Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Helloooo fall baking season!

From now through the end of the year is my FAVORITE time to bake. There are so many great flavors to play with! Right now we have apples, maple, caramel, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pumpkin. Then once the holiday season hits, we add in peppermint and a whole slew of other nostalgic flavors I look forward to all year.

This pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe is one that I’ve had for years. It came to me in bread form from a previous roommate, but it’s been so long that I can’t remember who that was (if it was you, let me know!). I tweaked the recipe slightly, and decided to bake it as muffins instead of bread. And I’m loving the result.

Now, I know that pumpkin and chocolate may sound like a weird combo…but just trust me on this one, it’s DELICIOUS.

(That said, if you’re a pumpkin purist and can’t stomach the idea of chocolate with your pumpkin, this recipe probably isn’t for you. Though I’m not sure why you would have read this far if that’s the case? Ok, let’s move on.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Ingredients

The ingredients list and instructions may look long, but this is actually a pretty simple recipe. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Pumpkin (duh). I used good-old-fashioned canned pumpkin puree. 😉 But if you’re a purist or just have a pie pumpkin hanging around that you need to use up, feel free to use that. You’ll need 1 3/4 cups. (Note: we’re using just plain old pureed pumpkin here, NOT pumpkin pie filling. The cans often look similar…be careful!)
• Granulated and Brown Sugars. The original recipe called for all granulated sugar, but I like the extra caramelly, musky flavor that brown sugar adds. That said, if you’re out of one, just sub more of the other…it’ll turn out great regardless. Also, I used light brown sugar, but dark would work too.
• Nutmeg, Cloves, and Cinnamon. For the cloves and cinnamon, I used ground. But for the nutmeg, I always like to freshly grate whole nutmeg if I can. It is SO much more flavorful than the pre-ground stuff. (TBH, that’s probably true of the cloves and cinnamon too, but nutmeg is easier to grind by hand) I used my trusty Microplane grater to finely grate it. It smells so heavenly.
• Salt. Just regular old table salt here, or finely ground sea salt.
• Baking soda. For leavening.
• Large eggs. For more leavening, plus fluffiness. Don’t have large eggs? Replace them with any size egg by volume: Each large egg is equivalent to about 2oz of egg (by weight) without the shell, so four eggs would be 8oz of eggs. I bet flax eggs would work great here too (though I haven’t tried them).
• Vegetable oil. You could also use canola oil or olive oil here if that’s what you have. Coconut oil (melted) would probably work fine too.
• All-purpose flour. I prefer unbleached all-purpose flour. If you need a gluten free option, try Bob’s Red Mill’s GF one-to-one baking flour. (Disclaimer: I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work).
• Hot water. Yep, make sure it’s really hot…like just off the boil. I use my electric kettle, but the microwave is great too.
• Chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet. I love Ghirardelli, though I tried some Trader Joe’s 72% chips recently, and they were fantastic. Milk chocolate would be good here too, though decidedly sweeter.
• Sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar. This is entirely optional. I like to sprinkle a little on the top of each muffin to add sparkle and crunch…but you can leave it off if you prefer or don’t have it on hand.

How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Now that we’ve gathered our ingredients, let’s bake!

1. Prep your oven and pans. Preheat your oven and line three 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Don’t have three pans? Use what you have and bake in batches. Just make sure your tins are back to room temp before baking the next batch.
2. Prep your ingredients (mise en place). I like to measure out all of my ingredients before I start mixing. That way I’m never left without enough of some ingredient, and the mixing goes really quick. Note: When you measure out your chocolate chips, toss them in 1T of flour. This will help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter during baking.
3. Mix pumpkin puree, sugars, spices, salt, and baking soda. I used my KitchenAid mixer, but this recipe doesn’t require that. A large mixing bowl and either a hand mixer, whisk, or wooden spoon will work great. Mix on medium speed until combined fully.
4. Add eggs, then oil. Add all four eggs, mixing on low speed until combined. Then pour oil in slowly as you continue to mix (this is easier with a stand mixer). Stop mixing to scrape the bowl once or twice, to make sure it’s mixed thoroughly.
5. SLOWLY add flour while continuing to mix on low speed. I say “slowly” so emphatically because adding it slowly helps keep it from clumping. Stop mixing to scrape the bowl once or twice.
6. Once flour is mixed in, fold in the chocolate chips in their 1T of flour.
7. Divide batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling each liner about 3/4 full. I like to use an Oxo Large Cookie Scoop to scoop the batter into the tins. Optional: Top each muffin with a few more chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sugar.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins at the center of the tin comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin tins, then carefully remove them (chocolate chips will still be melty) and let cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to a month.

More Fall Recipes

If you love seasonal treats, try these too!

• Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Etta’s Pumpkin Pie
• Maple Pecan Blondies
• Mini Apple Crumble Pies
• Chai Spice Pound Cake Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Galette
• Chai Spice Snickerdoodles

Whatever you bake this fall, I hope it turns out delicious! I’d love to see what you’re baking: tag me on Instagram @northern.ginger.

And if you try these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, let me know what you think by leaving me a review and comment below!

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