Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are soft, fluffy and filled with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. This is the best pumpkin muffin recipe I’ve tried!
Love pumpkin recipes? Be sure to try my easy Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Cake and Pumpkin Pancakes too!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, our favorite fall muffin recipe!
I always have at least one batch of muffins in my freezer, ready to grab for a quick breakfast, snack or to pack in school lunches. In the fall, more often than not you’ll find these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins in my kitchen!
Along with my Healthy Banana Muffins and Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are one of my very favorite muffin recipes. They’re filled with warm spices and they’ll make your kitchen smell amazing as they bake.
I love that these muffins are just sweet enough, and that they’re made with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin puree, honey and whole wheat flour. The pumpkin keeps the muffins moist, while the chocolate chips add an extra touch of sweetness. I like to use mini chocolate chips because they distribute more thoroughly throughout the muffins, ensuring that you get a little chocolate in every bite.
I’ve made a batch, and sometimes two batches, of these pumpkin muffins every week for the past three weeks. And I still can’t keep my freezer stocked with them because my family eats them up so fast! I think you’ll love them too. 🧡
My 3 year old daughter and I made these. LOVE how easy they were and that I can make them healthier. WONDERFUL RECIPE we’ll use forever
Molly
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
This is an easy one bowl recipe, where everything for the batter is mixed in just one bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients. First, melt the butter. Then mix in the pumpkin puree, honey or pure maple syrup, and milk. Next whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk until well combined. Then mix in the spices.
- Gently stir in the flour and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to over-mix; stir in the flour just until incorporated.
- Bake. Scoop the batter into a greased muffin pan and bake at 350° F for 15-18 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- I use a large trigger-style ice cream scoop to quickly and easily fill the wells of the muffin tin with batter.
- Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of the muffins right before baking for a prettier presentation.
- You can make these muffins with pumpkin pie spice if you have it on hand. I always make a batch of my homemade pumpkin pie spice at the beginning of fall. Store-bought works also. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, I’ve listed the amounts of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves that you would use in the recipe.
- Both store-bought and homemade pumpkin puree work well in this recipe. When I tested this recipe with homemade puree, I found that it’s best to omit the milk in the recipe when using homemade pumpkin puree since it has a greater moisture content than canned.
- Be sure to use 1 cup of pumpkin (one 15 ounce can is about 1 3/4 cups, so you’ll have extra).
- To double this recipe, you can use one 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree plus 1/4 cup of applesauce or mashed banana to make up the difference to equal 2 cups total puree.
Recipe Variations
- Dairy-free: Use coconut oil in place of the butter, a non-dairy milk (such as almond milk), and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Vegan: Use pure maple syrup (rather than honey) and two flax eggs in place of the eggs, plus follow the dairy-free options listed above.
- Mini muffins: You can make mini muffins with this batter, using a mini muffin pan.
How to Store and Freeze
- To Store: Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Store in an airtight container (such as a zip-top bag with the air squeezed out) in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, see note
- ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup milk, dairy, almond, etc.
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, OR 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour, or regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chocolate chips, I like to use mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. You can also bake the muffins in a mini muffin pan.
- Place butter in a large bowl. Melt in the microwave.
- To the bowl with the melted butter, add the pumpkin, honey or pure maple syrup, and milk. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the pumpkin pie spice (or spices listed).
- Using a rubber spatula, mix in the white whole wheat flour and chocolate chips. Be careful to not over mix the batter.
- Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan (a large scoop makes this quick and easy). Add a few more chocolate chips to the tops of the muffins if desired.
- Bake muffins for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Mini muffins will take about 12 minutes to bake.) Let muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Canned Pumpkin: Note that this recipe calls for 1 cup, not 1 can of pumpkin puree. One 15 ounce can contains approximately 1 3/4 cups of pumpkin puree. If you want to use the whole 15 ounce can of pumpkin, you can double this recipe and add 1/4 cup of applesauce or mashed banana to make 2 cups of total puree.
- Homemade Pumpkin Puree: You can use homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe. When I tested this recipe with homemade puree, I found that it’s best to omit the milk in the recipe when using homemade pumpkin puree since it has a greater moisture content than canned.
- Dairy-free: Use coconut oil in place of the butter, a non-dairy milk (such as almond milk), and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Vegan: Use pure maple syrup (rather than honey) and two flax eggs in place of the eggs, plus follow the dairy-free options listed above.
- To Store/Freeze: Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe originally published October 2017. Updated September 2024.
Is there a way to make these gluten free?
I haven’t tested it myself, but you could try using a gluten free flour. Bob’s Red Mill makes one that can be used in a 1:1 ratio in baking.
Just made these again. They come out perfect every time!
These are one of my favorites, too! I’m so glad you’re enjoying them!
Can you tell me what size can of pumpkin purée please?
Hi Karen, You need 1 cup of canned pumpkin for this recipe. A 15 ounce can of pumpkin contains about 1 3/4 cups, so you will not use the whole can. I hope you enjoy the muffins!
Can you use a sugar replacement instead of sugar in your recipes?
Hi Linda, I don’t bake with sugar replacements so I can’t say how they will work. If a recipe, such as this muffin recipe, calls for honey or pure maple syrup I do not recommend using a substitute.
Can you make them in a large muffin pan?
Yes, this recipe works great as regular size (not mini) muffins.
Can you substitute the butter with something else? maybe peanut butter?
Peanut butter or almond butter would work, so long as you want that flavor to come through in the muffins. Coconut oil would work really well, or you could replace the butter with more pumpkin or with applesauce.
I made these choc chip pumpkin muffins today…followed the recipe, and they did not come out great 🙁 Looks like they’re slightly sunk in, and moist in the middle..but flavor seems ok
Hi Laurie, I’m sorry these weren’t your favorite. I’ve made this recipe many times and they always turn out perfect so I wonder what went wrong. Did you make any changes to the recipe?
How large is the can of pumpkin puree?
This recipe uses 1 cup of pumpkin puree, which is a little over half of a can. One 15 ounce can contains 1 3/4 cups of pumpkin puree.
Can you use all whole wheat flour in this recipe (or any of your recipes) instead of white whole wheat?
You can, but the texture will be a little more hearty. I prefer white whole wheat because it is milder in flavor and texture. These will still be delicious with regular whole wheat flour, though!
Hi.. can I substitute white whole wheat flour with all purpose flour ?
Yes, that will work great. Enjoy the muffins!
Hi- I need to use some fresh pumpkin. Any idea how to substitute the canned for fresh? I don’t do much cooking with fresh pumpkins so no idea what to do! Thanks…
You can substitute an equal amount of fresh pumpkin. Enjoy!
I’m wondering if agave can be substituted for honey/syrup?
Yes, that should work.
Mine didn’t cook in the middle? I think the recipe says 1 “can” of pumpkin…which is what I used. The whole can. After reading the comments it looks like one cup is what it was supposed to be. Bummer!
The recipe says “1 cup canned pumpkin.” Using one cup of pumpkin works great in these muffins.
These are delicious! I substitute the choc chips with sultanas.
My elderly mother requests these for her to share with her friends at her retirement centre.
These muffins turned out great!! I made a double batch, but didn’t quite have enough pumpkin for the second cup, so I added a small mashed banana. Turned out 22 deliciously perfect, moist, regular sized muffins. Will definitely be making again!!
Can this be baked in a loaf pan, instead of making muffins?
Try my Healthy Pumpkin Bread recipe, which is very similar to this one. You can add chocolate chips to it. Enjoy!
Made these last night. Doubled the recipe and got 28 amazingly delicious muffins! Thank you so much for the recipe ?
I’ve made these muffins three times this week already!! Absolutely delicious, thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
My grandchild who is 8 said we haven’t made these muffins lately and they are a favorite. Will make them on their next visit. They are delicious. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes.
These are literally amazing!!! I just took them out of the oven and I am already contemplating making more! I had fresh pumpkin that I had cooked last weekend so I used that and half white flour and half whole wheat. The muffins were fluffy, and tasty and just overall great.
I made these this morning with a couple tweaks. I used half honey half white sugar. Regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips. After baking for 15 minutes the tops were still really soft so I put them back in for 5 minutes. They were still soft so I read through the recipe again & realized 1 cup was not 1 can! Haha oops. Still delicious, but I would do a little less baking soda. It’s really overpowering. My family loved them too.
Could you substitute oat flour instead of wheat?
I haven’t tested this recipe with oat flour, so you would have to experiment. If you give it a try, let me know how they turn out!
My 3 year old daughter and I made these. LOVE how easy they were and that I can make them healthier. WONDERFUL RECIPE we’ll use forever
I’m so happy to hear that! This is one of my family’s favorites, too.
I used whole wheat flour and these turned out amazing!!!! Thank you for this delicious and healthy recipe!!
Cinnamon chips would be great too!
I did a little substitution… applesauce for butter and raisins & pecans instead of the chips. So delish
I made these muffins they tasted delicious. I just switched it up with grinned oatmeal instead of flour. Also use almond milk . I didn’t have baking soda so I used a tablespoon of baking powder came out really good!😁
Can you tell me what I’m to do with the 6 tbsp of melted butter?
Hi Mandy,
In step 3 of the recipe, you add the pumpkin, honey, milk, eggs and vanilla to the bowl with the melted butter.
I have made this recipe from you for years now. It is one of the best muffin recipes ever. My grands love them and I do too. I freeze what is left then get one or two out when I need something special. They never fail to amaze me. Thanks for the wonderful recipes, especially this one.
These are delicious! I had to bake them a little longer cause they were soft on top after 18 minutes. 5 minutes did the trick! Thanks SO much for the recipe!!