These homemade Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are cozy with warm spices and sprinkled with chocolate in every bite. With golden tops and a soft, buttery crumb, this easy muffins recipe is a delightfully tasty way to kick off the autumn brunch season!
You can never go wrong with pumpkin baked goods, and this easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe is great to keep on hand. Everyone loves these muffins, plus they freeze well too – so go ahead, make a double batch!
Why EVERYONE ❤️s These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
I’ve been making these pumpkin muffins, with their little melty pools of chocolate inside, for a very, very long time. The recipe is a favorite with our family and friends, and many readers – here’s why!
- Great for fall. Pumpkin puree and warm spices add fall flair to this recipe.
- So easy. This recipe is incredibly easy to make – I can have them in the oven in just 20 minutes.
- Freezer-friendly. Beat the holiday craze by baking these muffins in advance and thawing them before your guests arrive.
- Versatile. Add tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and streusel, or top them with luscious buttercream frosting.
What You’ll Need
Warm spices, velvety pumpkin purée, and semi-sweet chocolate are everything that autumn should taste like. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
- Flour – All-purpose flour gives these muffins structure.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar provides sweetness.
- Salt – For a little bit of contrast to the sweet.
- Baking soda & baking powder – These provide lift to the batter, so the muffins rise. Be sure to check that your products have not expired.
- Ground spices – Cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and cloves offer beautiful warm flavor and scent.
- Eggs – These help bind the batter together and also give rich flavor.
- Pumpkin purée – Use canned 100% pumpkin purée that does not contain any other flavorings, sweeteners, or spices.
- Butter – I always bake with unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt in this recipe.
- Chocolate chips – I use semi-sweet chocolate chips; Guittard brand chocolate chips are my favorite.
How to Make Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins
This recipe is quick and easy to make, and you’ll LOVE the beautiful scent while these muffins are in the oven! Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a muffin pan with cooking spray – or use paper cupcake liners if you prefer. Set pan aside.
- Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl. Then combine the eggs, pumpkin purée, and melted butter, and stir with the dry ingredients.
- Add chocolate. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Portion the batter. Evenly divide the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin pan. I like to use a baking scoop!
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out just clean. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes before removing muffins from the pan. Serve and enjoy!
Variation Ideas
Instead of chocolate chips, add some of the options below or your own favorite mix-ins. Aim for 1 cup total.
- Dried fruits – Raisins, cranberries, golden raisins, and dried blueberries work great.
- Shredded coconut – Toasted shredded coconut adds texture plus a nutty, tropical flavor.
- Nuts – Chopped pecans and walnuts are delicious. I like to use roasted, salted nuts for the best flavor and texture.
- Oats – I like to add old-fashioned oats for extra texture and substance.
- Different chocolate – Use mini chocolate chips if you like. Or swap semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk or dark chocolate chips or chunks, or white chips.
- Frost them. Frost fully cooled muffins with your favorite vanilla, cream cheese, or chocolate buttercream.
Tips for Perfectly Moist & Fluffy Muffins
Here are a few tips to guarantee moist, perfectly baked pumpkin muffins every time.
- Choose the right pumpkin. Be sure to grab plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin purée is processed pumpkin and has no added sweeteners or flavorings. On the other hand, pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced. Always stick to purée for full control over the recipe’s flavor.
- Use good quality chocolate. I’m partial to the chocolate chips I use in my baking. My favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips are from Guittard.
- Be sure to spray the muffin pan evenly if not using paper muffin liners. This will ensure that the muffins come out of the pan without sticking.
- Use a scoop. I like to use a kitchen scoop to make it easier to fill the pan quickly and evenly.
- Sprinkle a little more chocolate… For an extra pretty presentation, sprinkle some extra chocolate chips over the tops of the muffins before they go into the oven.
- Use the center rack. For the most even baking, always place the muffin pan on the center rack.
- Take care to not over bake. These muffins should be moist when you eat them, so be sure to monitor the baking time as everyone’s oven heat is not the same.
How to Serve
When I’m entertaining I like to offer some special butters, especially my whipped cinnamon honey butter (absolutely divine!).
And for those of you who just can’t get enough pumpkin, make a batch of fluffy whipped pumpkin spice butter and serve the muffins with a hot pumpkin spice latte or cold pumpkin cream cold brew!
How to Store
Make sure the muffins are fully cooled before storing them to prevent spoilage and guarantee the best texture.
- Counter: Place the muffins in an airtight container and let sit at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep them away from strong-smelling foods like onions and fish to prevent the transfer of odors.
- Freezer: Place the muffins in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Or individually wrap the muffins with plastic wrap and add them to a freezer-safe baggie, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 30-60 minutes.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, gently melted
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a standard muffin pan lightly yet thoroughly with cooking spray – or line with paper baking liners. I prefer to just spray my muffin pan for this recipe – I like the texture and appearance of the muffins better than when I use paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and cloves. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.
- In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin purée, and melted butter.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened (batter may be a bit lumpy). Then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups – I like to use a scoop for this. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over the tops if desired.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into centers of the muffins comes out just clean. Do not over bake.
- Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to a cooling rack.
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2010, then updated in 2022 and 2024.
Love this!! Made it for the 2nd time tonight. Modifications: used half the sugar and subbed in a banana for the other half. Worked like a charm! Also put in 1/4 cup of walnuts/pecans. My kids are big fans! Thank you!
I LOVE to hear this – thank you for sharing your modifications. We love banana, I’ll give this a try!
Sounds delicious. I would like to make a pumpkin bread and thought I would use this recipe! Thanks!
5 STARS
Thanks for making these for the Thanksgiving weekend. I love them and know I ate more than my fair share.
My favorite pumpkin muffin!! :)
I love these Muffins
Just made these today and they were excellent. This recipe is a definite keeper.
Wonderful, so glad you liked this recipe. I’m actually making a double batch of these muffins for a neighborhood block party tomorrow. They always go over very well!
thanks!
Made these for breakfast this morning – yummy! Thanks for another delicious recipe, Brenda.
I had my two-year-old help me make these yesterday. They were delicious!
I don’t bake at all. My son LOVES these.
Thanks so much
Made these with my son today. We doubled the recipe and got 36 muffins, not sure how that happened. But we’re not mad, ’cause they’re yummy!
Thanks for letting me know, Amy! If you have too many, these freeze really well. Just pull some out and warm them up whenever you need a quick homemade muffin!
Beautiful! fantastic recipe!!
Thanks Amanda – it really is a great recipe. I haven’t found anybody who didn’t like them.
I baked your pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and my child who is a challenge
to motivate to eat, loved them. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Brynn! I’m so glad you found a recipe your child likes. My girls LOVE these muffins. Thanks for letting me know!
Mmmm, making them again tonight for our 3rd Annual Paulsen Bean Bag Tournament tomorrow :)
Yay!! I promise – you won’t be disappointed!
oh… I want one. I want anything that you make Brenda!
Hi Owen! I miss you! And I would love to make these for you. See you very soon!!!
Oh my goodness! delicious!
Hi Alyssa – so now I’m waiting for another one of your funny food adventures… :-)
Thanks for the deliciousness!
Thank you so much, Andrea!
Can I do mini muffin cups and mini chips? If so, can I borrow a mini muffin pan? ;) LOVE this recipe.
I have no doubt mini muffins and mini chips would work – excellent idea, thanks!! Sorry I’ve been unavailable the past few days, you surely could have borrowed my pan.
Borrowed from a neighbor. They were a hit! Especially with my son who loaded up on a stash for his lunch ;)
Yay! Thanks for letting me know. I’m going to have to try making some minis now!
Going to a neighborhood bonfire Sat night. Was just wondering what to bring. Bingo! You nailed it. Thank you!!!!
Sounds perfect, Angela!