Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
, Updated Nov 22, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins –packed with pumpkin spice goodness and melty chocolate in every bite! These easy muffins are quick to make, freezer-friendly, and utterly irresistible – THE ultimate fall bake!
If autumn had a mascot, it would be these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (and Taylor Swift’s Red album). Soft, tender, bursting with cozy pumpkin flavor and chocolate in every bite, they strike the perfect balance between warmly spiced and sweetly indulgent.
The pumpkin purée keeps them incredibly moist, spiced apple butter adds depth and richness, and those pockets of gooey semisweet chocolate chips make every bite feel special. Whether you enjoy them with your morning coffee, tuck them into lunchboxes, or bake a batch for the weekend, these muffins are bound to disappear fast (the entire batch I baked for these photos went in one day!).
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Solid-Pack pumpkin purée: Brings moisture, flavor, and that iconic pumpkin color. Make sure to use 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the crumb soft and tender. You can also use canola, avocado oil or melted coconut oil.
- Eggs: Provide structure and help the muffins rise.
- Apple Butter: Adds sweetness and a spiced depth that complements pumpkin perfectly. You can also use apple purée or applesauce if preferred.
- Light brown sugar for sweet caramel flavor.
- All purpose flour and raising agents – make sure the baking powder and soda are fresh to give the muffins a proper lift!s
- Pumpkin spice and vanilla bean extract or ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice for the perfect fall flavor.
- Chocolate chips: I used a mix of semisweet and milk chips for melty bursts of chocolate that balance the warm spices. Make sure to add some chips on top for that bakery-style look!
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prepare the batter
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Mist the surface of your muffin pan with cake release or grease with a little oil and add paper liners.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Place the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, apple butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix vigorously to combine until the sugar is dissolved using a wooden spoon or hand mixer.
- Add the dry ingredients and gently fold into the batter until the ingredients are combined no dry streaks of flour are visible. Use a light hand – overmixing will develop the gluten resulting in tough muffins! If you are not in a hurry, leave the batter to rest for five minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly dispersed.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter between the muffin liners filling almost all the way to the top. Scatter a few semisweet chocolate chips on top of the batter (the milk ones may scorch!).
Bake the pumpkin muffins
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If you want to be 100% sure, check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer– it should be 205°F–209°F (96°C–99°C).
- Cool for 10 minutes and serve slightly warm – and if you have teenagers prepare for a stampede!
Golden Rules for Best-Ever Muffins
1. Don’t overmix the batter: Stir the dry into the wet ingredients gently just until combined.
2. Use room-temperature ingredients: These allows them to blend more evenly and prevents the batter from curdling – a smoother batter bakes up fluffier.
3. Fill your muffin liners almost to the top (some would suggest even more!) to get that perfectly domed look – muffin tops are the best part of the muffins! This is why you need to also grease the surface of the muffin tin.
4. Watch your oven temp: Muffins bake at a higher heat than most other bakes to give them a quick rise. But if your oven is temperamental. you can bake at 350°F (180°C) for slightly longer or start with the higher heat for five minutes then reduce the temperature.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- This pumpkin muffin recipe makes twelve and uses half a can of solid-pack pumpkin purée (unless you double the recipe). The leftover pumpkin purée will keep for 5-7 days in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze in ice cube trays or freezer bags for up to six months. Use it up in my Pumpkin Apple Bread with Streusel Topping or Pumpkin Sourdough Bread.
- If you don’t have pumpkin spice blend handy, use a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and half a teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and large pinch allspice. A speculaas spice blend is another delicious alternative!
- Pumpkin purée adds a lot of moisture to the muffins but in itself it is a bit bland. I added a little apple butter to boost the flavor. You could use applesauce as a substitute or simply a little more oil.
- Storage and Leftovers: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for 5 days and reheat in the microwave for just a few seconds to refresh before serving. To freeze, cover in plastic wrap individually and store for up to 3 months.
These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are will make your kitchen smell like heaven! Quick, easy, and oh-so autumnal, they’re bound to become a seasonal favorite. If you bake a batch, please leave a comment and rating below. And don’t forget to tag me if you make them—find me on @Instagram or TikTok 🍂
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice See Note 1
- ¼ tsp salt
- 7 oz (200g) solid-pack pumpkin puree See Note 2
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- ¼ cup (60g) apple butter or applesauce See Note 3
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 ¼ cup (220g) semisweet chocolate chips , plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Mist the surface of your muffin tin with cake release or grease with a little oil and add paper liners.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl and stir to combine.1 ⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice , ¼ tsp salt
- Place the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, apple butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix vigorously to combine until the sugar is dissolved using a wooden spoon or hand mixer.7 oz (200g) solid-pack pumpkin puree, 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup (60g) apple butter, 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- Add the dry ingredients and gently fold into the batter until the ingredients are combined no dry streaks of flour are visible. Use a light hand – overmixing will develop the gluten resulting in tough muffins! If you are not in a hurry, leave the batter to rest for five minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly dispersed, holding back a handful to place on top of the muffins.1 ¼ cup (220g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter between the muffin liners filling almost all the way to the top. Scatter a few semisweet chocolate chips on top of the batter (the milk ones may scorch!).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If you want to be 100% sure, check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer– it should be 205°F–209°F (96°C–99°C).
- Cool for 10 minutes and serve slightly warm – and if you have teenagers prepare for a stampede!
Notes
- NOTE 1: If you don’t have pumpkin spice blend handy, use a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and half a teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and large pinch allspice. A speculaas spice blend is another delicious alternative!
- NOTE 2: This recipe makes twelve and uses half a can of solid-pack pumpkin purée (unless you double it). The leftover pumpkin purée will keep for 5-7 days in the fridge, in a jar or airtight container. For longer storage, freeze in ice cube trays or freezer bags for up to six months. Use it up in my Pumpkin Apple Bread with Streusel Topping or Pumpkin Sourdough Bread.
- NOTE 3: Pumpkin purée adds a lot of moisture to the muffins but in itself it is a bit bland. I added a little apple butter to boost the flavor. You could use applesauce as a substitute or simply a little more oil.
- STORING & FREEZING: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for 5 days and reheat in the microwave for just a few seconds. To freeze, cover in plastic wrap individually and store for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
