Ingredient Notes

• All-purpose flour and almond flour – The combination gives these muffin tops structure while keeping them tender. However, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour instead of 1/2 cup of each.
• Pumpkin purée – Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and spiced differently.
• Pumpkin spice – The classic warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove that makes these taste like fall. If you do not have pumpkin pie spice on hand, use 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of allspice and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Or, a mix of 3/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom. If you are not a fan of these spices or don’t have any on hand, skip them all and add some chocolate chips to this mix to make some pumpkin chocolate chip muffin tops, with or without the streusel topping.
• Almond milk and vegan butter – I kept this recipe dairy-free, but any milk or butter you have on hand will work fine. Add the tablespoons of milk one at a time to make sure the consistency is thick.
• Streusel topping – A simple mix of flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cold vegan butter, rubbed together until crumbly.
• Nutrition: Each of these has approximately 340 calories: 340, 7g of protein, and 3g of fiber.

How to Make Pumpkin Muffin Tops Without a Muffin Top Pan

Step 1: Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the egg, pumpkin purée, almond milk, and vanilla until you have a wet, pliable batter.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin spice in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Shape the muffin tops. Drop spoonfuls onto a silicone sheet or parchment paper lined baking sheet and shape into rough circular mounds with the back of a spoon — no muffin top pan needed.

Step 4: Make the streusel. Rub together flour, both sugars, and cold butter (in a medium bowl) with your fingers until crumbly, then divide it generously over the muffin tops.

Step 5: Bake. 20–25 minutes at 375°F, until golden and set. You could use a toothpick to check that it is cooked through.

• If you don’t have a muffin top pan, a silicone-mat-lined baking tray works perfectly — the mounds hold their shape as they bake.
• Don’t overmix the batter — mix just until the dry and wet ingredients are combined.
• Use cold butter for the streusel so it stays crumbly instead of melting into the topping.

The Story Behind This Recipe

If, like me, you’re a fan of the muffin top, this recipe is for you.

Recently I’ve seen so many boxed muffin top mixes at grocery stores, which got me wondering who actually came up with the first muffin top recipe. Google’s best answer was Ellen on Seinfeld — or whoever wrote that episode. Even so, I never did track down the very first muffin top recipe. If you know, tell me in the comments.

In the meantime, let’s talk about these Pumpkin Spice Streusel Muffin Tops. They’re simple, quick, perfectly sweet thanks to the streusel, dairy-free, and free of any artificial ingredients or colors.

Once you’ve mixed the dry ingredients together and added the wet ingredients, the batter is wet but easily pliable — exactly the texture you want for shaping. No muffin top pan is required; spoonfuls shaped into rough mounds on a baking tray work just as well. If you do have a muffin top pan, feel free to use it, but it’s not a necessity here.

Don’t skip the streusel. After shaping the muffin tops, mix up the streusel topping and sprinkle a generous amount over each one before baking. About 30 minutes later, you’ll have a delicious, quick, portable breakfast, snack, or even dessert.

This is a small-batch recipe — the amounts listed make about 4 muffin tops. Double or triple it if you’re feeding a crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do these muffin tops keep? 

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll keep for 3–4 days. Refrigerated in an airtight container, they’ll keep about a week.

How do you reheat pumpkin muffin tops? 

Warm them in the oven for 5–10 minutes, in a toaster oven for 2–3 minutes, or in an air fryer for 3–4 minutes.

How do you serve pumpkin spice muffin tops? 

Drizzle with maple syrup and serve with coffee and fruit for breakfast, wrap them up as an on-the-go snack, or top with whipped cream and fruit for a dessert.

Can I make a bigger batch? 

Yes — this is a small-batch recipe that makes about 4 muffin tops. Double or triple the ingredients if you need more.

Want More Muffin Top Recipes?

If you like making muffin tops like these instead of reaching for store-bought mixes, there’s a whole lineup of small-batch muffin top recipes on the blog:

1. Lemon Blueberry Muffin Tops
2. Easy Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops
3. Easy Strawberry Streusel Muffin Tops with White Chocolate
4. Chocolate Chip Apricot Muffin Tops
5. Double Chocolate Muffin Tops
6. Easy Peach Pistachio Muffin Tops