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    Home » Recipes » Muffins and Quick Breads

    Published: Sep 14, 2022 by Paula Montenegro · Income from ads and affiliates

    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (quick & easy)

    Jump to Recipe
    Wooden board with several pumpkin muffins in colorful paper liners, brown text
    Close up of pumpkin muffin in paper liner, image with brown white text overlay

    A simple recipe to make again and again, these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are soft and moist inside but with a wonderful crackly crust. They are easy to make, freeze wonderfully, and you can use other add-ins, such as walnuts or pecans. A fantastic recipe made from scratch.

    Several chocolate chip pumpkin muffins on a light wooden board, colorful paper cups.

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    Finally, I have a favorite pumpkin muffin recipe, my go-to from now on, with or without the chocolate chips I might add.

    It took me some testing to find one I considered so good it bore posting. And here it is!

    I like muffins for breakfast and usually make the healthier version of morning glory muffins or the fantastic oatmeal muffins. Well, I'm adding these to the list.

    This blog got a lot of new and improved pumpkin recipes these past years, but a pumpkin muffin was still due, and this is it. And it comes with chocolate chips.

    The pumpkin flavor is great by itself, and combined with chocolate is amazing, as we all know.

    Half pumpkin muffin in opened paper liner on a wooden board.
    Table of Contents Open
    Ingredients
    How to make pumpkin muffins
    Preparing the muffin pan
    Kitchen notes
    Variations
    Related recipes you might like:
    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Ingredients

    • Pumpkin puree: use canned or fresh pumpkin puree, both work well.
    • Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip or chunks. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips and Nestle toll house semisweet chips.
    • Sugar: brown sugar is my first choice because it's moist and has that caramel undertone that I love, especially with spices. But white sugar works if that's all you have.
    • Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Sometimes I add the smallest pinch of cloves. Or use your favorite homemade or store-bought pumpkin spice mix. As long as you like it, it's fine.
    • Oil: I use sunflower because it doesn't add extra flavor, and I want the pumpkin to shine. But you can use any type, even olive oil.
    • Eggs: large, fresh.
    • All-purpose flour.
    • Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the muffins rise, so make sure they aren't expired.
    • Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
    White surface with bowls containing ingredients for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins including oil, sugar, flour, eggs, spices.

    How to make pumpkin muffins

    These moist muffins are very simple to make. No fancy equipment is needed, just a bowl and a whisk.

    • Oil: it's used instead of butter, so there's no creaming step.
    • No beating: you only need to integrate the ingredients well.
    • Sifting: it adds some air to the batter. And this recipe has baking soda, which can clump during storage and be hard to dissolve once during baking. So sifting it is highly recommended.
    Mixing pumpkin puree into oil and sugar batter in a glass bowl with a wire whisk.
    Mixing in the pumpkin puree

    The oil and sugar are mixed first and then the pumpkin puree.

    Adding pumpkin pie spice mix to pumpkin batter in a glass bowl.
    Adding pumpkin spices

    Use homemade or a store-bought pumpkin pie spice mix.

    Flour being incorporated in pumpkin batter, metal whisk and glass bowl

    Flour: it's sifted before it's added with the rest of the dry ingredients.

    Adding chocolate chips to pumpkin batter in a transparent bowl

    Final batter: it's thick, unctuous, and shiny. Fold the chocolate chips, and you're ready to bake.

    Vintage Kitchen tip: don't overmix after adding the flour. We don't want the gluten to start developing as it will render tougher muffins.

    Preparing the muffin pan

    • Paper liners: also called paper cups or muffin liners. This is the easiest way, but the muffin tops are the only part that will be crusty.
    • Butter or baking spray: this is messier, and you have to wash the pan afterward, but the crust forms all around the muffins because the whole surface touches the metal.
    Metal muffin pans with unbaked and baked pumpkin muffins, two image collage

    Kitchen notes

    • Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
    • Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
    • Pans: I use regular-sized tins, but you can also make mini muffin tins (it will yield a larger quantity, and they will need less baking time) or jumbo (you will have fewer muffins, and they will take longer to bake).
    • Filling the muffin pans: make sure you don't pass ¾ of the capacity. It's the easiest way to avoid overflow when baking them.
    • Add-ins: I love chocolate chips or chunks, but you can also add chopped nuts, raisins, and cranberries.
    • Freezing: wrap in plastic and keep frozen for up to a month. I defrost them directly in a medium oven, but you can let them come to room temperature first.
    • Double batch: this recipe can easily be doubled if making them for a large crowd or if you want to make ahead and freeze.
    Whole pumpkin muffin in a whitish paper liner, wooden board, other muffins blurred in background.

    Variations

    • Sweet potatoes: you can easily substitute sweet potato puree for the pumpkin. Same amount. As for spices, they also go well with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
    • Oil: any vegetable oil can be used in theory, the same amount in volume. Coconut oil will make them a tad healthier and less moist IMHO. But still great. Don't refrain from making them if you want to use coconut oil.
    • Sweeteners: you can use white sugar, making them a little sweeter and less moist. A tablespoon or two of maple syrup can be added for a different flavor; reduce the same amount of sugar.
    • Flours: you can substitute some white flour for almond flour or coconut. Make sure they are finely ground. It will change the texture slightly, making the muffins more rustic.

    Related recipes you might like:

    • On a metal wire rack, several pumpkin whoopie pies, greyish background
      Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
    • Stacked pumpkin zucchini muffins in paper liners on a wire rack.
      Zucchini Pumpkin Muffins
    • Pumpkin Coffee Cake
    • Slices of pumpkin bread on dark metal wire rack, walnuts, white surface
      Pumpkin Walnut Bread

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    Print
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    Pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips on wooden board in colored paper liners.

    Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    A recipe to make again and again, these pumpkin muffins are soft and moist inside but with a wonderful crackly crust. They are very easy to make, freeze wonderfully, and you can add chocolate chips or many other ingredients. A fantastic recipe made from scratch.

    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 12 regular

    Ingredients

    Units
    • ¾ cup (190g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade pumpkin puree
    • ¾ cup (180g) sunflower oil
    • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • Pinch of nutmeg
    • Pinch of allspice
    • 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 eggs, at room temperature
    • ½ cup (90g) semisweet chocolate chips
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

     

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
    2. Butter or spray 12 regular muffin tins or line with paper cups.
    3. In a large bowl, beat oil with sugar for 1 minute. Add pumpkin puree and mix well.
    4. Add eggs one by one, beating until fully incorporated but don’t over beat. 
    5. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices.
    6. Add in 2 parts to the pumpkin mixture, integrating well but do not beat too much. I do it by hand with a spatula.
    7. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla if using and stir with a spatula.
    8. Fill the paper liners up to ¾ of their capacity. But do not fill more than three quarters so they don’t overflow while baking.
    9. Bake about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out dry.
    10. Let cool on a wire rack.
    11. Store covered at room temperature for two days and then refrigerate or freeze, covered or well wrapped. Warm lightly in the oven before eating. 

    Notes

    • Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
    • Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
    • Pumpkin: use canned or fresh, they both work well. I love making a large batch of homemade pumpkin puree (or butternut squash) and using it in all of my baking. 
    • Sugar: brown sugar is my first choice because it's moist and has that caramel undertone that I love, especially with spices. But white sugar works if that's all you have. 
    • Spices: I usually use my favorite combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Sometimes I add the smallest pinch of cloves. But use your favorite blend or a store-bought mix. As long as you like it, it's fine. 
    • Oil: I use sunflower because it doesn't add extra flavor and I want the pumpkin to shine. But in theory, you can use any type, even olive oil. 
    • Chocolate: regular or mini chocolate chips or chunks, they all work. 
    • Pans: I use regular-sized tins, but you can make mini pumpkin muffins (it will yield a larger quantity and they will need less baking time) or jumbo (you will have fewer muffins and they will take longer to bake). 
    • Filling the muffin pans: make sure you don't pass ¾ of the capacity. It's the easiest way to avoid overflow when baking them. 
    • Add-ins: I love chocolate chips or chunks, but you can also add chopped nuts, raisins, cranberries.
    • Freezing: wrap in plastic and keep frozen for up to a month. I defrost them directly in a medium oven, but you can let them come to room temperature first.
    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Muffins
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1/12
    • Calories: 327
    • Sugar: 22.1 g
    • Sodium: 168.7 mg
    • Fat: 17.4 g
    • Carbohydrates: 40.6 g
    • Protein: 4.1 g
    • Cholesterol: 31 mg

    Keywords: pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

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    About Paula Montenegro

    I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe developer, sharing the best ones here with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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    1. Marlena says

      October 30, 2022 at 5:15 pm

      Hi Paula! I halved the recipe to make a small batch of mini muffins for my kid's preschool. The kids LOVED them. They were just sweet enough, deliciously soft & moist. The kiddies have requested more! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        October 31, 2022 at 3:38 am

        SO happy to know this Marlena! We eat them regularly with different add-ins and they never disappoint.

        Reply
    2. Erika says

      December 01, 2021 at 11:02 am

      I doubled the recipe and made it exactly as written using Libby’s canned pumpkin purée. Two dozen muffins disappeared in one day (we are a family of 4 with 2 teenage sons). The teenage sons were particularly huge fans. Subtle flavors, well balanced, with just the right amount of chocolate. Mine didn’t have the “crackling crust”, not sure why - instead they were moist throughout (inside and out). But that didn’t seem to be a problem. The kids asked these be part of the regular fall rotation!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        December 02, 2021 at 5:17 pm

        So happy to know they turned out well despite the un-crackly crust! And that the whole family loved them. Happy holidays to you all Erika!

        Reply
    3. angiesrecipes says

      October 07, 2020 at 1:26 am

      These muffins look awesome! I love the easy preparation and flavour.

      Reply
    4. Ritz M. Olaño says

      October 07, 2020 at 12:11 am

      I am very interested and i knowcyou can help me more with your yummy recipe

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Paula!

    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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