These may be the world’s best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. This easy recipe makes soft, fluffy pumpkin muffins that stay moist for DAYS.
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
This easy muffin recipe makes ultra-soft, fluffy, moist, pumpkin muffins scented with cinnamon and studded with chocolate chips.
- This recipe makes about 24 enormous, beautiful, bakery-style muffins, or 30 more reasonably sized (sigh).
- They reheat quickly in the microwave (I warm them upside-down for maybe 20 seconds, then right-side-up for another 20)
- Great for on-the-go or a quick breakfast, and they thaw in 30 minutes or less on the counter/in a lunch bag. My kids love these as a school treat (almost as much as they love Double Chocolate Muffins)!
Here’s What You Need
Check out everything you need to gather to make my fluffy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Ingredients
- Pumpkin purée: Be sure to grab pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use fresh. Here’s how I freeze pumpkin puree in big batches.
- Buttermilk: Ideal in muffins for a subtle tang and extra moisture.
- Vegetable oil (sunflower, safflower, or canola): I prefer an oil with a neutral flavor. Don’t use coconut oil, which will make harder muffins.
- Brown sugar: Adds a touch of molasses richness and helps the cake stay moist.
- Eggs: Choose large eggs and use them at room temperature if you aren’t in a hurry.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and sweetness to the pumpkin and spices.
- All-purpose flour: Acts as the base structure for the recipe, providing the necessary gluten development for a light, airy crumb.
- Granulated sugar: Balances the spices and pumpkin flavor, adding sweetness and contributing to the texture.
- Cinnamon: What’s fall (or pumpkin) without a dash of cinnamon?
- Baking powder & baking soda: Make sure your leavening agents are fresh for the perfect rise.
- Chocolate chips: Dark chocolate chips are delicious, but milk or white will do beautifully. I like to use mini chocolate chips to give teensy little pops of chocolate.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few ways to switch up the base pumpkin muffin recipe:
- Gluten-free option: Swap out the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
- Vegan Muffins:To make these plant-based, substitute the buttermilk with a mix of dairy-free milk (like almond or oat milk) and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for the same tangy effect. Make sure to choose dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Whole wheat flour: Substitute half or all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. This will add a denser texture and a slight nuttiness to the flavor.
- Pumpkin spice blend: Swap the cinnamon for a pumpkin spice blend to infuse the recipe with a mix of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, elevating the fall flavors even further.
- Add-ins: Consider folding in chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy texture, or dried cranberries or raisins in place of the chocolate.
Grab these Tools
Round up these kitchen tools before you start baking:
- Muffin tin and paper liners are used to bake the batter.
- You’ll need a few mixing bowls to make the batter.
- A whisk and spatula to bring the batter together.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins: An Easy Guide
I love that this recipe comes together so quickly and simply:
Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pan
Set your oven to 375°F. Line your muffin pan with paper cups, grease them, or spray with nonstick spray. (This recipe yields about 30 muffins, so use 3 pans or cool your pans quickly between batches with lukewarm water.)
Mix wet ingredients
In a large bowl, stir together all the wet ingredients until fully combined. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir gently until almost combined, leaving some flour streaks.
Fold in chocolate chips
Fold in the chocolate chips, mixing until no dry pockets remain.
Fill muffin cups and bake Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool on a wire rack.
Common Mistakes + Pro Tips
There are a few tricks to turn them into the perfect muffins. Plus, a few nerdy notes from my food science background you might be interested in:
- Oil vs. Butter: Using oil instead of butter keeps the muffins extra moist because oil coats the flour proteins, preventing the overdevelopment of gluten, which can make baked goods tough.
- Knowing When They’re Done: My favorite way is to use a meat thermometer. It takes out the guesswork completely. When they’re done, they’re 190ºF internal temperature.
Otherwise, just press them on top to make sure they’re springy before you take them out of the oven – if your finger squishes in and leaves an indent, they’re not ready yet. - DON’T Refrigerate: Storing muffins in the fridge doesn’t keep them fresh longer, it stales them more quickly than room temperature. If you want them to stay fresh for more than 3 days, freeze them instead.
- Don’t OVER-MIX the Batter: Stirring the batter too much can lead to dense, tough muffins. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Store freshly baked muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave for a warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.
- When I make muffin recipes (which are one of my favourite things to bake!) I usually make a lot of them. I let them cool, and then freeze most of them. Freezing them right away keeps them totally oven-fresh.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
I like to freeze them first in a single layer on a baking sheet, then pack them into a freezer-safe bag or container.
This keeps them from sticking together or smooshing. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave.
How to Thaw Frozen Muffins
They reheat quickly in the microwave (I warm them upside-down for maybe 20 seconds, then right-side-up for another 20) or thaw in 30 minutes or less on the counter/in a lunch bag. I love them for quick breakfasts and grab-and-go snacks.
FAQs About Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Here are a couple of questions I get for this recipe:
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin purée?
Yes! Fresh pumpkin purée works well. Just make sure it’s well-drained and not too watery to avoid altering the batter’s consistency.
Can I add other mix-ins to this recipe?
Absolutely! You can add chopped nuts, dried cranberries, or even a sprinkle of oats on top for extra texture and flavor variety. Just be mindful not to overload the batter with too many add-ins.
Other Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
Honesty, you’ve got to try them all:
- Moist Pumpkin Loaf Recipe
- Pumpkin Zucchini Muffin recipe
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake bars
- Pumpkin Roll Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Pie
View all my fav pumpkin recipes here!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins (Soft + Fluffy for DAYS!)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 4 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk see substitutes in notes.
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips regular or mini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare muffin pans by lining with paper muffin cups, greasing well or spraying with nonstick spray. (The recipe makes about 30 muffins, so use 3 pans if you've got them, or quickly cool your pans between batches by running under lukewarm water.)
- In a large bowl, stir together all the wet ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, dig a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Use a light hand to incorporate the wet into the dry, stirring only until almost combined, with floury streaks and dry pockets remaining. Gently fold in the chocolate chips; by this time the floury streaks should be gone.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this recipe be halved successfully?
Yes!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Can I half the recipe to make 15 as 30 is a big batch.
Yes you can!
Absolutely adore this recipe! The muffins were a hit at my last family gathering. The balance of pumpkin and chocolate is perfect. Thank you for sharing, Jennifer!
Pumpkin and chocolate chip, really? Seems like an odd combo. People just throw anything together these days.
I tried this recipe over the weekend, and my kids absolutely loved it! Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing such a detailed guide. The step-by-step instructions were super helpful. I appreciate the tips on how to avoid common mistakes, and folding in the chocolate chips made all the difference. Can’t wait to check out more of your pumpkin recipes!
Did you make any tweaks to the recipe or followed as is?
I followed it as is for the first time. It turned out great, so I didn’t feel the need to adjust anything!
Your pumpkin-pineapple muffins have been my go-to pumpkin muffins for a few years, (love em!) so I decided to look to you for something different and found this Chocolate chip pumpkin recipe. Just made them and they are truly unexpectedly silky, moist and delicious! I weighed the flour in grams and not surprisingly, without fluffing the flour, it was about 3 1/2 cups measured, so I’m glad I weighed it, as I think it has a lot to do with the tender texture of the muffins. I would also add that they have a bit of a popover quality to them due to the 3 eggs, as well as a bread pudding quality due to the amount of buttermilk. Can’t quite put my finger on why it doesn’t taste like bread, but they are remarkably delicious! Thanks for another great recipe for me to share!
Remarkably delicious – that put a giant smile on my face, thank you!