Pumpkin has a way of showing up just as the weather begins to turn. There's something so comforting and cozy about the smell of pumpkin and spices filling the kitchen. I've made a lot of pumpkin muffins over the years and this pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe earns a permanent spot in my fall rotation. It uses an entire 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree, so there's no leftover pumpkin sitting around in the refrigerator for you to use up.
These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are mixed up in one bowl, no mixer required which makes them an easy recipe for a school morning breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee. I've tested this recipe enough times to ensure that they will come out of the oven with fluffy domed tops and plenty of chocolate. If you are looking for other fall baking recipes, be sure to check out my Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting or my Pumpkin Pecan Waffles.
Quick Look: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Ready In: about 30 minutes
- Makes: 12 muffins
- Calories: about 350kcal per muffin
- Add to Your Shopping List: 15 ounces of pumpkin puree and mini chocolate chips
- Dietary Info: contains gluten, dairy, and eggs
- Baker's Note: Sprinkle a few extra mini chocolate chips on the top of each muffin - it gives them a bakery style look and guarantees chocolate in every bite.
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Key Ingredients
Pumpkin puree - This recipe uses one full 15-ounce can. I created this recipe specifically to use the whole can - no scraping a small amount into a container to leave in the refrigerator until it turns moldy. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling - the filling already has spices mixed in.
Mini chocolate chips - I love using mini chocolate chips in muffin recipes. They distribute more evenly through the batter so you get chocolate in every bite. Save a small handful to press into the tops before baking for a bakery style muffin.
Pumpkin pie spice - This is where that nostalgic fall flavor comes from. If you don't have a pre-mixed blend in the cabinet, a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves will work.
Oil and butter - I use oil and butter in this recipe. Butter adds flavor and the oil keeps the muffins soft for days. The combo makes a tender muffin that's full of flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Whisk together the flour, both sugars, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin puree, cooled butter, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter into the lined muffin pan, filling every other cup to the edge. Sprinkle muffins with extra mini chocolate chips.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 375°F and bake for 16-18 more minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
Chocolate chip swaps: White chocolate chips or butterscotch chips both work well in place of mini chocolate chips if you want a different flavor pairing with the pumpkin and spice.
Gluten-free pumpkin muffins: Swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I've had good luck with both Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Dried cranberries: Fold in ½ cup of dried cranberries along with the chocolate chips for some extra fall flavor.
Toasted nuts: Toasted pecans or walnuts (about ⅓ cup chopped) add a nice crunch. Toast them before adding to the batter - toast in the oven at 290°F for about 12 minutes. Allow them to cool before folding them into the batter.
Mini muffins: To make mini pumpkin muffins, scoop the batter into a mini muffin pan (this recipe will make about 32 mini muffins). Bake at 425°F for the first 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers are set. Total bake time should be around 10-12 minutes. For more tips on baking mini muffins, check out my Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Looking for more fall baking recipes? If you love the fall flavors and want some more baking inspiration, try my Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake or my Apple Cinnamon Scones.
Common Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To
Overmixing the batter - It's easy to feel like you have to mix the batter a bit more. I've done it more than once and the muffins come out dense and tough. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears - it's even okay if you can see a little bit of flour when you add the chocolate chips, it will get mixed into the batter as you fold the chips in.
Skipping the high-temperature baking start - For most of my life, I've baked muffins at the same temperature for the entire baking time. In the past few years, I've learned that if you want tall muffins with nice round tops, the trick really is starting at 425°F for the first five minutes and then dropping the temperature down to 375°F.
Filling every muffin cup in the pan - I used to have some muffins that were nice and fluffy with good height, and some flatter muffins every time I baked a batch. I did a little research and learned that baking in every other muffin cup allows the heat to fully surround each muffin as it's baking. This produced muffins with plenty of height every time and this is now how I bake all of my muffin recipes.
Using regular-sized chocolate chips - My first few test batches used standard sized chips. They sink to the bottom and don't distribute as evenly - you get bigger bites of chocolate, but less often.Mini chips are the way to go here; they stay suspended in the batter and you get chocolate in every bite.
Storage
Room temperature: Store chocolate chip pumpkin muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. A paper towel on the bottom of the container helps absorb any extra moisture in the container.
Refrigerator: If you'd like the muffins to last a bit longer, store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freezer: These muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. Wrapping them individually makes it easy to grab one or two at a time from the freezer.
Reheating: Thaw muffins at room temperature, or warm a frozen muffin in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. To get that just-baked texture back, a few minutes in a 300F oven works well too.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins FAQs
Yes, homemade pumpkin puree will work in this recipe. Fresh puree can be a bit softer and have more liquid than the canned, so be sure to drain off any excess liquid before measuring - otherwise your batter will have too much moisture and this can create muffins that are dense. If you love recipes that use the full can of pumpkin with no leftovers, you'll also want to try my Easy Maple Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Glaze.
I don't recommend freezing the batter for this recipe. The baking powder and baking soda start working as soon as the wet and dry ingredients combine. You can mix this batter up ahead of time and leave it in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. In fact, this rest hydrates the flour and you end up with tall muffins with nice round tops.
Yes! You can substitute applesauce for the oil in a 1:1 ratio if you'd like a lighter version of these muffins. Keep in mind that the texture may be slightly different - the oil is part of what keeps these muffins so soft and moist, so applesauce will give you a slightly less rich, more cake-like crumb.
Semisweet mini chocolate chips are my go-to for this muffin recipe, but dark chocolate or milk chocolate mini chips will also work well. I prefer to stick with mini chips - they distribute well through the batter. I tend to reach for Ghirardelli or another high quality chocolate brand.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups (290g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (160g) brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
- Line a muffin pan with cupcake wrappers in every other cup.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin puree, cooled melted butter, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined - don't overmix.
- Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to the top.
- Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin and press gently so they stick.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers are set.
- Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool before serving.
Amanda Smallwood says
This is the most perfect fall baking recipe. Plenty of fall spices and I love the mini chocolate chips!