Easy pumpkin muffins

I almost always bake from scratch but I have a few fun recipes that begin with a cake mix.  When I heard about this recipe, I had to make it right away to see if it really was that easy AND good.  All I can say is... yum.

This is the perfect recipe for last minute guests as everything is available in the pantry!

Added Note:  With just the three of us at home, we've had these last a few days.  They stayed moist for days (unlike other muffins).  Great when you need something to make ahead.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

 Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
(I added 1/2 teaspoon coriander and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom)

Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips  (not used in muffins pictured above)

Yes... that is the correct ingredient list.  There are no eggs, no oil, just what is listed.

Mix together dry cake mix and spices.  Add pumpkin and mix until blended.  Spoon into well greased muffin tin about 3/4ths full.

Bake 20-25 minutes for average muffin tin and 12-14 minutes for the mini muffins.  (The picture above is a bowl of mini muffins with colored sugar sprinkled on top before baking.)

These can easily morph into cupcakes by icing with your favorite buttercream, caramel, or cream cheese icing.

Muffins My Way

These are the muffins I make the most. They make only seven or eight muffins when using an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tins. They'll make a little more than that when filling muffin tins only half full. This recipe can easily be doubled, which should make at least one dozen muffins.

Muffins My Way

1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Milk
1 egg

1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 Cup berries, or chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts, etc.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or butter muffin tin.

In bowl, mix together very well the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Melt butter, set aside.

Whisk together milk and egg.

Pour milk and egg mixture into bowl of dry ingredients, then pour butter into bowl. Stir only until ingredients are combined, do not over mix.

Add any additional ingredients at this time and fold in gently.

I use an ice cream scoop to place batter into a greased muffin tin.

Pour just a little water in any unused muffin tin.

Check after 17 or 18 minutes, bake longer if a toothpick does not come out clean.

For blueberry muffins, I add about 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract to batter. I make a glaze with a cup of confectioners sugar and a little lemon juice and pour glaze over the baked muffins while they are still a little warm.

For cranberry muffins, I add about 1 teaspoon of orange extract to batter. I make a glaze with one cup of confectioners sugar and a little orange juice and pour that glaze over the baked muffins while they are still warm.

The muffins shown are the basic recipe with 1 cup of butterscotch chips added.

I have also used 1 cup of... cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and just 1 cup of nuts without any chips.

Although I add only one cup of fruit, or flavored chips, etc., I will add an additional 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans if my son isn't eating any of them. :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I just tried these today and they are one of the best muffins I've ever made!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons Ovaltine (I used regular Hershey's cocoa)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a medium bowl blend the banana, oil, egg and vanilla together.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in the banana mixture until just blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

From: Mommy, Are the Toys on Sale Blog (who got it from the Ovaltine online recipes)