Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are moist, tender, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup, with a touch of pumpkin spice for warm fall flavor. Enjoy them for breakfast or serve them warm alongside a bowl of your favorite chili.
Cornbread Pumpkin Muffins
These easy pumpkin cornbread muffins have everything I love about classic cornbread, with pumpkin puree for moisture and pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon for warm fall flavor. They’re just what I crave when the weather cools off. The maple syrup adds a little sweetness without making them overly sweet, so they work equally well for breakfast with a little butter or as a side dish at dinner.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
I started with my cornbread muffin recipe but swapped the corn kernels for canned pumpkin puree and adjusted some of the wet ingredients. Initially I made the pumpkin pie spice optional, but after my family tried them, they said it should definitely be added.
- Moist, not crumbly: The pumpkin replaces some of the butter so the muffins aren’t dry.
- Great at all meals: Serve them warm with butter at breakfast with a cup of coffee or dip them in chili or stew for dinner.
- Make ahead: If you’re making these for the holidays or another party, bake them a day or two early, then reheat in the oven.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is everything you need to make this healthy pumpkin cornbread muffin recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Canned pumpkin provides moisture and fiber without fat.
- Milk: Use 1% or 2% milk, or a dairy-free option like almond milk.
- Maple syrup adds some sweetness while keeping them savory enough to serve with dinner.
- Eggs help bind the ingredients together.
- Unsalted butter: Melt it, then let it cool slightly before mixing it with the wet ingredients.
- Dry ingredients: I used equal parts cornmeal and flour to give you a prominent cornbread flavor and help the muffins stay together.
- Baking powder helps the muffin rise.
- Kosher salt balances the sweetness and improves the texture.
- Fall spices: Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon give them a warm flavor that will make your house smell amazing while they bake.
How to Make Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
If you don’t want to make muffins, bake this cornbread in a 9-inch round cake pan or a cast-iron skillet for 22 to 25 minutes. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Wet and dry ingredients: Whisk the pumpkin, milk, syrup, eggs, and butter in one bowl, and the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and spices in another.
- Mix everything together: Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, then stir until combined.
- Bake pumpkin cornbread muffins: Pour the batter into a greased muffin tin and bake at 400°F for 15 to 16 minutes.
Tips
- Don’t overmix. Otherwise, the muffins will be dense and tough. Gently stir the wet and dry ingredients together until you don’t see any streaks of flour. Then stop mixing!
- Spray the muffin tin. Generously spray the cups with a nonstick cooking spray. If you use regular paper liners, you’ll still need to spray them. You could also use parchment muffin liners or a silicone muffin pan to prevent sticking.
- Check that they’re ready a minute early. Ovens heat differently, and even inside your oven, one spot may be hotter than another. It’s sometimes a good idea to check the muffins a minute early to ensure you don’t overbake them. Insert a toothpick into a muffin in the center row. If it comes out clean with few crumbs, remove the pan from the oven.
Variations
- Gluten-free cornbread: Swap all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour, like Cup4Cup.
- Pureed pumpkin: I have a pumpkin puree recipe if you want to make it yourself.
- Make them dairy-free: Use non-dairy milk and replace the butter with melted and cooled coconut oil or vegan butter.
- Sweetener: You could also use honey, or, if you’re trying to limit sugar, I loved how they turned out with this Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup.
- No pumpkin pie spice? Make your own blend using the individual spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
How to Serve Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
Serve these muffins warm with a little butter, or use them to soak up a bowl of chili. Enjoy them with my:
- White Chicken Chili
- Beef Chili
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Black Bean Vegetarian Chili
- White Bean Pumpkin Chili
Or as a side with Roasted Chicken, or Thanksgiving turkey. For breakfast, try one warm with my cottage cheese scrambled eggs or some Greek yogurt.
How to Store and Reheat
- Store pumpkin cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. Then refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Giving these muffins two layers is essential to prevent freezer burn. Wrap them in plastic wrap or foil, then store them in a ziplocked bag or an airtight container. They’ll last for 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge or microwave them straight from the freezer. You can also reheat them in the oven at 325°F until warm.
More Healthy Canned Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
Try one of these easy pumpkin recipes to get into the fall spirit!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Bread
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Roasted Veggies
Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin, unsweetened
- ¾ cup low-fat milk , or dairy-free milk
- ⅔ cup maple syrup, I used sugar-free Wholesome Yum
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for serving if desired)
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal, coarse
- 1 cup all purpose flour , or gluten-free flour mix
- 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the pumpkin, milk, maple syrup, eggs, and butter to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin spice (if using) and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to over mix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, dividing the batter equally between the cups.
- Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes. Remove from the muffin tin and serve warm. Serve with extra butter, if desired.