Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are the ultimate classic autumn treat! Perfect for a grab n’ go breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea, these fluffy, sweet, spiced muffins feature delicious sugar pumpkin puree and dark chocolate chips.
I have a confession to make.
Before I started developing this recipe for our Pinch of Pumpkin series, I had never paired chocolate with pumpkin! I know, right? The scandal.
I just didn’t think the two would taste good together. I much preferred things like cream cheese, maple syrup, and chai when it came to pumpkin flavour pairings in baked goods.
But when both my Instagram and email audiences came back with dozens of votes for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins as one of their favourite pumpkin desserts, I had to see what the fuss was about.
Well, I now completely understand. Pumpkin and chocolate is an epic pairing and I was wrong to doubt it. These muffins are my new autumn favourite and I won’t be letting them go any time soon!
New to cooking with pumpkin?
Download your free copy of The Little Book of Pumpkin and learn how to identify and correctly use the 6 most common varieties of pumpkin to avoid bland, fibrous dishes.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- These muffins are fluffy, sweet, warm from the spices, and incredibly moreish. They’re a perfect way to introduce sweeter winter squash into your diet. I challenge you to try to eat only one per day!
- It’s an easy recipe and very quick to make. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins take about 30 minutes from start to finish and don’t require any finicky equipment or complicated steps. If you have a couple of bowls and a whisk, you’re good to go!
- They only require 10 basic ingredients. I’m willing to bet you have everything in your home on hand to make these muffins right now.
- This recipe is small-batch, making only 6 delightfully fluffy muffins. I love that I can eat all of these within the 4 recommended days and don’t have to worry about waste!
Ingredients in this chocolate chip pumpkin muffins recipe
- Plain flour: To provide structure – I always use unbleached.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Adds warmth and wonderful spice to these pumpkin muffins. You can make your own from scratch if you don’t have any.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These react with the acidic ingredients in the recipe and the heat in the oven to produce super fluffy muffins. Make sure you use both.
- Sea salt: Helps bring out the sweetness in the pumpkin and maple syrup.
- Pumpkin puree: A star ingredient! You can use your own homemade puree (ideally from a sweeter pumpkin like Sugar or Butternut) or the tinned kind.
- Egg: Binds everything together.
- Rapeseed oil: Lends extra moisture and softness to the muffins. I prefer cold-pressed rapeseed as it’s the healthiest and least processed oil on the market, but any neutral oil will do.
- Pure maple syrup: To sweeten the muffins and add lovely mapley notes.
- Dark chocolate chips: Obviously, we can’t have Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins without the chips! I like dark chocolate, but feel free to use any you have on hand.
How to make pumpkin puree from scratch
You’ll need:
- 1 sweet pumpkin (Sugar, Butternut, Acorn, or Carnival), cut into 1-inch cubes
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 large baking tray lined with non-stick paper
- A food processor
Here’s how to make the pumpkin puree:
- Toss the cubed pumpkin in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Spread the pumpkin out on the baking tray, making sure to leave space for the air to circulate. You may need to use two trays or roast in batches.
- Roast the pumpkin at 200ºC (400ºF) for 40 minutes, or until the pumpkin is very tender.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pumpkin to cool to room temperature.
- Add the cooled pumpkin to the food processor and blitz until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times to get it completely pureed.
- Use as directed in any recipe.
How to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
Making these refined sugar free pumpkin muffins is incredibly easy. Here’s how to do it:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold together carefully.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into a muffin tray.
- Bake the muffins.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- If you’re using tinned pumpkin puree for this recipe, be sure you’re using real pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. They’re very different and you’ll get weird results. Always check the ingredients on the tin.
- Let the muffins cool completely before serving. I know, torture! But the muffins will continue to cook as they cool and become extra fluffy. If you eat them right out of the oven, the texture will be more gummy.
- Don’t overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips! Overmixing results in tough muffins. I like to do only a couple of folds before I add the chips and then continue folding until the flour just disappears. It’s okay if the batter is lumpy.
- Fill the muffin cavities to the top! This will ensure a nice dome on your Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Looking for more refined sugar free pumpkin recipes?
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Bacon-Wrapped Acorn Squash with Maple & Chilli
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
Pecan Pumpkin Sweet Rolls
Pumpkin Pie Protein Truffles
Pecan Pretzel Crusted Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Spice Lattes
If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!
New to cooking with pumpkin?
Download your free copy of The Little Book of Pumpkin and learn how to identify and correctly use the 6 most common varieties of pumpkin to avoid bland, fibrous dishes.
Includes two exclusive BONUS recipes!
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
These fluffy, sweet, spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins feature delicious sugar pumpkin puree and dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 100 g unbleached plain flour
- ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice (see notes)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 125 g pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 90 ml pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 65 g dark chocolate chips
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF) and line a regular muffin tin with 6 paper liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- To a medium bowl add the pumpkin puree, egg, oil, syrup, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix the batter. Fold just until the flour begins to disappear. Add the chocolate chips and keep folding until all the pockets of flour disappear.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 6 paper liners. They should be completely full to the top of the cavities.
- Bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. Take the muffins out of the tin and place them on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make it yourself using this recipe.
- These muffins will keep sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.
Soooo good! Just made this recipe and it is moist, flavourful, just enough pumpkin, chocolate and spice to be a great treat. It fully lives up to and exceeds expectations. This is going to be a regular in our household.
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed these pumpkin muffins. Thanks for the lovely review!