Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

A Quick Look at the Recipe

✅ Recipe Name: Pumpkin muffins
🕒 Ready In: ~35 minutes
👪 Makes: 12 muffins
🧑‍🍳 Main Ingredients: Flour, pumpkin puree, egg, chocolate chips, sugar, spices and oil
📌 Difficulty: Quick and easy baking recipe

Why you’ll love these pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips?

These pumpkin muffins are perfect in every way—even when it comes to making them! They’re super easy to make, and the earthy, mildly sweet flavor of real pumpkin purée pairs beautifully with the rich, dark decadence of chocolate chips. The pumpkin adds moisture and warmth, while the chocolate brings contrast and indulgence.

I modified my pumpkin cream cheese cake recipe by incorporating ½ teaspoon of baking powder for extra lift and then stirring in semi-sweet chocolate chips. It is an easy recipe for pumpkin muffins that is perfect bakery-style!

- maria doss

Why Pumpkin Makes Muffins So Moist

Pumpkin purée is the secret behind incredibly moist, tender muffins. Since pumpkin is naturally high in water, it adds plenty of moisture to the batter and helps retain it as the muffins bake. Instead of drying out in the oven, the pumpkin helps keep the crumb soft and plush for days.

Pumpkin also contains natural fibers that help create a rich, smooth texture similar to adding extra fat. These fibers help prevent the flour from developing too much gluten, which would otherwise make the muffins tough or chewy. The result is a muffin that's soft, fluffy, and perfectly moist without feeling heavy.

Pumpkin Muffins vs Pumpkin Cupcakes

While pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cupcakes share many of the same cozy fall flavors, they’re made with different textures and occasions in mind. Pumpkin muffins are slightly heartier, less sweet, and perfect for breakfast, snacks, or lunchboxes. Pumpkin cupcakes are lighter and more dessert-like, usually finished with a generous swirl of frosting.

The main difference is in the batter and texture. Muffins use a simpler mixing method where the ingredients are combined just until incorporated, creating a soft but sturdier crumb. Since pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, the batter needs the right balance of flour and fat to prevent the muffins from becoming too dense. In this recipe, the extra structure helps support plenty of melty chocolate chips while keeping every bite moist and fluffy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Baking Tips

• Pumpkin puree - This pumpkin muffin recipe calls for 1 cup of canned pumpkin purée—make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices. I usually go with Libby’s, as it's thick and flavorful.
• Spice - Use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, to make pumpkin spice chocolate chip muffins.
• Mixing – Add the chocolate chips when the flour is halfway mixed—this helps avoid overmixing and keeps the muffins tender.
• Filling – Don’t be shy about filling the muffin cups to the top—a generous scoop of batter is the secret to those beautifully domed bakery style muffin tops.
• Storage - These pumpkin muffins are especially amazing when served warm, with the chocolate chips partially melted and ooey-gooey for the ultimate Fall indulgence. However, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
• Different type of oil - If you’d like to substitute the vegetable oil, coconut oil or olive oil are great options. Olive oil adds a subtle flavor that pairs nicely with pumpkin and chocolate, while coconut oil brings a light coconut taste that’s equally delicious.
• Skip the chocolate chips - You can leave out the chocolate chips for a plain pumpkin muffin. Just note that you might end up with about 10 muffins instead of 12, since there’s slightly less volume.
  

How to make?

You can find full printable recipe for pumpkin spice muffins below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.

Step 7 - Divide batter evenly into a paper lined muffin pan, top with more chocolate chips and bake at 350 degrees.

More Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes

• Fluffy pumpkin waffles are soft and light with a pillowy texture. It captures Fall flavors with cozy cinnamon and plenty of pumpkin, and tastes amazing!
• Transform your day-old croissants into a fall sensation! These irresistible pumpkin almond croissants infuse buttery, flaky pastry with the rich flavors of honey, pumpkin and almond flour. Easy & scrumptious!
• Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes are made with almond flour! They turn out thick and fluffy and make a delicious Fall breakfast - Gluten-free, protein-rich, flourless, low carb with dairy-free option!
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake has a soft and plush texture topped with the most decadent cream cheese swirl. It is an ideal fall brunch or dessert for a crowd.