Pumpkin Spice Muffins Twist

Name: Pumpkin Spice Muffins Twist
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 box spice cake mix; 15-ounce can spiced pumpkin pie filling

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 02 February 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Two main ingredients combine into giant pumpkin muffins. Cake mix and pumpkin puree only but with a twist – swapping regular pumpkin for spiced pumpkin pie filling. No mixer needed. Just dump, stir, scoop, and bake. Muffins swell, edges brown. Aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg fills kitchen. Toothpick test tells when through. Cool on rack or eat warm. Slightly off sweetness. Less sugar, more pumpkin flavor, denser texture. Big bowl helps catch spills. Half-cup scoop makes uneven mound tops that crack slightly. Visual and texture clues to stop baking instead of timer reliance. Sodium and sugar modified with pie filling addition. Simple. Really no-guess baking for busy cooks with some flavor depth added.

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 25 min

Servings: 6 servings

#pumpkin #muffins #baking #no mixer #spiced pumpkin #cake mix

Dump and mix, that’s the spirit. No beating, no splatter wars. Tried it many ways but spiced pumpkin filling added depth – cinnamon, nutmeg right there, no extra seasoning needed. Somehow just one bowl becomes chaos with dry mix and wet pumpkin, if you don’t use a huge bowl. Stirring lumps out is tough, but lumps here mean moist baked treasures. Scooping with ½ cup measure? Makes the muffins big, almost rustic looking. Edges crisp, insides dense but not dry. Oven sounds tell when to peek – a slight crackle means tops are firm. Pro tip: forget timers, listen and look for clues. Baking teaches patience in crumbs and warmth. Muffins aren’t overly sweet thanks to pie filling swap; some days that’s what my soul craves. Tried sugar swap with maple syrup blend? Too wet, messy.

Ingredients

1 box spice cake mix
15-ounce can spiced pumpkin pie filling

About the ingredients

Switch pumpkin puree for spiced pumpkin pie filling straight from can. Adds pre-mixed cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger…so cutting down on extra spice ingredients saves time and fuss. Use spice cake mix for its cinnamon and clove notes, but carrot cake mix gives interesting twist too. For gluten-free, try gluten-free cake mixes but expect texture changes. If no jumbo muffin pan, standard muffin tins fill half and bake less time – check often. Measure scoop size matters, ½ cup gives big muffins, smaller scoops yield more but less impressive. Cake mix freshness affects rise; old mix means dense muffins—always smell your mix. If batter too thick, splash milk or juice to loosen, but resist temptation to add eggs; ruins simplicity. Large bowl mandatory to catch sticky pumpkin spills when mixing. Later, grease pan if liners aren’t on hand, muffins stick badly otherwise.

Method

Set oven to 345F. Let flames warm racks – preheated oven crucial so muffins rise right.
Use a very big mixing bowl. Larger bowls prevent batter spills when mixing dense pumpkin mixture. Dump cake mix first, then spiced pumpkin pie filling, so dry absorbs wet better.
With wooden spoon or spatula, stir thoroughly but don’t overmix. Some lumps are okay — lumps mean moist pockets baking inside. Avoid mixer or electric tools; batter should feel thick but pliable, not runny.
Lined jumbo muffin tin works best. Using ½ cup scoop portion batter. Irregular tops will form with cracks. That’s texture, don’t flatten muffins with back of scoop. Air pockets mean fluff inside.
Place muffins mid-rack. Bake 18–20 minutes. Listen for subtle crackling sound as top edges set and begin to brown. Toothpick testing: insert in center; if crumbs stick, bake 2-3 minutes more. Avoid dry overbake; crumb moistness key.
Remove pan carefully; muffins jiggle slightly when done. Let cool on rack 10 minutes before popping out. Muffins too hot break apart. Serve warm or room temp with butter or honey.
Store leftovers in airtight container, muffins get denser but stay tasty for 2-3 days. Can freeze unbaked scoop balls on tray; thaws bake fine with 5 more minutes.

Cooking tips

Oven preheated before starting mixing, essential to prevent sinking muffins. Big bowl means less batter disaster — tried small bowls, batter airborne. Stir gently; mixing too much breaks pumpkin fibers and toughens muffins. Don’t worry about little lumps — try to blend but lumps don’t ruin bake. Fine cracks on muffin tops mean edges crisped; any shiny wet top means underbaked. Half cup scoop for even portioning; don’t pack batter in scoop, loose fills create lighter texture. Put muffins on middle oven rack; top third results in burnt edges. Baking times vary by muffin size; start checking at 18 mins. Toothpick test beats timer: stick in center — tacky crumbs mean nearly done; moist batter means longer bake. Muffins cool slightly before removal to keep shape intact; those straight from oven break. Leftovers store best in airtight container to keep crust crisp. To freeze raw batter, drop spoonfuls on tray and freeze flat for quick bake later.

Chef's notes

💡 Big bowl mandatory else sticky batter spills everywhere. Cake mix dry first then pumpkin pie filling; dry soaks wet—helps batter not too wet. Wooden spoon mixing only. Lumps stay — moist pockets baking inside. No electric mixer; breaks fibers, toughens muffins. Batter thick but pliable; some lumps better than fully smooth.
💡 Half-cup scoop sets chunkier mound tops. Irregular edges crack gently sets texture clues. Don’t flatten batter; air pockets make fluff inside. Muffins swell mid-bake; tops crack slightly when edges brown. Visual marks better than timer. Oven sounds change — crackle means tops firming, listen closely.
💡 Preheat oven fully to 345F. Rack placement important — middle rack. Top third burns edges; middle gives crust crisp but not char. Bake 18 to 20 mins; test early with toothpick. Tacky crumbs mean nearly done, moist batter needs more bake. Avoid dry overbake; crumb moistness key marker.
💡 Pumpkin puree substitute — use spiced pumpkin pie filling from can. Already spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Cuts extra seasoning. Sugar and sodium lower than pure pumpkin + sugar. Maple syrup swap? Too wet; stick to canned spiced filling for consistency.
💡 Cool muffins 10 mins on wire rack before removal. Too hot means break apart. Store airtight to keep crust crisp. Freeze raw scoop balls on tray; bake frozen adding 5 more minutes. Batter thickness varies with cake mix freshness; old mix means dense muffins. Sniff dry mix before starting.

Common questions

Why lumps in batter?

Some lumps good. Means pumpkin fibers intact. Lumps hold moisture in bake. Overmixing breaks fibers; leads to tough muffin. Batter thick, not runny. Use wooden spoon; no electric tools. Mix gently.

Can carrot cake mix substitute spice cake?

Yes, carrot cake adds flavor twist. Texture differs — carrot blends moister. Adjust baking time slightly. Keep pumpkin pie filling same. Less spice impact from carrot cake mix.

My muffins are dense; what went wrong?

Possible old cake mix. Smell to check freshness. Batter too thick too. If dry mix stale, rise is poor. Adding juice or milk loosens batter but don’t add eggs. Also mixing too much bruises pumpkin fibers. Use middle rack. Oven temp important.

How to store leftover muffins?

Airtight container best. Keeps crust crisp a day or two. Room temp okay. Refrigerate can dry muffins—skip fridge unless hot kitchen. Freeze raw batter scoops for later bake. Thaw on tray, bake with extra 5 mins. Muffins fridge longer storage risks drying out.