Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins

Name: Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup pecans (optional); 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1¼ tsp. cinnamon + ½ teaspoon allspice + ½ teaspoon nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon cloves); 1 large egg; 1 cup light brown sugar; ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil; 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling); 1 cup buttermilk (well-shaken); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular or mini chocolate chips)

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Inside: See how buttermilk is the secret to these pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins—and the best chocolate chips to use, so they don’t wind up on the bottom of the baking tin.

These pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins prove that homemade doesn’t have to mean complicated. Just a bowl, a whisk, and everyday ingredients create fluffy, moist pumpkin muffins—chocolate chips, spices, and all— irresistible in about 30 minutes.

Holding a chocolate chip pumpkin muffin.

These pumpkin and chocolate chips muffins bake up soft, fluffy, and incredibly moist — the kind that stay tender even the next day. The buttermilk works magic here, reacting with the baking soda for a light, airy crumb while keeping the texture rich and velvety. Each bite has just the right balance of warm spice, golden pumpkin, and melty chocolate, plus crunchy pecans — a cozy mix of flavors and colors that feels like fall in muffin form.

They’re perfect for the season, from Halloween mornings to Thanksgiving weekend brunch. The recipe makes 18 regular-sized bakes or double the batch of two-bite minis, making them easy to share (or stash in the freezer for quick breakfasts). No mixer required — just a bowl, whisk, and 30 minutes start to finish.

This recipe is inspired by my popular applesauce muffins, with a few tweaks to highlight pumpkin’s earthy sweetness and pair it with chocolate and a touch of spice. If you love easy breakfast bakes, try my gluten-free apple buckwheat muffins, cranberry orange oatmeal muffins, or glazed pumpkin muffins next — each one a simple, make-ahead favorite for fall mornings.

Why This Recipe Works

Buttermilk for moisture and lift: The acidity in the milk reacts with baking soda to create a fluffy rise and keeps the muffins tender for days.
Pumpkin purée keeps them moist: It gives the muffins a soft, crumb without feeling heavy or dense.
Brown sugar for flavor depth: Adds subtle caramel notes that pair perfectly with the warm spices and chocolate.
Plenty of chocolate chips: Each bite has a little morsel of sweetness that complements the earthy pumpkin.
Optional toasted pecans: Add crunch and texture for a bakery-style finish.
One-bowl recipe: No mixer, no fuss—just a whisk and 30 minutes for fresh, homemade muffins.
Adaptable size: This pumpkin muffin recipe makes 18 regular-sized or 36 bite-sized minis for snacking or sharing.

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour–I use King Arthur Flour.
Baking Powder–Acts with heat to give rise to the muffins.
Baking Soda–Reacts with buttermilk to create bubbles in the batter and help with additional rise.
Salt–Use iodized salt for baking; kosher or sea salt for other cooking.
Pumpkin Pie Spice–or 1¼ tsp. cinnamon + ½ teaspoon allspice + ½ teaspoon nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon cloves and ¼ tsp. ground ginger (optional).
Pumpkin Purée–you can use my homemade pumpkin purée or canned pure pumpkin. Look at the label to ensure it’s NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Light Brown Sugar–adds a richer, sweeter quality and deeper color to the baked goods
Large Egg–Eggs are imperative for a moist, tender crumb.
Canola or Vegetable Oil–do not substitute olive oil.
Buttermilk–Keeps the muffins moist and tender while helping the baking soda create that perfectly fluffy rise every time. If you don’t have buttermilk, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to a cup of whole milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Pecans (optional)–I love a bit of texture in muffins and toasted nuts add the perfect crunch. You could also use walnuts.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips–I recommend mini-chocolate chips because they’re smaller and lighter, allowing them to suspend in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom of the muffin tin. You can use regular chocolate chips, though, just dust lightly in flour before folding into the batter.

Step-by-step instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to blend.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg in a medium bowl and add the brown sugar, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree.

3. Use a whisk to combine the wet ingredients, so they’re thoroughly blended.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

5. Fold or whisk the wet and dry ingredients until there are no dry, floury bits left.

6. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

7. Portion the batter into greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven set to 350°F for 20 minutes.

Baked pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins.

8. Let the pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Pro-Tips:

Use a large cookie scoop to evenly portion out the pumpkin batter.
Fill the muffin tins ¾ to nearly full.
I recommend mini chocolate chips for an even dispersion in the batter without sinking. Regular-sized chocolate chips tend to wind up on the bottom of the muffin tins. Dusting regular-sized chips with flour and folding them into the batter can help to mitigate this.
I usually make a dozen full-sized and 12 minis with the extra batter. Mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are great for snacking.
You don’t need paper liners; just spray the baking tin liberally with cooking spray or Pam.

A stack of pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins.

Swaps and Variations:

You can use white sugar instead of brown; it will give the crumb a lighter color.
For more flourish, sprinkle them with a blend of sugar and pumpkin spice mix before baking.
Swap mini M&M candies or chocolate chunks (tossed in flour) for the chocolate chips.
Add sweetened dried cranberries in addition to or instead of chocolate chips.
To mellow the spice flavors, add a teaspoon of vanilla.

Showing the interior of the pumpkin muffins.

FAQs

Is a pumpkin muffin healthy?

Though pumpkin puree is healthy, with vitamins and fiber, other ingredients, such as brown sugar, white flour and chocolate chips, make it lean towards a once-in-a-while treat.

What is the secret to bakery-style muffins?

A thicker batter promotes rising rather than spreading. Buttermilk reacts with baking soda, promoting rise and tenderizing gluten strands, making the crumb soft.

Storage:

Store the muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for the first day. After that, store them in the refrigerator.

Freezing:

To freeze, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the muffins in a single layer, so they don’t touch. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to a month. This method allows you to reach in to grab one or two muffins at a time without having them freeze into a solid block.
For longer storage, wrap them well in freezer paper for 3-4 months.

These mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins smell so good as they’re baking. There’s the unmistakable pumpkin spice aromas with the promise of a soft, delicate bread.

You’ll want to let these easy pumpkin muffins cool for a few minutes before popping them out of the muffin tin and into your mouth (molten chocolate can burn your tongue).

That said, these easy pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins are spectacular while they’re warm with a beautiful balance of fall flavors.

More pumpkin recipes to try:

More Muffin Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins on a cutting board.

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5 from 5 votes