Sugar-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Yield: about 18–24 muffins
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 18–24 minutes
Oven: 175°C / 350°F

Ingredients
Muffins
1 box sugar-free yellow cake mix — approximately 15–16 oz / 425–454 g
1 can 100% pure pumpkin puree — 15 oz / 425 g
1–1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract — optional
¼ tsp salt — optional
Important
Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling. Use plain 100% pumpkin puree, like the can shown in your picture. Similar two-ingredient pumpkin muffin recipes specifically use cake mix and pure pumpkin without adding water, oil, or eggs.
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Della Terra Wellness

Full Instructions
1. Prepare the oven
Preheat oven to:

350°F / 175°C

Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

You can lightly spray the liners with nonstick spray if desired.

2. Mix the batter
Put the entire box of dry sugar-free yellow cake mix into a large bowl.

Add:

1 × 15-oz can pumpkin puree

Add the pumpkin pie spice.

Mix with a sturdy spoon or electric mixer until everything is combined.

Don’t add:
eggs
oil
milk
water

The pumpkin supplies the moisture needed for this simplified recipe.
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Della Terra Wellness

The batter will be very thick. That’s normal.

3. Fill the muffin cups
Spoon batter into the liners.

Fill each approximately ¾ full.

For larger bakery-style muffins, you can fill them slightly higher.

4. Bake
Bake at:

350°F / 175°C for approximately 18–24 minutes.

Start checking at 18 minutes.

Insert a toothpick into the center.

If it comes out with:

a few moist crumbs → done
wet batter → bake another 2–3 minutes
Don’t overbake or they can become dry.

5. Cool
Leave muffins in the pan for approximately 5 minutes.

Then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Allow them to cool completely before adding frosting/topping.

Optional Pumpkin-Spice Version
For stronger fall flavor, use:

1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cloves
Mix these directly into the cake mix before adding pumpkin.

Sugar-Free Jell-O Topping
The Jell-O shown in your picture appears to be a sugar-free product. If yours is sugar-free instant pudding, you can make a very easy topping.

Ingredients
1 small box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
1 cup cold skim milk
8 oz / 227 g sugar-free or light whipped topping
Method
Whisk pudding mix and cold milk for about 2 minutes.
Let it stand until thick.
Fold in the whipped topping.
Refrigerate for 15–30 minutes.
Spread or pipe onto completely cooled muffins.
A similar sugar-free pumpkin cake uses sugar-free vanilla pudding combined with whipped topping as its frosting.
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Pound Dropper

Important distinction
If the box in your picture is sugar-free Jell-O gelatin dessert, rather than instant pudding, don’t substitute it 1:1 in this frosting. Gelatin and pudding behave differently.

More Delicious Variations
1. Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
Make the basic muffins and add:

115 g / 4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tbsp powdered sugar substitute
½ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk
Beat until smooth and pipe a small amount on each cooled muffin.

2. Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
Use:

sugar-free chocolate cake mix + 15 oz pumpkin

Add:

1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
optional sugar-free chocolate chips
The pumpkin makes chocolate cake surprisingly moist.

3. Pumpkin-Carrot Muffins
Add to the basic batter:

½ cup finely grated carrot
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Because the carrot adds moisture, don’t add any other liquid.

4. Pumpkin Walnut Muffins
Add:

½ cup chopped walnuts

This changes the allergy profile, of course — see the nut information below.

ALLERGEN / NUT INFORMATION
Basic recipe
The basic recipe contains no intentionally added tree nuts or peanuts:

sugar-free yellow cake mix
pumpkin
pumpkin spice
vanilla
However, cake mixes can be manufactured in facilities that handle nuts, so check the exact package.

If you need a strictly nut-free recipe
Choose ingredients specifically labelled:

“peanut-free” and “tree-nut-free”

if you’re cooking for someone with a serious allergy.

Don’t assume that “no nuts in the ingredients” means there is no cross-contact.

Common allergens
Ingredient Possible allergen
Cake mix Wheat/gluten, possibly milk/soy
Pumpkin Generally allergen-free
Vanilla Usually no major allergen
Whipped topping May contain milk
Pudding mix May contain milk/soy depending on product
Walnuts Tree nut
Pecans Tree nut
Almonds Tree nut
Peanut butter Peanut

Important: “Sugar-Free” Doesn’t Mean Carb-Free
These muffins can be lower in added sugar, but they’re not necessarily keto or carbohydrate-free.

The cake mix can still contain substantial carbohydrates from flour/starches.

Also, pumpkin naturally contains carbohydrates.

So if you’re making these for diabetes or a medically prescribed diet, calculate the nutrition from the specific cake mix and pumpkin can you actually use rather than assuming “sugar-free” means low-carb.

Approximate Nutrition
This varies significantly by cake-mix brand.

If the batch produces 20 muffins, a rough estimate for the basic two-ingredient version is around:

80–110 calories
15–22 g carbohydrate
1–3 g fat
1–3 g protein
1–3 g fiber
per muffin.

The actual numbers should be calculated from the nutrition labels of your particular cake mix and pumpkin.

Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular yellow cake mix?
Yes. Use exactly the same method.

The muffins will simply contain more sugar.

Can I use spice cake mix?
Absolutely. In fact, it’s probably my favorite version.

Use:

1 box spice cake mix + 1 can pumpkin

You can omit the extra pumpkin pie spice.

Can I use fresh pumpkin?
Yes, but canned pumpkin is much more consistent because its water content is controlled.

If using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure it is thick, not watery.

Why is my batter so thick?
That’s normal.

This recipe doesn’t use eggs, oil or water, so the batter is much thicker than conventional cake batter.

Why didn’t my muffins rise much?
This recipe isn’t designed to rise as dramatically as conventional muffins.

Possible causes:

very old cake mix
overmixing
too much pumpkin
underbaking
inaccurate ingredient ratio
Use one standard cake-mix box + one 15-oz can pumpkin.

Can I add eggs?
Yes, but then you’re making a different, richer muffin.

For a more traditional cake-like texture, add:

2 eggs

and optionally 2 tbsp vegetable oil.

You’ll get a lighter, more cake-like muffin, but the simple two-ingredient version is lower in added ingredients and calories.

Can I add oil?
Yes.

For softer, richer muffins, add:

2 tbsp neutral oil

such as canola or vegetable oil.

Can I make them without the Jell-O?
Yes — and the muffins in the photo don’t require Jell-O.

The basic recipe is simply:

Sugar-free yellow cake mix + 100% pumpkin + optional pumpkin spice.

The Jell-O/pudding can be used for a topping or another variation. Published recipes also demonstrate the basic cake-mix-and-pumpkin method without additional liquid.
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Della Terra Wellness

Can I freeze them?
Yes.

Cool completely, place in an airtight freezer bag/container and freeze for up to about 2–3 months for best quality.

Thaw at room temperature.

If using frosting, freeze the muffins without frosting when possible and add fresh topping after thawing.

How should I store them?
Plain muffins:

Room temperature: about 1–2 days
Refrigerator: about 4–5 days
Freezer: about 2–3 months

If topped with cream cheese, pudding or whipped topping, refrigerate them.

My recommended version to reproduce the photo
I’d make:

1 box sugar-free yellow cake mix

1 × 15-oz can 100% pumpkin
1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
Bake 20–22 minutes at 350°F / 175°C.

Then cool completely and top with a light sugar-free vanilla pudding/whipped topping.

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.