When a snack attack hits, reach for these wholesome Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins. Made with real, whole foods and no sugar (that’s right!), they’re perfect for breakfast, snack time, or a midnight bite. Ready in 30 minutes and totally kid approved.
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My children are snack addicts. Morning, noon, night. Before breakfast, after school, after dinner. Heck, even during bath I hear “Mom, I need a snack!” from down the hall.
Snack. Snack. Snack.
While I’d love to tell you they happily reach for fruits and vegetables and whole grain crackers with hummus, that would be a blatant lie. They’d subsist on pretzels and Chobani Gimmies with a side of M&Ms if I let them (and no lies – some days I do!).
The snack struggle is real.
Enter these wholesome, sugar free, completely kid-approved chocolate pumpkin muffins. Hello hidden vegetable glory! I told my 3-year they were cake – so I guess sometimes I lie? It’s called parenting Karen!
Impossibly moist with puffy tops and a tender crumb, these pumpkin muffins are perfect for an anytime snack attack. I serve them to my kids for breakfast, tuck them into their lunch boxes, and offer them as an after-school snack.
But there’s more! I can feel so damn good – like supermom good – about letting my kids stuff their faces with these guys morning noon and night since they’re sugar free and dairy free (if that’s your thing) with a big ol’ punch of Vitamin A and nearly a full serving of calcium. Some might even call them healthy. I just call them miracles. Miracle pumpkin muffins!
How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
When my children come calling for snacks, I can feel pretty good about serving them these chocolate pumpkin muffins. Made with wholesome real foods like pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, and extra virgin olive oil, these muffins are impossibly moist and tender and perfectly spiced. They’re completely sugar free, dairy free, and ready in just 30 minutes.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients – pumpkin puree, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then mix gently with a rubber spatula until just barely combined. Add in some mini chocolate chips for funsies.
- Portion the batter into muffins tins, and bake for 20-ish minutes.
Look at those tops!
Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
How to Store Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
- These muffins store well at room temperature for up to 3 days (if they last that long), loosely covered with a tea towel.
- Store them in the fridge in a loosely covered container for up to a week.
- To freeze, first allow the muffins to cool completely on a wire rack. Then place the muffins into a gallon freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and toss ’em into the freezer. Simple! They’ll last about 3 months (or so) in the freezer. To thaw, place them on the counter for 30 minutes, then microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Can I use Greek Yogurt Instead of Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Yes, but the muffins won’t be quite as moist. I made a batch with 5% Fage plain greek yogurt, and they were delicious, but a bit drier (my kids still ate them like they were the last muffins on earth, so like – they’re good). If you’d like to make these with greek yogurt, substitute ½ cup plain greek yogurt for the olive oil and increase the almond milk to ¾ cup.
Tips for Making Perfect Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling – they’re different! Pumpkin puree is just that – cooked, pureed pumpkin, nothing more, nothing less.
- If you have it on hand, feel free to use 2 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- I like to use an ice cream scoop for mess-free, perfectly portioned muffins.
- Be sure to cool the muffins for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from sticking to the liners. For best results, I love these parchment-like liners.
- For a completely dairy-free recipe, use dairy free chocolate chips from a brand like Enjoy Life.
More Healthy(ish) Snack Recipes
Did you make these Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
Description
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 c pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ½ c almond milk
- ½ c maple syrup
- ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-Ins
- ½ c mini chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
- Place all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until completely mixed.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a second mixing bowl, then whisk until incorporated and completely smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold until just barely combined. Do not over mix (some lumps are okay). Add the chocolate chips and fold into the batter.
- Portion the batter evenly into the muffins cups (a standard sized ice cream scoop is the perfect measurement).
- Bake 20-22 minutes until the tops are puffed and spring back gently when pressed with your fingertips. Remove the muffin tin from the oven, and cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Store muffins at room temperature covered loosely with a tea towel for up to 3 days; in the fridge loosely covered for up to a week; or frozen in a gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Substitute 2 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Use an ice cream scoop for mess-free, perfectly portioned muffins.
- Cool the muffins for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from sticking to the liners. For best results, I love these parchment-like liners.
- For a completely dairy-free recipe, use dairy free chocolate chips from a brand like Enjoy Life.
Kat
How are these sugar free? There’s 1/2 cup of maple syrup
Lee
That seems like a lot of baking powder. Is 1 T correct?