This recipe is for a delicious morning muffin that features pumpkin, chocolate chips and plenty of pumpkin spice. My chocolate pumpkin muffins come together so quickly, and you only need one bowl! It makes 6 muffins, but you can double the recipe so easily.
About 9 months out of the year, I make my chocolate banana muffins. My kids love them, because they think they're getting chocolate chips for breakfast. And while they definitely are, I love the incredible reduced amount of sugar in that recipe because of the sweetness of the banana.
Today, we're using pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and an extra tablespoon of sugar to make up for the missing overripe banana. If you're never tried chocolate and pumpkin together (like in my chocolate pumpkin cupcakes), you are in for a fall treat!
How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
If you have leftover pumpkin after making my pumpkin brownies, this is a great way to use it because this recipe only uses ⅓ cup of pumpkin! If you're doubling this recipe to make a full dozen muffins, use ⅔ cup.
You'll need a muffin pan, muffin liners, and a bowl to make this chocolate pumpkin muffins recipe.
The Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree. When you're buying canned pumpkin, ensure it's pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Granulated Sugar.
- Oil. Any type of neutral oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or even avocado oil. I don't recommend coconut oil for this recipe, as the muffins will be slightly too firm at cool room temperatures.
- Egg. One large whole egg, both the egg white and egg yolk.
- Vanilla.
- Flour.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. Store-bought pumpkin pie spice contains cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ground ginger.
- Cocoa Powder. All-natural unsweetened cocoa powder makes the richest, most chocolatey muffins ever!
- Baking Soda. This acidic leavener reacts with the acid in the cocoa powder and makes the chocolate pumpkin muffins rise in the oven while baking.
- Chocolate Chips. Reach for your favorite chocolate chips--semisweet, dark chocolate or even milk chocolate all work well here. Whatever you use in my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is great here, too!
The Directions
First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit, and place six muffin liners in a muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir this mixture together very well until homogenous.
Next, evenly sprinkle the flour, pumpkin pie spices, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt on top. Gently fold this into the pumpkin mixture until almost no streaks of flour remain.
Finally, stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula, which will eliminate any remaining streaks of flour. However, please be sure not to overmix, because this activates the gluten and could result in a tough baked good.
Divide the mixture into 6 muffin cups, and bake for about 18 minutes, until the muffins are done. Test the centers with a toothpick before removing from the oven to ensure the muffins are fully cooked. Under-baked chocolate pumpkin muffins tend to sink when cooling, so be sure to test.
How to Store Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
These muffins keep for 2 days on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container. Beyond that, it's a good idea to refrigerate them. You can also lay them flat on a baking sheet and freeze them individually. Once frozen, move them to a freezer storage bag or stacking container.
Other Pumpkin Recipes You Might Love:
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Whole30 Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Scones
- Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
Moist and tender chocolate muffins with pumpkin puree are a great fall breakfast treat.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup (67 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) canola oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (68 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup (25 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus extra for top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a muffin pan with 6 cups.
- In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin with the sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk very well until combined.
- In the same bowl, sprinkle the flour, pumpkin spice, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt on top. Using a spatula, stir until well-combined.
- Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups evenly, and sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until the muffins are done. They're done when they spring back when pressed gently on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
Notes
Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Oil: Any type of neutral oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or even avocado oil. I don't recommend coconut oil.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Store-bought pumpkin pie spice contains cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ground ginger.
Cocoa Powder: All-natural unsweetened cocoa powder for baking.
Chocolate Chips: Reach for your favorite chocolate chips--semisweet, dark chocolate or even milk chocolate all work here.
How to Store Leftovers: These chocolate pumpkin muffins keep for 2 days on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container. Beyond that, it's a good idea to refrigerate them. You can also lay them flat on a baking sheet and freeze them individually. Once frozen, move them to a freezer storage bag or stacking container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
Crystal says
My kids and I made these a few days ago. They were easy to make and delicious!
Susan says
These were good - very chocolatey! I was wondering what the pumpkin would do to the texture (if it would make them heavy) but it was fine.