These one-bowl Double Chocolate Muffins with pumpkin and chocolate chips are sweet (but not too sweet!). You'd never guess they have fruit and veggies inside. They're really easy to make, because you mix everything together in just one bowl. Muffins are a simple and delicious make-ahead breakfast, snack, or even dessert. Because this recipe has an extra healthy boost from pumpkin and applesauce, it's great for any chocolate-lover who want to squeeze in extra fruits and vegetables throughout the day!
The magic of these muffins is that they incorporate nutrient-dense pumpkin and naturally sweet applesauce. So they're infused with a touch of nutrition while still maintaining all of their chocolatey, decadent appeal.
This recipe is great if you want to bake with pumpkin, but don't want over-the-top pumpkin flavor. Chocolate really is the star of this show!
The combination of cocoa powder and chocolate chips (what makes these "double" chocolate!) creates a rich, deep chocolate flavor. It's just so indulgent, and so, so good.
For the finishing touch, add a few extra chocolate chips and a little sprinkle of sugar on top of the muffins before they go in the oven. This small detail creates a beautiful, delicate crust that adds an extra layer of texture and sweetness. It's just one more way these muffins taste sweet without a ton of sugar on the inside.
Oh and one last perk I should mention just in case you weren't sold on baking these muffins ASAP. You can mix the entire batter in just one mixing bowl.
Chocolate muffin bliss minus the extra cleanup. Are you ready for it?
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Ingredients
Pumpkin and applesauce are two healthier ingredient swaps that make this muffin recipe special.
Canned pumpkin puree is packed with beta-carotene, which our bodies convert into vitamin A, and it also contains vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Beyond these nutritional benefits, baking with pumpkin means you don't need as much fat (like oil and butter) to get delicious muffins that aren't dried out.
Swapping in a bit of unsweetened applesauce offers similar benefits. Again, you don't need as much fat, plus applesauce lends natural sweetness to these muffins, so you don't have to go overboard with the sugar, either.
Here's a full list of the ingredients you'll need:
- pumpkin puree - make sure it's unsweetened pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You could also cook pumpkin or squash and puree it yourself.
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- olive oil - regular olive oil (not extra virgin) will have a lighter flavor that works well for baking
- unsweetened applesauce
- maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- chocolate chips - use regular, dairy-free, dark chocolate, or no-added-sugar, depending on what you're looking for!
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and preparation details.
Instructions
This is a basic run-down of the steps for making chocolate muffins. You can find more detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Combine the wet ingredients.
Stir in the dry ingredients.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter between muffin cups and top with additional chocolate chips and sugar if desired.
Bake at 425º F for 8 minutes, then reduce oven heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Hint: Greasing the muffin liners will make it easy to remove the muffins after baking. I like to spray the inside of the liners with a neutral oil. Here's an affiliate link for the oil mister that I have and love.
Substitutions
You can easily tweak this recipe to fit a variety of dietary needs. Here are a few ideas.
- Dairy-free - Use dairy-free chocolate chips
- Lower sugar - Use dark chocolate chips or no-sugar-added chocolate chips
- Vegan or egg-free - Substitute flax eggs for the eggs and use dairy-free chocolate chips
- Gluten-free - Substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour and make sure your chocolate chips are gluten-free
- Oil - Use another neutral oil in this recipe (such as grapeseed or canola) if desired. You could also swap in melted coconut oil if you don't mind the coconut flavor.
Variations
Want to make this recipe your own? Here are a few more ideas for flavor variations.
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - omit the cocoa powder and add ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- Chocolate Nut Muffins - Substitute chopped walnuts for the chocolate chips
- Zucchini Chocolate Muffins - Use shredded zucchini instead of pumpkin puree
Equipment
First, you'll need a large mixing bowl to mix the batter. Use a whisk to combine the wet ingredients, and a large mixing spoon or spatula for stirring the dry ingredients.
If you don't have a whisk, you can use a fork instead.
To bake the muffins, you need a standard 12-cup muffin tin and muffin liners. I tested these muffins both with and without liners, and they're so much easier to remove from the tin if you use the liners.
If you don't have muffin liners, you can cut pieces of parchment paper to fit into the muffin cups instead.
You can also bake these in an unlined muffin tin in a pinch, but you will definitely want to grease the cups with oil first if you take this route!
Storage
Make sure the muffins are completely cooled before you store them.
If you plan to eat them within a few days, you can leave them on the counter at room temperature. Line an airtight container with a paper towel and store the muffins in a single layer in the container. They can be left out at room temperature for up to five days.
If you want to keep these longer than five days, I recommend freezing them. Store the cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to three months.
Thaw muffins at room temperature or in the microwave.
Top tip
Don't over-mix the muffin batter! Mixing too much will lead to denser, less fluffy texture. Stir just until you don't see streaks of dry flour.
FAQ
A chocolate muffin can absolutely be part of a balanced breakfast. If you notice that you don't feel full after eating just a muffin, add an egg or small bowl of Greek yogurt for extra satisfying protein.
Chocolate muffins are a great make-ahead breakfast, snack, or dessert recipe. You can store leftovers at room temperature or freeze them for up to three months.
Top chocolate muffins with chocolate chips, granulated sugar, chopped nuts, or sprinkles. You could also add frosting or icing for more of a dessert feel.
Related
Looking for more healthy-ish baked treats? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite recipes to serve with chocolate muffins:
📖 Recipe
Double Chocolate Muffins with Pumpkin and Chocolate Chips
Equipment
- Mixing bowl, whisk, spoon
- Muffin tin and liners
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (use dairy-free, dark chocolate, or no-sugar-added if desired)
Optional for Toppings:
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (use dairy-free, dark chocolate, or no-sugar-added if desired)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line and grease a muffin tin.
- Whisk pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, olive oil, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined. (Stop stirring as soon as you don't see any visible dry flour.)
- Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Add optional toppings of chocolate chips and sugar (if desired).
- Bake on the center rack for 8 minutes, then, leaving the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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