These pumpkin chocolate muffins with a hint of spice are a delicious autumnal treat. Full of flavour and veggie goodness these muffins are made using buttermilk as well as cacao and chocolate chips for an extra chocolatey finish. Light and fluffy, ready in just over 30 minutes!
These delicious pumpkin chocolate muffins are light and fluffy (as well as moist!) thanks to the combination of pumpkin puree and buttermilk. Both are nutritious, low in fat, perfect for healthy baking.
These chocolate pumpkin muffins are also incredibly easy to make!
Can you taste the pumpkin in these muffins
No, you can't! Despite being made with a vegetable (quite a lot of it too) the predominant flavour is chocolate!
If you love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate try soft pumpkin cookies with pecans as well as easy, healthy pumpkin cake with chocolate drizzle.
Pumpkin chocolate muffins ingredients and substitutions
- Pumpkin puree.
- Buttermilk: both kefir as well as pouring yogurt are good substitutes (milk is NOT).
- Flour: You can use a combination of all-purpose/plain and whole wheat flours for a healthy twist. Alternatively use white whole wheat flour.
- Baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Cocoa powder: either cocoa or cacao powders are fine to use. If you use cocoa your muffins might be a little darker than mine (I used cacao).
- Chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips are fine to use.
- Vegetable oil: use any mild tasting oil.
- Light brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract.
- Spices: you can use ready made pumpkin spice/mixed spice (1.5 tsp) instead of individual spices if you prefer.
Top tip
Tweak the spices to your preference.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin pan or line with paper cases. Set aside.
In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cacao, spice and salt and whisk together until there are no lumps in the mixture.
2. In another bowl combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
3. Whisk until silky smooth.
4. Combine both mixtures and stir until the dry ingredients are no longer visible adding the chocolate chips half way through. Do NOT overstir the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and leave in the muffin pan for 10 minutes then transfer onto a rack to cool completely.
Top tips and FAQs
- Ensure the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is silky smooth before stirring in the dry ingredients.
- Do NOT overstir the batter. It should be lumpy. Stir just to combine.
- Store your pumpkin muffins with chocolate in a plastic/glass container for up to 3 days. They taste delicious a little warm (pop in the microwave for a few seconds before serving).
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
You might also like
- Easy Pumpkin Cake with Pecans
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Muffins
- Healthy Easy Pumpkin Brownies (with Oil)
- Beet Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Check out also this collection of 27 everyday healthy cacao recipes! You may also like this roundup of vegetable breakfast recipes.
Keep in touch!
If you make these chocolate pumpkin muffins I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Did you make any substitutions? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Recipe
Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins with Buttermilk
Equipment
- 12-hole muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups (300 g) pumpkin puree 10.58oz
- 2 cups less 2tsp (240 g) all-purpose/plain flour 8.47oz
- 1 teaspoon baking powder and bicarbonate of soda each
- 4½ tablespoons (35 g) cocoa powder 1.23oz
- ⅔ teaspoon cinnamon and ground ginger each
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅙ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup (120 g) dark chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup less 2tsp (150 ml) buttermilk
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar packed, 5.29oz
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup+2tsp (90 ml) vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6. Line the muffin pan with paper cases. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, cacao, spice and salt.
- In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, oil and vanilla extract until silky smooth.
- Combine both wet and dry mixtures and stir until the dry ingredients are no longer visible adding the chocolate chips half way through. Do NOT overstir.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave in the muffin pan for 10 minutes then transfer onto a rack.
Notes
- Ensure the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is silky smooth before stirring in the dry ingredients.
- Do NOT overstir the batter. It should be lumpy. Stir just to combine.
- Buttermilk: Both kefir as well as pouring yogurt are good substitutes.
- Either cocoa or cacao powders are fine to use. If you use cocoa your muffins might be a little darker than mine (I used cacao).
- I used dark chocolate chips but semisweet or milk chocolate chips, as well as chocolate chunks will work too.
- You can use readymade pumpkin spice (1.5 tsp) instead of individual spices if you prefer.
- You can use a combination of plain/all-purpose and white whole wheat flours for a healthy twist.
- Store in a plastic container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
DeeDee
yum, pumpkin! I do love to roast it and add it to ....everything! ?
Monika
Glad we are on the same page then!
Lee MacArthur
Thank you for starting with the pumpkin as I always make my own pumpkin puree. These look great. Thank you for sharing.
Monika
Thank you! Glad you like the recipe.
Judith A. Graber
I use to make my pumpkin pies with fresh puree and even have a few posts about using it. I found the color is different in certain baked goods but the taste seemed similar to canned variety. I always believe in using fresh versus using anything canned. A favorite American chef, Ina Garten,stated in her pumpkin cupcake recipe "canned pumpkin is actually better for baking than puree made from a fresh pumpkin. It's a different variety of pumpkin than our traditional jack-o-lantern". End of quote... I say each to their own and your healthy pumpkin muffins sound delicious. Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday.
Monika
Thanks! I didn't know canned pumpkin was made using a different variety of pumpkin than what we get in the stores!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Delicious looking muffins!! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party! Have a lovely week and hope to see you next week too!
Monika
It's a pleasure!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Oh these look so good! I'd be honored if you shared this at our What's for Dinner party.
http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-169/
Monika
Thank you! Happy to join in with What's For Dinner party!
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Don't These look delicious? Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Monika
Thank you Jacqui!
Angie | Fiesta Friday
I like the sound of these muffins, Monika. I still can't believe what your dog did! Good thing pumpkin is actually really good for dogs. Not sure about the chocolate though. I'm glad she's ok. Naughty, naughty dog! 🙂
Monika
I can't get over the fact she's been completely fine since eating the muffins! Maybe I should start marketing my muffin recipes as dog friendly!