Pumpkin Chai Crumble Muffins
Then there was that time where I based a recipe off a candle scent.
Yep I’m serious.
At least it’s a little better than that one time I made a milkshake based on a hand soap scent? Right right.
*inserts monkey-covering-eyes emoji*
It’s this candle: pumpkin chai, obviously. It smells like HEAVEN and I would like to somehow bathe in that without burning my skin off. It’s good enough to eat!
So we’re eating it.
I’m having a chai MOMENT here. Pumpkin chai, with all those warming spices. I also wouldn’t hate it if you decided to drizzle some chai caramel on this buttery love muffin. Hmmmpf. Why didn’t I do that? I’m the WORST.
Last year I mentioned how I had really started to enjoy pumpkin flavors again. Apple probably still ranks as my favorite for the entire autumn season, butternut or acorn or delicata squash is an easy second, but after years of just not really caring at all about pumpkin, I’m finding myself loving it. When I started blogging, there wasn’t this whole OMG PUMPKIN thing. What’s funny though it that at the time, I was sort of OMG PUMPKIN because I’d found the most delicious pumpkin cookie recipe. As the years went on, I was somewhat… well, for lack of a better word, OVER it. The universe binged on pumpkin and then I got pregnant and really didn’t want to consume it.
Some pumpkin coffee was okay, but that’s where I drew the line.
When I brought it back into my life last year, I realized that I needed to jazz it up a bit with extra flavors other than just pumpkin. In fact, I only shared two pumpkin recipes last year: french breads with parmesan and tons of brown butter and cheesecake with pistachios and a macaroon crust.
No boring pumpkin here for me.
So, let’s chat about these pillowy puffs of love because this is about as plain as pumpkin is going to get.
They are super soft and wonderful. You can use all-purpose or whole wheat flour and they will be crumb-like and practically melt in your mouth. Tons of chai spice and then a crunchy crumble topping because I can’t really eat muffins any other way.
And then when they come out of the oven, break one open well before you should (the burnt taste buds are #worthit) and slather it with cold butter, so it oozes the whole way through the pumpkin puff. It’s a lesson in patience in watching the butter melt while wanting to devour it like whoa.
Isn’t this Monday the best?!
Pumpkin Chai Crumble Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
crumble
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin, milk, coconut oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing with a large spatula until just combined. Do not overmix! Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure to evenly scoop the batter into the muffin liners. Top each with a tablespoon or 2 of the crumble mixture.
- Bake the muffins for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are set. Let cool slightly before serving.
crumble
- To make the crumb topping, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, salt and melted butter until combined. Whisk for a minute or two until the sugar begins to dissolve, then use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour. The mixture will be crumb-like and dry. Almost like a sludge or paste. This is what you want! Sprinkle the crumb on top of the muffins, covering the batter completely.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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That pat though.
52 Comments on “Pumpkin Chai Crumble Muffins”
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Gorgeous photos! These are making me wish for a cold snap =)
Thanks for sharing
thanks sara!
I’m using it now and it’s awesome! I’ve signed up for my account and have been bringing in fat paychecks. For real, my first week I made $302 and the second week I doubled it and then it kinda snowballed to $120 a day! just follow the course…
For more information>>>>>> http://www.WebJob1.Com
I do this all the time – bake stuff that reminds me of some of my favorite candles! This really only happens in the fall, but all the candles I love are food and bakery scents. And I also think of a good drizzle or topping AFTER I’ve made and shot something – the chai caramel would be perfection on these muffins!
I am all about chai stuff anyway. Chai latte is far and above my favorite fall beverage. That crumble is slaying my soul!
candles = the best food scents!
lol love that you got inspiration from a candle! at least it was an edible sounding candle instead of fresh breeze or something; that’d be much harder to translate into a muffin (;
hahaha true true.
I love that these muffins are candle-inspired! They sound SO good!!
thank you ashlyn!
These muffins sound soo delicious. Plus, I can totally relate. Some candle scents and soap scents smell soo amazing that you’d think it’s edible.
for sure! thanks andrea!
What a recipe , I am tried at my home and taste is very nice .
Thanks for Delicious Dish…….
Those look great and tasty out.
I have never seen any thing like that.
I want to try them out.
These are going to taste amazing with all these spices going on.
I love opening your posts to see what delicious recipe you have for us
thank you char!
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What could be used to replace the coconut oil in this recipe? I’m allergic to coconut (weep for me!) and it’s just in so many yummy recipes these days. I’d love to know a good replacement and ratio for it. Thanks!
hi! you can use butter in the same amount. :)
I’m using it now and it’s awesome! I’ve signed up for my account and have been bringing in fat paychecks. For real, my first week I made $305 aand the second week I doubled it and then it kinda snowballed to $120 a day! juet follow the course.. they will help you out….
usefull site…………. http://www.MaxCash3.Tk
Made these to take to work. I drizzled with the chai caramel. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! If you make them, definitely go with the caramel
You had me at Chai! <3
Okay, first… I want to say that you basing these off of a candle scent is one of the coolest ideas ever! Second… oh my gosh! They sound AMAZING! I worked as a barista at a local coffee shop a while back, and used to make “Pumpkin Chai Lattes” this time of the year; they were the best! <3 Will be trying this recipe out for sure!
Thanks for sharing your creativity with us!
Hmmm I don’t know what went wrong but the crumble topping didn’t turn out at all! It looked the same coming out of the oven as it did going in. Super sad face because it looks soooo good in your pics!
woww as quality content, I’m quite looking forward to the next posts, as follow you. Loved the recipe, I love your work
pretty sure pumpkin and chai are a match made in heaven.
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Hey Jess – can you really replace whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose flour, in the same quantities? Just wondering! Thanks!
yes!! as long as it’s whole wheat PASTRY and not regular whole wheat. :) i do it all the time in muffins!
Ok I’m probably totally missing something but where does the chai come in?
Recipe looks awesome though, I’m just curious!
hi jocelyn!! the spice mixture in the dry ingredients is the chai spice! it’s really only missing star anise. :)
Hi! Could I substitute yogurt for the milk here? Just thinking of what I already have. Can’t wait to make these.
i think you probably can!!
Thanks, I’m going to try it tonight, and I’ll report back.
I made these last night with yogurt. I think it was a little denser and chewy than if I had used milk. Flavor is great, and everyone in my 8:30 meeting this morning definitely appreciated the fall flavors.
Any chance this might turn out alright dairy free and gluten free?? I’ve been following your blog ever since the bbq pasta bake recipe you posted way wayyy back and love it btw :)
i wish i could answer, but i really don’t have much experience gluten free baking! i’m not even sure what all you could swap. if you successfully try it though, please report back. thanks so much for reading for so long ellie!! it means so much to me.
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I made these and they came out terrible. They were not sweet at all, even though I put the brown sugar in. I am not even typically a sugar person. Judging by the other comments, I feel like I must be missing something?
hi amanda!! were they just not sweet enough for you? you can always add a little more sugar! did you do the crumble on top? it has a good amount of sugar and i find makes the muffins sweeter!
I had the same thought, that there wasn’t quite enough sugar for my taste. (Which I did think a little strange since I’m usually the person who cuts sugar out of recipes by a quarter or half.) Maybe we’re just conditioned to like our pumpkin baked goods on the sweeter side? I think I might bump the sugar up to 1/2 cup in my next batch.
BUT! The overall spice blend and texture of these muffins are great. And that streusel!!
These look amazing! Do you think they’d work out with regular flour? I was hoping to make them tonight for my book club but I don’t have any pasty flour… (Sorry if that’s annoying to ask!)
not annoying at all! and yes they will work. :)
Thank you for replying so quickly! Can’t wait to make them. :)
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Hello! These look delicious, and I want to try baking them ASAP! However, I don’t have any cardamom… do you think omitting it would be a problem, or is there another spice I could try subbing?
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I loved it, thanks for posting your looks, I loved your blog I hope to see more posts
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Can the butter and milk be substituted fir non-dairy alternatives? If so, do you have suggestions about which ones would be more compatible?