Moist and fluffy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are perfect for fall! This quick and easy recipe makes big muffins packed with warm spice, melty chocolate chips, and sugary crunch.
For more easy fall baking ideas, try these pumpkin cupcakes and these cozy apple cinnamon muffins!
Moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
This recipe is a fresh spin on my easy pumpkin muffins, this time loaded with melty chocolate chips. Real pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice fill these muffins with moisture and flavor, and they bake up with big, round domes bedazzled with sparkly sugar. I have you covered with an easy trick for making bakery-style muffins at home! Whenever I’m craving an easy fall treat, it doesn’t get much better than fluffy and moist pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I just know you’ll love them, too.
Why I Love These Pumpkin Muffins
- They’re packed with chocolate. It’s impossible to resist a soft, moist chocolate chip muffin. This pumpkin version is just as packed with gooey pockets of melted chocolate. Choose milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, it’s up to you.
- The batter is super quick. It’s a matter of folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and then baking. These muffins are one of my easiest baking recipes for pumpkin season!
- Big and tall! If you’ve been around for a while, you know I love large, bakery-style muffins. They’re like my original pumpkin but bigger, taller and just as moist and fluffy.
Ingredient Notes
These are some quick notes on the important ingredients. You’ll find a printable ingredients list with the full amounts in the recipe card below the post.
- Butter – Unsalted butter, melted and then cooled before you start.
- Oil – Just like in cakes and cupcakes, vegetable oil makes these muffins ultra-tender. Choose a mild-flavored oil, like canola. And if you’d prefer to substitute another type of oil, I recommend olive oil.
- Pumpkin Purée – Make sure you’re using 100% canned pumpkin purée and NOT pumpkin pie filling that contains spices and thickeners.
- Sugar – I use a combination of brown and granulated sugar. You can substitute all of one type of sugar with the other if needed.
- Spices – I like to spice up these muffins with pumpkin pie spice and extra cinnamon. You can also use a combination of fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
- Chocolate Chips – These can be semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips or chunks.
- Sparkling Sugar – I sprinkle the tops of my muffins with coarse sugar for (optional) crunch.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
The secret to making bakery-style muffins comes down to how you mix the batter, and how you fill the pan. Remember to scroll down to the recipe card after the post for the printable instructions.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by beating the eggs, then add oil, butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin purée, and then cream in both sugars.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, you’ll sift the dry ingredients into the batter. Mix, and then fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Fill the pan. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, leaving an empty well between each lined well. Fill each liner right to the top with batter and sprinkle each muffin generously with sparkling sugar.
- Bake. Bake your pumpkin muffins at 375ºF for 20-24 minutes. Afterward, leave the muffins to cool in the pan for another 20 minutes or so before carefully removing them.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Fill the muffin liners to the top. This yields big, tall muffins with round domes.
- Only fill every other well with batter. Leaving an open well in between each filled well is key! It gives the muffins plenty of room to rise and expand while they bake. I learned this helpful tip from my friend Beth at The First Year Blog.
- Bake in the middle of the oven. You should be able to bake two trays at a time. If you only have one muffin tin, bake in batches.
- Don’t over- or under-bake these muffins. If your pumpkin muffins turn out gooey, it’s likely because they’re underbaked. Test these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for doneness using a toothpick stuck into the center. If it comes out clean, your muffins are ready to come out. Overbaking causes these moist muffins to dry out, so be sure not to leave them in too long, either!
- Add nuts. Fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter for extra crunch (also try these banana nut muffins for another easy recipe with loads of nutty texture).
- Add glaze. Instead of sanding sugar, top your muffins with a drizzle of vanilla glaze.
- Try a streusel topping. Give these muffins a sprinkle with streusel instead. I like to borrow the brown sugar streusel from my peach macadamia nut muffins.
How to Store
- On the counter. Once the muffins have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to line the bottom of the container with a paper towel to keep the muffins from getting soggy. For the best freshness, enjoy these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins within 1-2 days of baking.
- Freeze. Freeze these muffins airtight in a single layer. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Print
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 57 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are fluffy and moist, bursting with cozy spice and melty chocolate chips. The perfect quick and easy recipe for fall!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (236ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (59ml) milk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (366g) pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cups (330g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoon (8.5g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (3.75g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- 2 teaspoons (5g) ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4g) pumpkin pie spice
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- Sparkling sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 6 paper liners, alternating them with an empty space in between.
- Beat the eggs for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Next add the oil, butter, milk, and vanilla extract and beat together until well combined. Then, add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until it is well combined.
- First, add the brown and granulated sugar and continue beating until well combined. Combine and sift the remaining dry ingredients, then add to the wet batter and beat just until the flour is incorporated. Toss in the chocolate chips and use a spatula to mix into the batter, ensuring all ingredients are well combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, fill each liner to the very top and then add a heaping spoonful of sanding sugar. Bake at 375°F for 20-24 minutes in the middle of the oven. You should be able to bake two trays at a time. If you only have one muffin tin, bake in batches. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the muffin, if the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are done. Allow the muffins to cool for 15-20 minutes, then use a knife to help release the edges of the muffin tops from the pan. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Storing: Muffins are freshest within two days of baking. Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I recommend lining the bottom of the container with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture
- Freezing: Baked muffins can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw to room temperature prior to eating. Freeze in a single layer for best results.
- Removing the muffins from the pan: As these are large muffins with tall tops, you’ll need the flat edge of the knife to separate the edge of the muffin from the pan. You’ll want the muffins to be slightly cooled so that the tops won’t separate from the bottom.
- Regular-sized muffins: If you’d prefer to make regular-sized muffins, fill the liners 3/4 full, about 3 tablespoons of batter and bake for about 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 521
- Sugar: 40.9 g
- Sodium: 430 mg
- Fat: 26.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 68.2 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 41.2 mg
Great recipe. Moist and delicious.
Wonderful to hear that! Thank you so much!