Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

A freshly baked pumpkin chocolate chip muffin with a bite taken out of it.

4.70 from 13 votes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

Ready for an easy recipe that tastes like fall? These pumpkin muffins combine pumpkin, applesauce, and just the right amount of spice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy pumpkin muffins, pumpkin applesauce muffins, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, pumpkin muffins

Servings: Muffins

Calories: 170kcal

Author: Melissa Norris

Cost: Varies

Equipment

Instant Pot to prepare fresh pumpkin pureé
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Mixing Bowls
Electric Mixer or whisk
Silicone Spatula
Muffin Tin

Ingredients

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt I love Redmond Real Salt. Use code “Pioneering” for 15% off.
4 Whole Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
¾ Cups Applesauce
¼ Cup Melted Coconut Oil or butter
2 Cups Pumpkin Pureé not pumpkin pie filling
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips optional

Glaze:

2 Tablespoons Butter melted
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. If you are not using muffin liners, grease muffin tins.
In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and chocolate chips.
In a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, and pumpkin. Beat until light and fluffy.
Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
Fill prepared muffin tins and bake for approximately 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
While the muffins are baking, prepare the maple glaze. Melt the butter and combine with the maple syrup. Slowly whisk in powdered sugar.
When the muffins are slightly cooled, drizzle the glaze over them.

Notes

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions:

Flour – You can also use a 1:1 ratio of oat flour or your favorite gluten-free flour blend. (Check out my tips for successful gluten-free baking here.) If substituting freshly ground flour, adjust as follows:
- Spelt – Increase to 2 1/2 cups flour.
- Einkorn – Start with 2 and 3/4 cups of flour.
- Soft Wheat – Decrease to 1 and 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons
Eggs – Learn how to store and preserve farm-fresh eggs here. For an egg-free variation, substitute flax eggs by mixing 4 Tablespoons of ground flax meal with 10 Tablespoons of water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before mixing with the other ingredients.
Sugar – For a sugar-free option, you can substitute erythritol or monk fruit. Do not substitute a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup. The added moisture will throw off the texture of this recipe.
Coconut Oil – You can substitute melted butter if you prefer. I like to use half of each.

Storing and Freezing Muffins:

Before storing your pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, make sure to cool completely. Then, store them at room temperature in airtight containers for 3-4 days (if they last that long.) To freeze, place cooled muffins in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag or container.

When you’re ready to thaw, simply remove the desired number of muffins from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe Tips

Detail	Tip
Prepare Your Fresh Pumpkin	Pumpkin pureé is so easy to make at home. The fastest and easiest way I’ve ever cooked a pumpkin is in one of my favorite kitchen must-haves, the Instant Pot. Just toss 1 and 1/2 cups of water into your Instant Pot, place the whole pumpkin inside (I knock off the stem), lock the lid into place, and cook on manual-high for 13 minutes. Let it release naturally (aka pressure reduces by cooling off, no quick release.) Once the Instant Pot has naturally cooled down, open the lid, lift out the pumpkin, split it in half, and separate the seeds from the flesh. So easy!
Measuring	Use proper measuring utensils to accurately measure your ingredients, and spoon and level your flour instead of scooping it from the container. Using too much flour is the top reason muffins come out dense.
Mixing	Bring your wet ingredients to room temperature and mix your wet and dry ingredients separately before mixing them together. Don’t use an electric mixer when combining wet and dry ingredients. You could overdevelop the gluten, resulting in dense muffins or large holes in the crumb.
Filling	Do not overfill your muffin tins. For mini muffins, fill 1 Tbs. batter per cup, standard muffins are about ¼ cup, and jumbo muffins are about ½ cup batter per cup. Pro-Tip: Use a cookie scoop for ease of filling.
Baking	Don’t open the oven door, or the muffins may deflate. To check if they are ready, insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin. If it comes out clean with no wet batter, they have finished baking.
Extras	Add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract, press a few extra chocolate chips on top of the muffins, or sprinkle the top with rolled oats or sparkling sugar for an added touch.
Time Saver	This recipe works with my homemade muffin mix. Just use 2 cups muffin mix in place of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and reduce the sugar in this recipe to ½ cup.

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