Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Quick & Easy)

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 very easy to make, freeze wonderfully, and you can use other add-ins, such as walnuts or pecans. A fantastic recipe made from scratch.

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.

This blog got a lot of new and improved pumpkin recipes last year, but a pumpkin muffin was still due and this is it, with chocolate chips just because. The pumpkin flavor is great by itself, and combined with chocolate is amazing, as we all know.

I eat it a lot for breakfast, split, toasted and slathered with cream cheese. Sooo good!

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 pumpkin spice blend or a store-bought pumpkin pie 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 in theory, you can use any type, even olive oil.
• Chocolate: chips or chunks, they both work.

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.

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.

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.

Preparing the pans

• Paper liners: or paper cups or muffin liner as they are also called. 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.

Top tips

• 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, 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.

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, allspice.
• Oil: any vegetable oil can be used in theory, 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 really want to use coconut oil.
• Sweeteners: you can use white sugar which will make 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 of the white flour for almond flour or coconut. Make sure they are finely ground. It will change the texture a little, making the muffins a tad more rustic.

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