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These easy 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins are made with nothing more than a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. Moist, warmly spiced and surprisingly satisfying, they’re a longtime Weight Watchers favorite for good reason.
No eggs. No oil. No butter. Just stir together the cake mix and pumpkin, spoon the thick batter into your muffin pan and bake.
I’ve been making these easy pumpkin muffins for years, and they continue to be one of our most popular Weight Watchers recipes.
And I understand why.
They’re inexpensive, easy to keep on hand, freezer-friendly and endlessly adaptable. Make them plain or add a few mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, cinnamon chips or chopped nuts.
You can also make them as mini muffins, regular muffins, cupcakes, a loaf or even a simple pumpkin cake.
For a two-ingredient recipe, there’s a lot you can do with it.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins
- Ingredients
- How to Make Mini Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins, Step-by-Step
- Recipe Notes, Variations & Substitutions
- Storing & Freezing Pumpkin Muffins
- How Many Calories and WW Points?
- Why This Old Weight Watchers Favorite Still Works
- 2-Ingredient Spice Cake Mix Mini Muffins Recipe
- More Easy WW-Friendly Baked Treats
- Discover More WW-Friendly Recipes
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins
- Just 2 ingredients. All you need is a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree.
- Quick and easy. No mixer required—just stir, scoop and bake.
- Moist and flavorful. Pumpkin keeps the muffins tender while the spice cake mix provides plenty of warm fall flavor.
- Easy to customize. Add mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, nuts or cinnamon chips, or enjoy them plain.
- Freezer-friendly. Make a batch and stash some away for an easy grab-and-go treat.
- A longtime WW favorite. There’s a reason this simple recipe has remained popular with Weight Watchers members for so many years.
Ingredients
You need just two basic ingredients to make these easy pumpkin muffins:
Spice cake mix – A standard box of dry spice cake mix provides the flour, sugar, leavening and warm fall spices all in one.
Canned pumpkin puree – Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use homemade pumpkin puree.
Optional Additions
These muffins are delicious plain, but you can also add or sprinkle them with:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries (Craisins)
- Cinnamon chips
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- A little icing or glaze
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients
Step 2: Preheat your oven and prepare your baking pans
Preheat oven to 400F degrees line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners or lightly coat muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.
Step 3: Combine the Cake Mix and Pumpkin
In a large mixing bowl (affiliate link), stir together the cake mix and pumpkin puree. This will take some effort and the mixture will be very, very thick. (I gradually sifted in the cake mix which made the stirring a little easier.) Stir in any optional mix-ins.
Step 4: Fill the muffin cups
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mini muffin cups. Top with any optional toppings and gently press into the batter.
Step 5: Bake
Bake at 400F degrees, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10-12 minutes for mini muffins.
Step 6: Cool your baked muffins
Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute or two in the pan before placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Store your muffins
Store any leftover mini muffins in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes, Variations & Substitutions
Make regular-size muffins: You can divide the batter among regular muffin cups instead. Baking time will need to be increased slightly, so bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Make 12 larger muffins: Divide the batter among 12 regular muffin cups for bigger, bakery-style muffins. Keep in mind that the calories and WW Points per muffin will be higher.
Make the tops prettier: Because the batter is so thick, the muffins can look a little rough on top. Smooth the batter with damp fingers before baking if you want a more even appearance.
Make pumpkin cupcakes: Add a small amount of icing or cream cheese frosting for a simple fall cupcake.
Make a cake or loaf: Spread the batter into a prepared cake or loaf pan (affiliate link) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The baking time will vary depending on the pan.
No spice cake mix? Use yellow cake mix and add about 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice. I’ve done this and it works great. Carrot cake mix would be another tasty option.
Add chocolate: Mini chocolate chips are especially good because you get little bits of chocolate throughout without needing very many.
Storing & Freezing Pumpkin Muffins
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container. Because pumpkin keeps them quite moist, I like to refrigerate them if they’ll be around for more than a couple of days.
They also freeze beautifully.
Let the muffins cool completely, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze. Then pull out one or two whenever you want an easy breakfast, snack or little something sweet.
How Many Calories and WW Points?
When made as 24 mini muffins, each muffin has approximately 90 calories.
To see your current WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App.
Because cake mixes vary by brand and formulation, your exact calories and Points may vary.
Historical Points reference: 2 PointsPlus per mini muffin on the old PointsPlus program.
If you want to lower the Points, you can substitute a sugar-free white or yellow cake mix for the spice cake mix and add your own spices:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
Or simply add 2 to 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
Why This Old Weight Watchers Favorite Still Works
Recipes don’t get much simpler than this.
A box of cake mix. A can of pumpkin. One bowl.
And while these muffins have been floating around Weight Watchers circles for years, I think their staying power has less to do with being “diet food” and more to do with being genuinely useful.
They satisfy that desire for something sweet and pumpkin-spiced without requiring a sink full of dishes or a dozen ingredients.
Sometimes the simplest recipes really are the ones we return to again and again.
If you’ve made these low-fat Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Mini Muffins, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
2-Ingredient Spice Cake Mix Mini Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box (15 – 18 ounces) spice cake mix (I substituted a yellow cake mix with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice whisked in)
- 1 can (15 ounces) canned pumpkin puree
Optional Mix-ins and toppings:
- mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped raisins or dried cranberries, cinnamon chips, icing, etc.
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven.
- For mini muffins, preheat the oven to 400F degrees and line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners or coat them with non-stick spray. (You can also use regular muffin tins for smallish regular muffins.)
- Make the batter in a large bowl by mixing just the two ingredients together, ignoring the instructions on the cake mix. This will take some effort and the mixture will be very very thick!
- Divide the batter evenly among the mini muffin cup tins.
- Bake at 400F degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 10- 12 minutes for the mini-muffins.
- Remove and place on wire racks to cool.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 2 PointsPlus (Old plan) This time I decided to make mini muffins, dividing the batter among 24 mini muffin cups. If you don’t have mini muffin tins, divide the batter among 24 regular muffin cups to keep the WW Points at 4. Or you can make bigger Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Muffins by using all the batter to make 12 regular size muffins. In this case, each regular size muffin would have 4 PointsPlus and 7 WW Points. Turn them into kid-friendly cupcakes with a little icing. Fill muffin cups using a small ice cream scoop for more uniform looking muffins. I used two spoons and since the batter is very thick, my muffins didn’t turn out as smooth on top—but they still tasted great! You could also spread the mixture into a cake or loaf pan and just adjust your baking time, cooking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This is a very flexible recipe so go ahead and experiment. The last time I made it I didn’t have spice cake mix, so I used a yellow cake mix with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice whisked into it which worked great too. Which is what Katie Lee did on the Today Show Thanksgiving Morning to make this quick pumpkin cake. Carrot cake mix would also work well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Here’s a great video from Hungry Girl showing How to Make these Pumpkin Spice Cake Muffins…
More Easy WW-Friendly Baked Treats
If you enjoyed these easy pumpkin spice cake mix muffins, you might also like:
- Guiltless 2-Ingredient 7-Up Cupcakes – These refreshing lemon-lime cupcakes come together with just a cake mix and soda for a sweet treat that feels indulgent without all the extra calories.
- Baked Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts – If you love the classic fall coffeehouse drink, you’ll adore these soft, 3-ingredient baked donuts full of pumpkin and warm spices.
- 2-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake – A long-time Weight Watchers favorite, this light and fluffy cake is made with just a box of angel food mix and crushed pineapple.
- 2-Ingredient Apple Spice Cake Mix Cupcakes – Another fall favorite, these apple spice cupcakes are moist, delicious, and a perfect companion to your pumpkin muffins.
Discover More WW-Friendly Recipes
Make dinnertime and dessert easier with my Slow Cook Yourself Slim Ultimate eBook Bundle. It’s packed with simple, satisfying WW-friendly recipes designed for busy cooks who love comfort food without the guilt.
Made these tonight. Loved them and hubby did too. They are easy and just great. Wonder if people who think they are too dense live at high altitudes and need to add a little extra flour to account for altitude changes needed for baking recipes.
Whoops that meant to say 2 /3 / 4 ingredient WW recipes in general.
Hi Martha,
This comment has less to do with your recipe and more to do with 2 /3 /4 WW recipes in general. It really looks convenient and fun to add such few ingredients and making mini muffins, but really is omitting the only protein source beneficial? I always wonder when I see these recipes if adding the eggs in and making more mini muffins, wouldn’t lower the points due to a better protein carb ratio?
I hear people talking of gummy / dense results in these few ingredient recipes (eg cobbler recipes) and that is because eggs help with leavening and producing an airier result!
I will have to try these…and see for myself. Just curious for the whole push to leave out vital ingredients in WW deserts…when the eggs are now zero anyway.
Hi Chessa, I think the intention of 2,3,4 – Ingredient recipes is really all about convenience. Several folks have indicated that they have added eggs and/or water with good results. ~Martha
Very easy to make and very tasty
Could you use sugar free yellow cake mix?
Hi Jenna, I haven’t tried it with sugar free cake mix but believe it would be fine. ~Martha
Not quite sure why – but when I use the recipe maker – it shows the unprepared Betty Crocker cake mix as 7 and the purée as 0. I didn’t have a mini muffin tin so I used the 12 – on the blue plan it is showing 1 point per serving. I’ve got to be doing something wrong.
Made these as instructed, but used a rectangular cake pan. Cut into 24 pieces. Delicious.
These are a favorite “go to” for me, especially in the Fall when pumpkin spice is all around. I make 24 muffins and freeze them and take out when I want them … sit on the counter or pop in the microwave a few seconds. I generally add 1 small container of unsweetened applesauce to the mixture to help with the density. Love this recipe!
I MADE THIS USING SPICE CAKE MIX,CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX, AND PUMPKIN CAKE MIX AND PURE CAN PUMPKIN AND BAKE IT IN A BUNDT PAN AT 350 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND EVERY TIME THE CAKES CAME OUT MOIST.
YOU CAN ALSO USE THE ABOVE CAKES MIXES
TO MAKE MUFFINS OR A BUNDT CAKE
1 BOX OF CAKE MIX
1 CUP OR 5.3OZ OF LOW FAT PLAIN OR VANILLA GREEK YOGURT
1 CUP OF WATER
IN A LARGE BOWL HAND MIX YOGURT AND WATER TOGETHER AND THEN ADD CAKE MIX AND MIX TOGETHER UNTIL WELL BLENDED
BAKE AT 350 DEGREES
FELLOW TIMES ON THE CAKE BOX FOR FOR BAKING
THE MUFFINS AND BUNDT CAKE
Ive been making these tasty muffins for years!! They don’t take long to make and never last very long after I bake them!!! Love these muffins!!