Description
These chocolate pumpkin muffins are soft, moist, and deeply chocolatey with pumpkin spice flavor. Made with pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and coconut oil, they’re easy to make and loaded with chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (56g) coconut oil (see Notes for other options)
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (85g/60ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (227g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120g) nonfat Greek yogurt, at room temperature*
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (90g) mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. While the oil is still hot, whisk in the cocoa powder and maple syrup until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Whisk in the warm cocoa mixture until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. The batter will be very thick.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips on top of each.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C). Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for 15–16 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for 5–10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Cover and store leftover muffins at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator, then warm in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Oil: You can substitute melted butter, avocado oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil for the coconut oil. Whichever you use, warm it with the maple syrup over low heat before whisking in the cocoa powder. The warmth helps bloom the cocoa and deepen its chocolate flavor.
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I do for most muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a higher temperature. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so they’re extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
- Recipe Update in 2026: I made a few changes to simplify the recipe and improve the muffins’ texture, making them softer and more moist. The recipe above reflects these changes. To make the recipe as it was originally published, decrease the pumpkin to 3/4 cup (185g), use 2 egg whites instead of 1 whole egg, decrease the oil to 2 Tablespoons (28g), and decrease the mini chocolate chips to 1/3 cup (60g).