Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe: Crispy, Juicy Mexican Pork

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Slow cooker pork carnitas is the easiest path to the best tacos of your life: a pork shoulder rubbed with cumin and oregano, slow-cooked in orange and lime juice until it falls apart, then crisped in a hot pan until the edges turn golden and crackly. Juicy inside, crispy outside — that contrast is the whole point. The slow cooker does the hard work. Eight hours on low turns a tough shoulder meltingly tender, and the citrus in the cooking liquid keeps the pork bright instead of heavy. The real magic happens at the end: shred the pork, spread it in a screaming-hot skillet with a splash of its own cooking liquid, and let it sit undisturbed until the edges char. Do not skip that step — crisping is what makes carnitas carnitas. Crispy edges, juicy center — carnitas night done right. Recipe Info Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8 hours (slow cooker, low) Total time: 8 hours 30 minutes Servings: 8 Calories: ~520 kcal per serving Pork, citrus and spice — carnitas starts h...
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Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe: Moist, Spiced and Easy

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Pumpkin spice muffins are everything autumn baking should be: soft, moist, warmly spiced, and on the table in well under an hour. Real pumpkin purée keeps the crumb tender for days, while cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give each bite that unmistakable cozy flavour — no fancy equipment and no creaming butter required.

This is a one-bowl, stir-together recipe, which means it is as easy on a busy weekday morning as it is for a weekend bake. The batter comes together in about 15 minutes, the muffins bake into tall, golden domes, and they taste just as good the next day tucked into a lunchbox or warmed gently for breakfast.

Golden pumpkin spice muffins with cracked domed tops on a baking tray beside a cup of coffee

Golden, domed, and fragrant — pumpkin spice muffins straight from the oven.

Recipe Info

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 22 minutes
  • Total time: 37 minutes
  • Servings: 12 muffins
  • Calories: ~210 kcal per muffin
Flat lay of pumpkin spice muffin ingredients: pumpkin purée, flour, eggs, sugar, oil, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and milk

Pumpkin purée and warm spices — a short list for a very good muffin.

Ingredients

  • 250 g / 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 200 g / 1 2/3 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
  • 150 g / 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 80 ml / 1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil
  • 60 ml / 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • 2 tbsp demerara or coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Close-up of a pumpkin spice muffin broken open showing a moist orange crumb

Soft, moist, and warmly spiced inside — the crumb every muffin should have.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven and line the tin: Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases, or lightly grease each hole.
  2. Whisk the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves over the wet mixture. Stir with a spatula only until no dry flour remains — a few small lumps are fine.
  4. Fill the cases: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cases, filling each about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar if using.
  5. Bake until domed and set: Bake for 20–22 minutes, until the muffins are golden, well risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool briefly in the tin: Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature: Enjoy warm, plain or with a smear of butter. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Tips & Variations

  • Do not overmix the batter. Stirring past the point where the flour disappears develops gluten and makes tough, dense muffins. Stop as soon as the flour is absorbed.
  • Use real pumpkin purée, not pie filling. Pie filling is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced, which throws off both the sweetness and the spice balance of this recipe.
  • Start the oven hot for tall domes. The initial blast at 200°C / 400°F lifts the muffins quickly; if your oven runs hot, you can drop to 180°C / 350°F after 10 minutes, but do not open the door early.
  • Add texture with nuts or chocolate. Fold in 75 g / 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or the same amount of chocolate chips, for a crunchier or richer muffin.
  • Make a streusel topping. Rub together 40 g flour, 40 g cold butter, and 40 g brown sugar with a pinch of cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter before baking for a crumbly, bakery-style top.
  • Swap the milk for buttermilk. Buttermilk adds a gentle tang and an even softer crumb; use the same 60 ml / 1/4 cup amount.
  • Freeze for busy mornings. Cool the muffins completely, freeze in a single layer, then bag them. Reheat from frozen in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 8–10 minutes.

Nutrition Note

This is an approximate guide only, not dietary advice. One muffin contains roughly 210 kcal, 3 g protein, 8 g fat, and 31 g carbohydrates. Pumpkin purée adds fibre, vitamin A, and potassium, while the oil keeps the crumb moist without butter. The recipe is vegetarian and can be made dairy-free by using oat milk or any plant-based milk.

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FAQ

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned purée?

Yes. Roast peeled pumpkin chunks at 200°C / 400°F until very soft, then blend until smooth and drain off any excess liquid. You need 250 g / 1 cup of thick purée; watery purée makes a soggy batter.

Why did my muffins sink in the middle?

Sinking usually means too much leavening, an oven that is too cool, or opening the door too early. Check your baking soda is fresh, measure the flour by spooning it into the cup, and keep the door closed for the first 15 minutes.

Can I make these muffins gluten-free?

A good 1:1 gluten-free baking flour works well here because the pumpkin keeps the crumb moist. Expect a slightly denser texture and check doneness with a skewer, as gluten-free muffins sometimes need 1–2 extra minutes.

How long do pumpkin spice muffins keep?

They keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, and they actually taste more spiced on day two. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months and reheat gently.

Can I turn this recipe into a loaf?

Yes. Pour the batter into a greased 900 g / 2 lb loaf tin and bake at 180°C / 350°F for 45–55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out.

These pumpkin spice muffins are the kind of recipe you will reach for every autumn — simple, reliable, and always gone too fast. Bake a batch this weekend, and let us know in the comments how yours turned out, or what twist you added to make them your own.

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