These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins have cured me entirely of my slight aversion to the chocolate + fall spice combo. I’m a believer now. The chocolate plus the entire can of pumpkin make this recipe super fudgy. I’ve got all the tips to make them ridiculously tall and fluffy, like they came straight from a bakery! These pumpkin muffins come together in one bowl, no mixer, no stress. (You can’t be stressed when you’re eating chocolate. SCIENCE.)
We bought a landline phone for our house. Not like, an actual landline (do they still have those??) but a new phone from this company called Tin Can Phone that makes it all work through Wifi. It looks just like an old phone from the 90s, with the curly white cord and everything, and the kids can call approved contacts, no screens involved.
My little kids (Valentine and Edison are 8 and 5) are having SO much fun with it. They call both grandma’s constantly, with nothing to say. (I’m sure grandma is loving it) They instinctively twirl the cord on their fingers, just like I used to do when I was their age.
Most frequently, Edison wants me to call the phone from my cell and have a conversation with him from the other room. It’s adorable.
Yesterday he asked me to call, so I went in the garage while he waited anxiously, holding the cord phone. I dialed but the line was just beeping. We have had issues with the phone since setting it up, so I hollered upstairs to Eric, to see if he could call and get through. He had the same issue. I went back in the living room and realized—Edison was holding the phone. Like, off the hook. The line was BUSY because the phone was off the hook. OF COURSE.
I’ve never felt more shame as a 90s kid. Who even am I now??? I can’t believe I’m forgetting all the basics!! What’s next, not remembering what JTT stands for??
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins in ONE bowl
These muffins are simply phenomenal. They are super moist, almost like a cake. Like I said, I’m often dubious of the pumpkin-spice-chocolate combo, but this recipe nails it. I love them because the spices and chocolate, which tend to compete in some recipes, are married together harmoniously in this soft and tender, distinctly pumpkin-y muffins. It’s not overwhelming, but instead the perfect compliment.
The other reason to love this recipe is that I can literally put the batter together in my sleep. It’s done in 5 minutes. And because we are using the entire can, we are left with zero leftover pumpkin drama, hallelujah! Fall at my house means lots of random tupperwares in the fridge of leftover pumpkin from a recipe 😂
I tested these muffins with different amounts of pumpkin and totally shocked myself. Technically pumpkin is a vegetable, so I probably wanted less, not more, right??
WRONG. One cup was good, but one and a half cups was better. The BEST was a whopping full can of pumpkin. They’re crazy moist and tender, but still have a springy, high-rising crumb with just the slightest bit of crisp around the edges. And the pumpkin flavor is intensely rich, perfect with those lil pops of chocolate mixed in. I’m in LOOOVE.
This is your new favorite Chocolate Chip Pumpkin muffin
Here’s why:
- The texture is ideal. Moist and tender, but still springy and muffiny, that’s a word now. (“muffiny” can also be code for “cupcakey,” just between you and me.) But a
cupcakemuffin that is amazing all by itself. - The flavor is SPOT ON. It’s exactly what you want from a pumpkin treat: lots of actual PUMPKIN flavor, not just fall spices.
- But speaking of spice, there is plenty to go around. It’s the perfect balance of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and my fall-time-super-special-secret-ingredient that brings it all together: cardamom. You are going to love it. (If you already know you hate cardamom, then don’t be a dummy, leave it out. I call for cardamom in my viral Apple Pie recipe and some people lose their minds about it. “I hate cardamom but I added it in this pie because you said to, and now I hate this pie.” Guys, I can’t rewrite your faulty tastebuds, use your best judgment here ;)
- This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins and uses a full 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree. I love it when life hands you an equation like that; evidence of a higher power right there
- Did I mention it’s made in just ONE bowl?
- We are not skimping on the chocolate. It makes these muffins super FUDGY. I get super bossy about exactly how to add the chocolate chips later on, just you wait. Bet you didn’t know you could do this part wrong 🤣
Tips for making pumpkin muffins look like they came from a bakery:
So many lists today!! I promise these muffins are not hard to make. These are just the key techniques that will take your muffins from “very good” to “OMG.”
- Bake the muffins at a high temp in the first few minutes, then lower the temperature. This is THEE MOST IMPORTANT muffin tip you will ever learn, trust.
- Use muffin liners and wait to peel them off until the muffin is cooled (I mean, unless you are okay snarfing the muffin bits off the paper..not that I would know..)
- Fill your muffin tins ALL the way. The batter is thick enough that you can stack it kind of. (Add an extra dollop on top; see the how-to below for photos.) This helps make TALL muffins!
- Grease the top FLAT part of the muffin tin, in case you have any overflow.
- Press chocolate chips into finished muffins. If you are really committed, tuck in any visible chocolate chips that are on top of the unbaked muffins. Press it right into the dough. Because we are baking these muffins at such a high temp in the beginning, the chocolate tends to scorch. Easy solution, just place them on after baking.
Here’s what you need to make it
Here’s a quick list of everything you need to make all your cozy fall baking dreams come true. Jump to the recipe card for all the deets. (my 14-year-old daughter informs me that no one says “deets” anymore. sorry guys, I was born in 1987 and you’re just going to have to deal with that.)
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- nutmeg
- cloves
- cardamom
- granulated sugar
- light or dark brown sugar
- vegetable oil
- 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- vanilla
- eggs
- chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, but dark would be amazing too!)
How to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
First grab your ONE bowl, that’s all we need today! Add in the entire can of pumpkin and relish in this moment where you are not throwing anything away (and not storing 3 tablespoons of pumpkin in the fridge, like a psycho 🙋♀️)
Add in your eggs and oil. Oil is what makes muffins magical, did you know? Oil is 100% fat. Fat = flavor, sing it with me now. Oil is the reason you keep going back to Chik Fil A. Oil is the reason this White Cake is so darn good. Embrace it, embrace it! I like to use Light Olive Oil. This does not mean it’s lower calorie (if only 😂) it just means it has a less olive-y flavor profile. It’s the perfect neutral vegetable oil for any baking project! Whisk it all together:
And then add in the dry ingredients, all in a pile like this on top of the wet ingredients. Spoon and level the flour, to make sure you don’t pack in too much. Use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Add the soda, powder, kosher salt, and the spices.
If you have whole nutmeg, go ahead and bust out your microplane grater and grate it in. Totally not necessary, pre-ground nutmeg is totally fine!
Use a little spoon to stir the dry ingredients together a bit! We don’t want any clumps of salt or baking soda in our muffins. Then stir it all together. And add in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Fold it in.
This recipe makes what seems like too much batter for a regular 12 count muffin tin. I promise, it works! You want muffins to rise up TALL, so we are filling them all the way to the tippy top. If you have filled all your muffins and still have a bit of batter leftover, go back and spoon an extra dollop of batter on the top of each muffin! I promise it will work.
It’s actually great to “stack” the batter like this. Adding the batter and then adding an extra dollop on top makes the perfect muffin top when they bake!
Then, take a second to poke in any visible chocolate chips so that they are covered in batter. We are baking these muffins at a very high temperature in the beginning, and the chocolate will scorch if it’s exposed. So tuck it in and then add the chocolate chips after they are baked. They will melt right away, and then cool with the rest of the muffin.
Be sure to get the after school crew to help you eat all the chocolate chips poke in the chocolate chips.
You can see above that some of the inner chocolate chips rose to the top and still got darker. No prob, it still tastes great. It’s not the end of the world if you skip the fussy pressing chocolate chips step; the chocolate still tastes amazing even if a little darker.
Remove the muffins from the pan as soon as your little hands can handle it. We don’t want the muffins to continue sitting in the pan because the steam they are giving off makes them wet and soggy. So pop them out asap and get them onto a cooling rack so the bottoms of the muffins don’t turn into a mess, texture wise. (fyi, the photo above was from a test where I did not poke the chocolate chips down; they got a little too black)
And voila! Wait a bit to cool (if you can) and that’s it! I’m always SHOCKED at how fast these are to put together. If you eat them right away while they are piping hot, it tastes like eating a pumpkin brownie 🤩
Storing and reheating pumpkin muffins
You can keep these muffins in an airtight container or ziplock bag on the counter for 2-3 days at room temperature. After that, you can store them in the fridge, where they’ll last for up to a week. But you’re better off freezing any muffins you won’t eat right away; they’ll stay fresher, and you can warm one up anytime the craving strikes.
Can I freeze pumpkin chocolate chip muffins?
Yes you can! How much will you love your past-self if you tuck a batch of these in the freezer and pull them out some dreary morning this winter?? Muffins freeze very well, so they’re ideal for making ahead. Come on, make future-you’s day!
Wait to make sure the muffins are completely cooled before you seal them in a leftover container or ziplock bag, or the steam from their heat will create condensation. They’ll last in the freezer for 2-3 months!
You can let them thaw on the counter overnight or hit them in a microwave for 30 seconds or so, depending on how many you heat at one time. Don’t heat them at full power; use the defrost button, or cook at power level 5 (half power) to make sure you don’t overheat the outside and still have frozen centers. Nothin’ sadder.
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins FAQs
Moist muffins need fat, which you’re adding to these in the form of oil. We’re also adding pumpkin. While it’s low fat, it does add LOTS of moisture to the muffins. Another important requirement is to avoid over-baking your muffins. Only bake them until they spring back when tapped with a fingertip!
Chocolate chips can sink when they’re denser than the batter you add them to. This isn’t a problem here: this batter is thicccc. Plus, we’re starting on high heat to activate the baking powder and help the muffins quickly rise and form their final shape, chocolate chips scattered nicely throughout.
More pumpkin dessert recipes
I have a thing for pumpkin you guys. Do you think he likes me back??
- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Blossoms >> kiss cookies with a pumpkin twist
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake >> with allllll the steusel
- Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake >> swirls of vanilla + spiced pumpkin cheesecake, but just you wait for the extra graham crumble on top
- Pumpkin Bars with Chocolate Chips >> easy bar version of these muffins!
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll >> so fancy!! I’ll show you how to make it, it’s not hard pinky promise
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Crème Brulée topping >> this is the only way I will eat pumpkin pie now. Once you sugar and torch the top, there is NO going back.
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Pecan Frosting >> I have about 5 cupcake recipes on my blog because I don’t like cupcakes, but this one is an exception, it’s phenomenal. (Also I recently discovered a fav Chocolate Cupcake recipe, bringing my number up to 6, we are getting there guys)
- Pumpkin Dump Cake with Cake Mix >> stupid easy, crunchy topping love
- Paul’s Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting >> check this crazy topping
- Pumpkin Pie Cake >> hit the easy button, grab a cake mix! Recipe is from my brother Nathan’s college roommate Peter, thanks Peter, it’s probably from your mom, thanks Peter’s mom.
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins >> of course I’m adding streusel guys, it’s ME
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake (No Bake) >> fall flavor, fast and foolproof
- Pumpkin Crème Brulée from Bonni Bakery
- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts from Kirbie’s Cravings
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (dark brown is fine too)
- 2 large eggs, large
- 1/2 cup light olive oil, or any vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, use 1/2 teaspoon if you are using table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated, if you can
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, for pressing into the top of the muffin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425. Prepare a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Use nonstick spray to spray the top (flat part) of the muffin tin, that way your muffins won't stick if you have overflow. Set aside.
- Add the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add the entire 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Use a whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup light olive oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients: Spoon and level your flour. (Use a spoon to add the flour to the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.) Add 1 and 3/4 cup flour to the wet ingredients, but don't stir.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda right on top of the flour.
- To the flour, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, if you can), 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom together in a large bowl. Use a small spoon to stir the spices and salt and powders into each other a bit.
- Switch to a rubber spatula instead of a whisk. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Don't overmix! You don't want to overwork the flour or you will get tough muffins. Just mix until completely combined, work out any lumps.
- Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to fill each muffin liner with batter. Divide evenly between the 12 muffin tins. I like to add the batter in two scoops, so that the top scoop sits on top of the lower batter a little bit. This makes for really tall, bakery style muffins. See photos.
- Take a second to poke any visible chocolate chips under the batter, so they don't scorch in the oven.
- Bake the muffins in the oven that is set to 425 degrees F. Bake for only 7 minutes. Then, WITHOUT opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350. Make sure you don't skip this step! You muffins will burn if you don't. Continue baking at 350 for another 9-13 minutes.
- You will know the muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it. When you gently tap the top of a muffin with your finger, the top should spring back instantly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 2 minutes.
- Carefully remove the muffins from the muffin tin, and set them on a wire rack to cool. Don't burn your fingers!!
- Carefully press more chocolate chips into the top of each muffin.
- Let cool completely for the fluffiest texture. But they are also soooo good when they are warm! Grab a glass of milk, they will just be a little more fudgy/brownie like.
