Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

This Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe creates soft, moist bakery-style muffins filled with warm pumpkin spice flavor and finished with a buttery streusel topping.

These copycats are perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or serving with coffee during the fall season.

Made with simple pantry ingredients and pumpkin puree, they’re easy enough for any baker to make.

Best of all, you can enjoy this bakery favorite anytime the craving strikes without waiting for it to return to the Panera menu.

Two images of pumpkin muffins with crumb topping on a cooling rack. The top image shows whole muffins; the bottom shows one cut open, revealing its moist orange interior. Text reads Panera Pumpkin Muffins and panera pumpkin muffin recipe at www.mommalew.com.

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Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Skip the bakery line and enjoy this pumpkin recipe right from your own kitchen!

  • Bakery-style muffins with tall, domed tops
  • Sweet cinnamon streusel topping
  • Made with real pumpkin puree
  • Perfect for a fall breakfast recipe or fall snack
  • Freezer-friendly for easy meal prep
  • Easy recipe made with pantry staples
A close-up of a partially eaten pumpkin muffin with a crumbly streusel topping, sitting on a white muffin liner atop a gold cooling rack.

How to Make Homemade Panera Pumpkin Muffins

  • Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a jumbo muffin pan.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix the wet ingredients—pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs—in a separate bowl. Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling – the flavors and texture are completely different.
  • Combine the wet and dry ingredients gently. Don’t overmix the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins.
  • Then fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full.
Four-step collage showing a Panera pumpkin muffin recipe: 1) pumpkin and sugar in a bowl, 2) pumpkin mixture added to flour, 3) mixture stirred into a smooth batter, 4) batter portioned into six lined muffin tin cups.
  • Top each with a homemade crumb streusel made from flour, sugar, and cold butter.
  • Bake for 20–25 minutes, let cool, and enjoy! These muffins are best fresh but can be stored or frozen for later.
Three crumb-topped muffins sit on a gold cooling rack, highlighting the results of easy muffin recipes, with a white patterned cloth in the background on a light-colored surface.

Don’t Forget To…

  • Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
  • Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
  • Save or share this recipe on Pinterest!

How Do You Keep Pumpkin Muffins Moist?

Pumpkin puree naturally keeps muffins soft and tender. To prevent them from drying out:

  • Measure the flour correctly.
  • Don’t overbake.
  • Store in an airtight container.
  • Freeze extras if you won’t eat them within a few days.
Three crumb-topped muffins sit on a gold cooling rack. With their golden, crumbly texture, they’re perfect for fall breakfast recipes, set against a light surface and a patterned cloth in the background.
Can I make these in a regular muffin tin instead of jumbo?

Yes! Just adjust the baking time to 15–18 minutes and keep an eye on them toward the end.

How do I know when the muffins are done?

Insert a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, they’re ready.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Muffins?

Absolutely. Once completely cooled, wrap each muffin individually and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for about 20–30 seconds.

Can I Make These Pumpkin Muffins Ahead of Time?

Yes! Bake the muffins a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The flavors become even better the next day, making them perfect for meal prep or holiday breakfasts.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, which will change the flavor and texture. Use 100% pure pumpkin puree.

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Don’t miss these other cozy and delicious fall recipe ideas to enjoy all season long!

panera bread pumpkin muffin recipe
Three crumb-topped muffins sit on a gold cooling rack. With their golden, crumbly texture, they’re perfect for fall breakfast recipes, set against a light surface and a patterned cloth in the background.

panera bread pumpkin muffin recipe

This copycat Panera pumpkin muffin recipe makes soft, moist bakery-style muffins topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. They're easy to make at home and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or enjoying with your favorite fall coffee.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Muffins
Cuisine: American
Keyword: panera pumpkin muffin, Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: momma lew

Ingredients

For the crumb topping:

  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

For the muffins:

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and add 6 liners to a jumbo muffin pan.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). 
  • Set this dry mixture aside.
  • Add the sugar, pumpkin, oil, and eggs to a medium bowl and stir with a whisk until well combined.
  • Pour the pumpkin mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and gently stir just until combined. 
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
  • For the delicious streusel, combine flour, sugar and cold unsalted butter. Mix until it forms a crumbly texture. Sprinkle the crumble topping over your muffin batter before baking.
  • Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  • Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For the icing, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. 
  • The icing drizzle is the finishing touch. Ensure it's at the right consistency—thick enough to stay on the muffins but thin enough to drizzle. Adjust the amount of milk or powdered sugar as needed.
  • Once the muffins have cooled, drizzle this icing over the top of the muffins for that perfect finishing touch.

Notes

Keep muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days. For longer freshness, refrigerate or freeze.
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11 Comments

  1. Yvonne richards says:

    I would love to learn how to Bake thank

  2. I was excited to make these but as I started gathering the ingredients, I realized the measurements for the baking soda, spices and salt weren’t included in the instructions.

    1. The instructions and ingredients for these pumpkin muffins are at the bottom of the post in the printable recipe card.

  3. The pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 tsp. How much of each cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves do I need if substituting the pumpkin pie spice?

    I have everything ready to make these muffins that look delicious. I hope I made it right.

    Thank you

    1. It would be 1/2 tsp of each spice to make your own pumpkin pie spice.

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