So glad you enjoyed them! I haven’t tried freezing them, so I can’t help with that one. But if you try it, please update and let us know how it turns out!
Reply
- Caity says:
October 14, 2023
I made these 2 different times. The first ones turned out as sugar free cake mix. The second time it was keto cake mix and they didn’t rise. They were in the oven for 350 degrees for 50 minutes and still very raw. Any answer as to why they didn’t rise or cook
Reply
Cassandra 
Sophia 
Carla 
Karol Radovich 
Betty J Walter 
Diane 
Candice 
Janice 
Amber Schleter 
Jo 
Elle 
Laurie 
Mikki 
Lauren 
Diane 
Jenell 
Betty Gammon 
Jacki 
Diane 
Nancy 
Mary jo pfeiffer 
Sherry 
Tracy 
Cindy Kilianski 
Jessie E Stephens 
Bonnie Daily 
Joyce Gale 
Alicia 
Billie S 
Patti Johnson 
Donna C. 
Brittany 
Caity Leave a Reply
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