Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Batch of vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Wowee. It’s fall you guys. And if there’s one thing I love about this time of year it’s that my body begins craving slightly heartier, soul-warming foods. You know like muffins! Pumpkin muffins even. Oops! I didn’t even realize these ones have chocolate chips. Oh well. Guess I’ll have to eat them all.

Stirring chocolate chips into vegan muffin batter

That’s a total lie. The minute I decided to make pumpkin muffins I new I was going to dump a ton of chocolate chips in there. As if I even had a choice…

Muffin tin with a batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe
Muffin tin filled with freshly baked vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins require just 1 bowl and about 30 minutes. The ingredients list is also really simple, with the basics being flour, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, almond milk, and chocolate chips.

If you’re not a big chocolate fan, you can just leave you could easily sub in oats or even apples!

Batch of our homemade vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Stack of Vegan Pumpkin Muffins made with chocolate chips

These muffins are UBER moist; as in uber. Some might even be like, “Wow, that’s a moist muffin.” But is that such a bad thing?

I will say, however, if you prefer a more crumbly muffin, simply add in a touch more flour and/or a handful of oats to absorb more of the moisture from the almond milk and pumpkin.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins in muffin tin papers

Tender, sweet, moist, cinnamon-y (VEGAN!), and studded with melty chocolate chips. That’s what you can expect from these little guys.

Stack of three vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I’ve been enjoying mine at breakfast with coffee and in the afternoon with tea. They really are the perfect snack or item to bring to a gathering. Pumpkin season has officially arrived and I couldn’t be more stoked. Hooo-ray!

Revealing the soft inside of a Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin
Paper towel with a Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Muffin broken into two pieces

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegan pumpkin muffins studded with chocolate chips. Super moist, simple, and the perfect fall breakfast or snack.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins in paper liners
4.71 from 67 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 11 (muffins)
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
  • 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup almond milk (or sub buttermilk and omit lemon juice)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (non-dairy for vegan)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line muffin tin with paper liners.
  • Prepare flax egg by mixing flaxseed meal and water in a large bowl – let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Add pumpkin puree, almond milk, lemon juice, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract and stir. Then add salt, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon and whisk.
  • Carefully place flours into a sifter and sift over wet ingredients and stir.
  • Add chocolate chips and stir again lightly until just incorporated. If the batter appears too thick, add a splash of almond milk or orange juice. Otherwise, you’re ready to bake!
  • Spoon into paper-lined muffin tins (should be 11-12 as original recipe is written) until each liner is filled almost completely full (about 7/8ths). Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top for presentation (optional).
  • Bake for 22-28 minutes or until fluffy, golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container or bag. Freeze for long-term storage.

Notes

*These muffins are very moist. If you prefer a more crumbly muffin, simply add a touch more flour and/or a handful of oats to absorb more of the moisture from the almond milk and pumpkin puree.
*Right out of the oven, these can stick to the paper liner. I recommend letting them cool completely, covering them in a sealed container for a couple of hours and then trying again. They should come right loose!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 11 servings)

Serving: 1 muffins Calories: 155 Carbohydrates: 25 g Protein: 2 g Fat: 5 g Saturated Fat: 1.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 131 mg Fiber: 1.6 g Sugar: 10 g

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  1. Kate Mac says

    My kids and family LOVE these!! Easy, delicious, and healthy! My question is – if I wanted to sub Almond Flour, how much do you suggest using? I know it’s not 1:1 ratio.
    Many thanks.
    Kate

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kate! We’re so glad you enjoyed them! If trying to make them gluten-free we would suggest adding a gluten-free flour blend with almond flour until the texture looks right!

  2. SGK says

    I usually love all minimalist baker recipes, but this didn’t turn out well for me. I’m not sure what went wrong, I followed the directions exactly, but the muffins were dry and didn’t taste at all like pumpkin

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so sorry they didn’t turn out well! These are usually a favorite and very moist. We’re not sure what would cause them to turn out the opposite unless somehow the ratio of wet:dry ingredients got off? Is it possible the flax egg got missed?

  3. Corliss Conway says

    I just ate one and of course I want another one. The highest compliment I can give a recipe is that I will make it again. This is a keeper. I used a whole egg instead of the flax. I also used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I did add lots of chips on top and I did not think it overwhelmed the muffin. But I love chocolate. Plus, this recipe is easy to make, and cleanup was minimal.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe and that it has made it onto your make again list. Thank you for the lovely review, Corliss! xo

  4. Amanda says

    Hi! Love your blog and recipes. Making this one now and was going to add a regular egg instead of flax egg but when I was making it following the directions I realized I never added the egg after putting the muffins in the oven. Then I reread the directions..I don’t see where to add it and that’s probably why I missed it. I’m sure they’ll come out amazing anyway.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amanda, thank you for your kind words! In step 2, we make the flax egg in a large bowl and then in step 3, we add the other ingredients to that same bowl. That’s probably the confusion!

  5. Molly Bowers says

    These are good! I added cocoa powder instead of cinnamon this time, and when I don’t have milk I mix some yogurt with water.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Olivia! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo

  6. Mindy says

    I have made this many many times over the years. I love the moistness.

    I always add things like more flax seeds, chia seeds, and often add some cooked red lentils.

    I also use all white whole wheat flour and it’s delicious.

    Any kind of plant milk too.

    For spices, if I have cinnamon, I use it. Sometimes I use allspice and/or nutmeg.

  7. Abigail Coombs says

    Thanks for this great recipe! If I wanted to make them into mini muffins do you have recommendations on bake time?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yum, sounds fun! We haven’t tried it but we suspect starting with 1/2 the original bake time might work. Let us know how it goes!

    • Makenzie says

      Hi! I made these into mini muffins today- followed the recipe and had them in for 13-15min. They look amazing can’t wait to try them!

  8. Ashley says

    I made quite a few modifications, but the muffins turned out great! I used homemade pumpkin puree, only all purpose flour instead of the mix, added handful of oats, lots of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and subbed cinnamon chips for chocolate chips. In my opinion, cinnamon chips are the best thing about fall! I added a little more of each ingredient to make 12 muffins, but I ended up with 18. Maybe my muffin tins are smaller than usual.

  9. Jennifer M says

    This might be a silly question, but should these be stored in the fridge? I am making them for someone the day before, and I just wasn’t sure how to keep them as fresh as possible overnight. Thanks in advance!

  10. Kaia says

    I made It gluten free by subbing the wheat flour with cassava flour and also just used gluten free all purpose flour and added 1/4 cup of applesauce It turned out great!

  11. Cathy says

    Ok. So they actually turned out really good. I must have mixed the flax egg in well enough, one muffin at a time ha ha! My 14 year old ate 3 in a row. You know, right before dinner.
    They are delicious. Not supet sweet which we like. I used our local grocery store brand of pumpkin.
    I’m sure these will be a regualr in our home. Thank you!!

  12. catherine anderson says

    uh oh. I have these in the oven now but was distracted while I was making them (working from home) and forgot to put the flax egg in. I went to put the muffins in the oven and saw the egg in it’s little bowl on the counter. I kind of spooned a little into each muffin cup and mixed it around the best I could. ughh. Hoping they are at least edible. I’ll update!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! Keep us posted! We’d think they’d turn out a little dry and crumbly, but still tasty!

  13. Dani says

    I’ve made these twice in a row now. That’s how much my family loves them. I used one real egg and followed the gf subs Julie* posted. 3/4 c gf blend, 3/4 almond flour, and 1/4 c gf oats. They turn out perfectly.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your family enjoy them, Dani! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

  14. Samantha Gondy says

    Hi! Absolutely LOVED this recipe- not too sweet, but not bitter either! I definitely would stay stick to the amount of chocolate chips given here because it can quickly overpower the pumpkin. I made a substitution because I don’t eat white flour- I used 1.5 cup of sprouted spelt flour in place of 1.5 unbleached all-purpose flour and it was PERFECT!! Super moist and fluffy so definitely keeping this substitution for the next batch!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Samantha. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  15. Summer Stone says

    My whole family loves these!!! I use one egg, more pumpkin than the recipe calls for, clove, ginger and nutmeg, add hemp or flax seed and shredded coconut with flours. I’ve made this recipe so many times with similar alterations – pretty forgiving recipe and well loved around here. Thank you!!

  16. Robin says

    Genuinely the best muffins I’ve ever made! These were sooo delicious and the perfect soft & fluffy texture I was hoping for. My one mistake was adding too many chocolate chips- I got a little overexcited and put in 1/2 cup. I’d recommend sticking to the 1/3 as stated in the recipe because the chocolate does easily overpower otherwise. I also used 3/4 cup oatmilk + 1/4 apple cider instead of almond milk and it seemed to work well! I’ll definitely make these again :)

  17. Mikayla says

    I’ve never made a recipe from here that I didn’t love, until now. I did substitute coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I wonder how much of an impact that change made, because they were very bland. They won’t go to waste though- I’ll find a way to spice them up :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Mikayla, so sorry to hear these didn’t turn out for you! It’s possible that the coconut sugar made a difference. But we also wonder if the brand of pumpkin you used may have been bland? We find Libby’s has a superior flavor to other brands.

  18. Jensen says

    Instructions were a bit hard to follow as adding the lemon juice and egg into mixture was omitted (I only realized I hadn’t added them at the end when I didn’t it listed). I added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and cardamon and used coconut sugar. Really great flavour!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jensen, thanks for the feedback! The flax egg is made in the large mixing bowl and then the other ingredients are added to it. But it does look like the lemon juice is missing- we’ll fix that!

  19. Phoebe says

    Hey, tomorrow I’m making these for a party and just realize my friend is allergic to almonds. If I replace the almond milk with coconut milk, will that affect anything? And will the coconut be too overpowering? I can’t really have it affect the flavor because my friends are already weirded out enough that they are vegan. I’m worried because I don’t want to bail out of bringing these muffins to the party:/ Please help!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Phoebe, another reader used coconut milk with success! But there may be a slight coconut flavor. You could try cashew milk, rice milk, or oat milk for a more mild flavor. Hope that helps!

  20. Sydney says

    I made this muffins and they are great! I ran out of all-purpose flour, so I subbed some oat flour and used that with the whole wheat as instructed. The muffins are super moist and tender, and not too sweet. I let them cool completely as noted (although that was the hardest part!) Thanks for a great recipe!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Sydney! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!

  21. Molly says

    I don’t have regular whole wheat flour, but I do have both all purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour. Would it work to substitute the regular whole wheat with the whole wheat pastry?

  22. NP says

    These turned out great! I used buttermilk and 1 1/4 tsp of your pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, and didn’t use the chocolate. Made 11 muffins. They actually rose a lot more than in the pictures, which I was happy about. They did stick to the wrapper; next time I’ll lightly grease the wrappers. The pumpkin flavor was a little faint, do you think I could add more pumpkin puree next time – 3/4 cup? Overall these were really good. Thanks so much MB!

  23. Andrea says

    I’ve never made a recipe on this site that I didn’t love until these. They’re not bad but the flavor is really flat. There’s just not much flavor beyond the chocolate chips. I think they’d be better with more cinnamon and some ginger to give it a kick. These are also not particularly sweet, so maybe a little more sugar.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Andrea, thank you for the feedback! Would you mind sharing the brand of pumpkin you used? We find that different brands can vary greatly, which would impact the sweetness and overall flavor! Our favorite is Libby’s.

  24. Evelien says

    I just made these for breakfast and loved them! Like stated in the recipe, these muffins are super moist. I added 1/4 rolled oats and they still came out great. Subbed whole wheat flower for oat flower. Will make again!

  25. LAUREN says

    I thought it tasted good the first day after I let it cool. The second day it was firmer and not the pumpkin-y flavor I was looking for ideally, but still good. The 3rd day I noticed mold growing on top & fluid leaking on the top. Not sure what went wrong here. I did a double batch, half as muffins & half as a loaf but before I could bring the muffins into work (day 3 early AM) they went bad. Any clue as to what the issue may be is appreciated!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, depending on whether they were completely cooled before storing at room temp, that may have been the issue. Otherwise, you can try throwing them in the fridge next time. Also, this new recipe seems to have a stronger pumpkkin flavor if you’re interested!

  26. Jill says

    I have made these muffins many times and figured it was high time I gave a review because they are AWESOME!! I nearly always double the recipe. I usually make them exactly as listed but today I used pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and used sucanat sugar (less refined than regular sugar) and they turned out amazing! As usual, I doubled the batch because I plan to share them with a niece-in-law who has just had a baby and a nephew-in-law who just lost his father. They are my go-to muffins. Thank you for a great recipe!!

  27. Loz says

    Made this twice now! (Pumpkin is super cheap in Australia right now.) Used rice bran syrup instead of brown sugar. That’s usually far less sweet than sugar but I found it sweet enough. Also used cacao nibs and pecans instead of choc chips. First batch I found it didn’t taste pumpkiny enough, so I doubled it second time round. It’s a lot more moist but good. Also used all wholemeal flour and still found the texture to be good.

  28. Charlotte says

    These muffins turned out great! I used Vegan Egg instead of flax and pumpkin pie spice.
    Delicious!!!

    Any tips for less sticking to the papers?

    Thank you, I love your site/insta and books I can hold in my hands.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Charlotte! I’d recommend spraying them with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a little melted vegan butter.

      • Charlotte Kaye McQueen says

        Thanks so much,
        on day two they peeled out no problem, not a crumb left on the paper. There is a chance I didn’t let them cool completely before trying to eat one ;-)

  29. Stephanie says

    I’ll agree with what some others have said, they’re good but not great. I like them but I think I’ll look for another pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe to try next week. This is good, not “healthy” as some said to me. I found it to be the perfect amount of sweetness for me. But I agree the parts of muffin without chocolate don’t taste like much—shame, I really wanted a pumpkin-y muffin. I went a little extra on chocolate and used chocolate chunks rather than chips.

    I greased my pan with a bit of coconut oil, used no wrapper, and they only stuck the slightest bit. I usually use an avocado oil sprayer so I’ll try that if I do make these again.

    Thanks for the yummy treat!

  30. Julie says

    I made these gluten free and added cinnamon sugar on the top. Adjusted the recipe by substituting 3/4 c Bob’s gf 1:1 flour and 3/4 c Almond flour, 1/4 gf oats since I like my muffins less wet. I also reduced the sugar just slightly (part brown and part natural cane) and added a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar to the tops before baking. These turned out really yummy! Great flavor, not too strong of a pumpkin flavor, light, just the right amount of sweet. I think the cinnamon sugar on top works great on these. Thanks for the recipe Dana

  31. yulca says

    I was looking for a way to use up the unsweetened apple sauce sitting in my fridge, and this recipe was perfect! Working with what I had, I turned it into a summery version:

    flax egg => chia egg, pumpkin puree => apple sauce, lemon juice => apple cider vinegar, almond milk => oat milk, replaced whole wheat flour with unbleached all purpose flour, followed the recommendations and added 1/2 cup of fine rolled oats to get rid of excess moisture (great tip, will do that for pumpkin/zucchini bread in future, too) and left out the cinnamon (it being summer and all).

    Sooooo good and didn’t last long in an office full of omnivores. I love that your recipes are so easy going & that you can just work with what you have/works for you :).

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing your recipe changes, Yulca! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!

  32. Ann says

    These are delicious! A few changes:

    -I use 1-1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour instead of the all purpose / whole wheat mix. The muffins come out a bit lighter and higher.
    -I add fresh grated nutmeg (probably around 1/8 to 1/4 tsp.)
    -I grease the muffin tins with coconut oil and skip the paper liners. The muffins pop right out after cooling for ~5 minutes, and have a lovely golden crust all around.
    -I sprinkle just a bit of demerara sugar on top of each muffin before baking.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Queenie! I think it would work fine! Just lower the heat by 10 degrees and cook for 10-15 minutes longer or until a toothpick comes out clean!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! Someone has tried making this recipe, and used half gluten free flour (any all purpose brand) and half almond flour; it turned out really well.

  33. Sukhee says

    hello! could you substitute 3 tbsp aquafaba (like used in the almond butter chocolate chip cookies recipe) for the flax egg? So excited to make these!

  34. RunningPath says

    I had roasted butternut squash and didn’t feel like making soup, so I tried this recipe with the squash instead of pumpkin. I doubled the recipe and used 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose flour, and I ended up adding fewer chocolate chips because I just used what I had left in the bag. I put walnuts on top of some of them for me, and left the others without for the kids. They’re really very good, and they freeze well for reheating in the morning. I see some people say there are bland or not sweet enough, but I disagree. Muffins aren’t supposed to be too sweet!

  35. Jess says

    Oops! The instructions do not include adding the flax egg in after you’ve set it aside. Luckily I caught it one minute after I put the muffins in the oven – phew!

    Might want to update the recipe instructions. :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Actually, you add all the ingredients TO the flax egg, which is mixed in a large mixing bowl. Hope that wasn’t confusing!

  36. Anna says

    I made these last night, and wow they are amazing!!! I replaced the enriched flour with Bob Mills 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour and instead of unsweetened almond milk I used vanilla almond milk. I’m so happy with the results, so fluffy and fresh. I plan on trying a few more baked sweets from your recipes. Think next on the list is the banana bread cinnamon rolls!

  37. Macy Leach says

    I just made these and they turned it great! Just wanted to share something I learned from another muffin recipe. I baked at 425 for 5 min then turned the oven down to 375 for the remaining time and it made them nice and tall!!

  38. Kristin says

    I made these tonight and although I found them to be tasty, I agree with many of the other reviewers who stated they’re a bit bland. I tend to have an fairly bland palate but even I thought these could have used a little more spice. I disagree that they aren’t sweet enough though, since they’re intended to me a muffin, not a cupcake. My biggest disappointment, however, was how difficult they were to remove from the muffin liners. I waited until they were completely cool as the recipe states but removing the liners still pulled off the entire bottom half of the muffin. Did I do something wrong?

  39. Katie Lu says

    I LOVE these muffins- and my co-workers beg me to bring them in all the time! No one believes that they’re vegan. But the best part is that they’re super easy, incredibly moist, and the chocolate chips add just enough sweetness! I make these for every occasion because they always impress a crowd :)

  40. Tina says

    I made these last month, making my own puree with a pumpkin from our garden, and they turned out great! It was also my first time experimenting with a flax egg, so thanks for including the link to those instructions too. I used spelt flour only, and I think it worked very well with this. :) Thanks!

  41. Bernardo says

    I love this website, is my source to do everything in my vegan life. But It makes my computer SO slow I have to copy and paste the recipe on my word processor and then work on it. I wish I could do everything without that :(