These easy Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Muffins are soft, moist, and topped with a thick layer of buttery cinnamon streusel. The Greek yogurt keeps them tender and adds a little protein, and warm pumpkin spice makes them taste like your favorite Fall bakery muffin. Everything comes together in two bowls in about 15 minutes, no mixer required.
Why You’ll Love These Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Muffins
- Soft and moist every time. Greek yogurt and pumpkin purée keep the muffins tender for days, so these don’t dry out like some muffins do.
- That buttery streusel topping. Big cinnamon-sugar crumbs bake into a crisp, bakery-style top that makes them feel like a treat from the coffee shop.
- Simple ingredients you already have. Flour, butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, and a can of pumpkin and some common spices.
- Family-friendly. Kids love the crumb topping, they pack well in lunchboxes, and each muffin has about 5g of protein from the Greek yogurt.
Key Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Greek yogurt: This is what keeps these muffins soft and tender, and it adds a little extra protein. Nonfat, 2% and full-fat all work but just make sure to use plain – not a flavored yogurt. Greek yogurt is my go-to for tender muffins — it’s the same trick behind my Greek yogurt chocolate chip muffins (a reader favorite).
Pumpkin purée: Use canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Homemade purée works too, but blot it with a paper towel first if it looks watery.
Butter: Melted butter gives the best flavor. However, you can also replace half or all of the butter with olive or avocado oil. It will just be slightly less rich.
Brown and granulated sugar: Brown sugar brings a deeper, almost caramel flavor that goes well with pumpkin. Using all granulated sugar works, but you’ll lose some of that warmth.
Eggs: Two eggs give these muffins structure and a little extra protein. Room temperature eggs blend in more easily, though cold eggs are fine when you’re in a hurry.
Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon: The extra cinnamon on top of the pumpkin pie spice is what makes these taste like fall. No pumpkin pie spice? Use 1½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp allspice or cloves.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which makes muffins tough and dense instead of soft and fluffy.
- Fill the cups almost to the top. This is what gives you tall, bakery-style muffin tops. Filled full, this batter makes 15 muffins. Fill them a little lower and you’ll probably get 16.
- Press the streusel in gently. Spoon it on, then press lightly so it grips the batter. Otherwise the crumbs slide off when you pull the muffins out of the pan.
- Start checking at 18 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Muffins can go from perfect to dry quickly, so pull them as soon as they test done.
- Let them cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes. They firm up as they cool, so moving them too soon can break the tops.
Easy Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter or ¼ cup butter + ¼ cup olive or avocado oil
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Streusel Topping:
- 5 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with liners or grease it with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined and set it aside.
- Put ½ cup of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir, then microwave 15–20 seconds more, until it's soft and mostly melted.
- Add the pumpkin, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla to the large bowl with the melted butter. Gently whisk until combined. (Some lumps are normal.)
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir until just combined or until the flour disappears. Careful not to overmix. (Overmixing can cause tough and dense muffins.)
- Make the streusel: In the same medium bowl (no need to wash it), microwave the 5 tbsp butter until melted, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and mix with a fork until big, crumbly clumps form.
- Fill each muffin cup almost full. Top each one with a generous spoonful of streusel and press it gently into the batter.
- Bake 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking at 18 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before removing them. (Pro tip: if you're using muffin liners, they're much easier to remove once muffins are completely cooled.)
- Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for a day or two longer. To freeze, wrap them individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Warm them in the microwave for 15–20 seconds.
- If you make these, it would help my small blog SO much if you could leave a rating below! Just scroll to the bottom of the page until you see a row of stars to click. Thank you so much!
Nutrition
FAQs
Yes, and they’re great for lunchboxes. Fill the mini cups almost full, add a smaller pinch of streusel, and bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes. This batter makes about 36 minis.
Yes. Bake them the night before and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. The streusel stays crisp for about a day, and the muffins stay moist for several days thanks to the Greek yogurt.
Yes, these freeze really well. Let them cool completely, wrap each one individually, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20–30 seconds straight from the freezer.
Yes, the crumb is soft and easy to chew, and the sweetness is on the mild side for a muffin. If you’re serving them to little ones, you can cut the sugar in the batter to ½ cup total and skip the streusel, or bake them as minis for easier portions.
Absolutely. Fold ¾ cup of chocolate chips into the batter for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. You can keep the streusel or skip it altogether.
Usually it’s overmixing or too much flour. Stir just until the flour disappears, and spoon your flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping straight from the bag.
More Greek Yogurt Muffin Recipes
If these were a hit, you’ll want to try the rest of my Greek yogurt muffin recipes. They all use the same simple base, so once you’ve made one, the rest come together even easier.
- Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins — the reader favorite that started the whole series
- Funfetti Greek Yogurt Muffins — a lunchbox favorite the kids ask for by name
- Chocolate Greek Yogurt Muffins — rich, soft, and almost like cake
- Lemon Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins — bright and fresh when you want a break from fall flavors
- Greek Yogurt Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins — the best way to use up spotty bananas
- All My Greek Yogurt Muffin Recipes — the full roundup in one place
looks delicious
They really are! I’m so happy with how this recipe came out. They’re super easy and SO good. Let me know if you try them!