Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Classic chocolate chip muffins get a fall makeover in this simple recipe! These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are perfectly spiced and studded with chocolate chips in every bite. Make a batch to enjoy on busy mornings or for after-school snacks.
These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are a delicious hybrid between my classic chocolate chip muffins and pumpkin muffins.
There’s pumpkin and oil in the batter to keep the muffins incredibly moist without weighing them down or making them too dense. There’s also a healthy dose of chocolate chips to make them rich and delicious.
These muffins are also incredibly easy to prepare and come together in less than an hour. I love to make a double batch so I can enjoy half for breakfast during the week and freeze the other half for later!
What You Need
- Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. If you’re not sure, just check the ingredients list to make sure the only item listed is “pumpkin.” You won’t be using the whole can, but you can store any leftover pumpkin in the fridge and use it in another recipe like my pumpkin snickerdoodles or pumpkin crème brûlée.
- Oil: Stick with a neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable or canola oil. Melted coconut oil will also work, just make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature or it will solidify and you’ll end up with chunks of coconut oil in the batter.
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for the muffins. It’s also important that you spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. If you scoop the flour from the container, you’re probably going to end up with too much and super dense muffins. If you’re new to baking, I highly recommend reading through my post on how to measure flour correctly.
- Spices: A combination of pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon add lots of cozy fall flavor to these muffins. You can also make your own pumpkin pie spice if you’re out or can’t find any.
- Chocolate Chips: I prefer using semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe to prevent the muffins from tasting too sweet, but dark chocolate chips would also be delicious!
How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, sugars, and vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Finish the batter: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Once combined, gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake: Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You’re welcome to add up to 1 cup of any mix-ins you like. Feel free to use a mix of different chocolate chips or baking chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit.
Yes, but I’d recommend using just ½ to ¾ cup of mini chocolate chips instead of a full cup.
Yes! Just double all of the ingredients and divide the batter between two 12-count muffin pans. Keep in mind that it will be quite a bit of batter, so you need to be careful not to over mix it.
Absolutely! Line a mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners and fill each one almost all of the way full. They will need to bake for less time, but I would guess about 9 to 13 minutes at 375°F.
Baking Tips
- When you add the chocolate chips to the batter, make sure to fold them in very gently. Over mixing the batter can over develop the gluten and you’ll end up with tough or gummy muffins.
- If you don’t have any liners, you can spray your pan with some nonstick cooking spray before adding the batter.
- For taller muffins, let the batter rest for 10 minutes, then scoop and bake as directed. This will give the flour a little bit of time to absorb some of the liquid in the batter and give them more height. I use this same trick with my cornbread muffins!
- I love to sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top right before baking. This is optional, but it makes for a prettier presentation.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (250 grams)
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil (120 ml)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (100 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (190 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (180 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard 12-count muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter into the liners, filling each one almost all of the way full. Smooth out the tops of each one with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove the muffins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
