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A crumb-topped Panera Pumpkin Muffin dusted with powdered sugar sits on a decorative plate.
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Panera Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

These Copycat Panera Pumpkin Muffins are tall, tender, and spiced with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a hint of cardamom. Crowned with a crunchy streusel and finished with a snowy powdered sugar dust, they’re bakery-perfect at home in jumbo or standard size.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 272kcal
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

Streusel

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (not melted)

Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
  • 3/4 cup neutral oil like vegetable or avocado oil
  • 2 large eggs room temp
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar for dusting
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a jumbo (6-cup) or standard (12-cup) muffin tin.

Make the Streusel

  • In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Work in the butter with a fork until coarse crumbs form; drizzle in the honey and toss until well combined. Refrigerate 10 minutes to firm. (Chilling helps preserve crags.)

For the Muffins

  • In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and cardamom.
  • In a large bowl, whisk sugars, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients just until no flour streaks remain. Rest the batter 5–10 minutes to hydrate (for taller domes).
  • Portion the batter into prepared muffin cups until ⅔ full; mound with streusel (about 2 tablespoon per jumbo or 1 heaping tablespoon per standard), pressing lightly so it adheres.
  • Bake the jumbo muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. For standard-size muffins, bake 18-22 minutes. The muffin tops should be set and have a deeply crackled surface. Avoid overbaking these muffins.
  • Cool 10 minutes in pan, then to transfer to a rack to cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the top before serving.

Notes

  1. Pumpkin: Brands vary in moisture. If your purée is loose, whisk in 1–2 tablespoon flour to the batter
  2. Honey in Streusel: This helps to promote larger, crunchy clumps that mimic the café muffin’s crown.
  3. Muffin Size Guide: This batch yields 6 jumbo or 14–16 standard muffins. For jumbo height, fill liners high and bake on the center oven rack.
  4. Storage/Freezing: Store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days; freeze for up to 3 months. Dust with sugar after thawing to prevent it from dissolving.
  5. Nutritional information below is calculated for standard-size muffins.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2458IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg