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.

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

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 that I considered so good it bore posting. And here it is!

My favorite muffin recipes should be: easy to make, moist but with a crackly crust, and freeze well. So I usually make the healthier version of morning glory muffins or the fantastic oatmeal muffins.

But a pumpkin muffin was due and this is it, with chocolate chips just because. The flavor combination is amazing as we all know.

Half pumpkin muffin in opened paper liner on a wooden board

Main ingredients

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 sorts of dishes, from pumpkin sheet cake to homemade pumpkin gnocchi.
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: chips or chunks, they both work.

On a white surface several bowls and measuring cups with ingredients for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Easy steps

I told you before how these moist muffins are very simple to make. No fancy equipment is needed, just a bowl and a whisk.

Using oil means that you beat it with the sugar but there's no creaming like with butter. So it won't get much lighter in color or grow in volume, that is fine.

After adding the pumpkin, simply mix well. Now the batter starts to have more body.

Adding eggs and mixing pumpkin muffin batter in glass bowl

Add the spices and flavorings, mix well and then add the dry ingredients.

This is the part were you need to be more careful and only mix the batter until incorporated. Don't over work it, this is especially important when you add the flour. We don't want the gluten in it to start developing as it will render tougher muffins the more that happens.

Sifting: it adds some air to the batter, and this recipe has baking soda and it can be hard to dissolve once it's incorporated. So sifting is highly recommended.

Two image collage adding spices and flour to pumpkin muffin batter in glass bowl

See how gorgeous the batter is? Thick, unctuous and shiny. So tempting! Adding the chocolate is the final step. Mix lightly after doing so and divide between the prepared pans.

Collage with pumpkin batter in a transparent bowl and adding chocolate chips

Preparing the pans

Paper liners: or paper cups as they are also calles. This is the easiest way, but the muffins tops is the only part that will be crusty.
Butter or use baking spray: this is messier 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

Top tips

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.

Whole pumpkin muffin in a whitish paper liner, wooden board, other muffins blurred in background

Other recipes you might like:

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also 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.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Author: Paula Montenegro
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 regular 1x
Category: Muffins
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

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Description

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.

Ingredients

Scale

¾ cup (190g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
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

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
Butter or spray 12 regular muffin tins or line with paper cups.
In a large bowl, beat oil with sugar for 1 minute. Add pumpkin puree and mix well.
Add eggs one by one, beating until fully incorporated but don’t overbeat.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and spices.
Add in 2 parts to the pumpkin mixture, integrating well but do not beat too much. I do it by hand with a spatula.
Finally add the chocolate chips and mix with a spatula.
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.
Bake about 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out dry.
Let cool on a metal rack.

Notes

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: chips or chunks, they both 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.

Keywords: pumpkin muffins

Paula Montenegro

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.