How to Make Pumpkin Pie Muffins

As a ratio baker, I use ratios and weights to bake, so this is more of a how to guide than an actual recipe.

October and November mean pumpkin pie to me. It’s literally the only time of the year I ever eat pumpkin pie. There’s one specific brand I’ll eat, but it’s been harder to find as I’ve grown up. This year, my husband got me an adorable 6-inch pie plate (he really wanted apple pie), so I decided to make my own.

The pie itself was easy, though it did take 3 attempts before I got it nearly 100% right. Unfortunately, it left me with too much pumpkin pie filling. It sat in the fridge for a few days, staring me down. On a whim, I decided to try using it as the liquid in the muffin ratio, just so I could keep my kids quiet and occupied for a few minutes, to make pumpkin pie muffins. I hoped.

First, the Pumpkin Pie Filling

Pumpkin pie filling is basically a custard. The custard ratio is 2 parts dairy to 1 part egg.

Since I have a 6-inch pie plate, I couldn’t make too much custard. I used one egg, which weighs about 50 grams. Most pumpkin pie recipes use evaporated and sweetened condensed milk, but I only had the condensed milk. I also added a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice, about half of a quarter cup of brown sugar, and probably about a cup of pumpkin puree. After a quick mix (depending on whether my 3 year old was present to “help”), I poured most of it into my prepared pie crust. And stuck the rest into a glass jar. To wait. Patiently. Or not so patiently. I can’t read the minds of various foods.

Then, the Pumpkin Pie Muffins

The muffin ratio is 2 parts flour to 2 parts liquid to 1 part egg to 1 part fat (2:2:1:1 flour to liquid to egg to fat). It also requires some sugar, about 2-4 tablespoons per egg, and some baking powder, about 1 tsp per cup of flour).

Basically, the flour and the liquid (pumpkin pie filling in this case) should weigh about the same. The egg and the fat should each weigh half as much as the flour (or liquid, depending on how you want to look at it), so, added together, the weight of the egg and the fat should equal the weight of the flour (or, again, the liquid).

The dry and wet ingredients are mixed separately.

In one bowl, mix the egg, pumpkin pie filling in lieu of the liquid, and melted fat (I used butter).

In another, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder as well as a dash of salt if you want.

Then carefully mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. It should be lumpy. Do not overmix. Seriously. Don’t do it unless you like tough muffins.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and then lower it to 375 after putting the muffin tray in. Bake for about 20 or so minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

What I Did

I had about 139 grams of pumpkin pie filling left over, so decided to go with one egg. To my one egg, I added about 100 grams of my pumpkin pie filling and half a stick of butter (melted).

In another bowl, I added 100 grams of flour, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar because the pumpkin pie filling already had sugar added to it, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and a dash of salt.

Then I mixed the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.

It made 4 pumpkin pie muffins, but they really didn’t last long. Who knew my 3 year old would love them so much? Oh, wait. She loved my pumpkin pie, the filling at least.

Prefer pumpkin pie? Check out my 3 attempts at getting it right.

Head over to the Kitchen for more adventures in ratio baking or my recipes.