Delightful Pumpkin Mini Muffins with Chocolate Chips: Your Perfect Fall Treat
Welcome the autumn season with these irresistible Pumpkin Mini Muffins, generously studded with chocolate chips! These bite-sized wonders are not just a snack; they’re a celebration of fall, making them an absolute must-have for pumpkin enthusiasts everywhere.
Embrace Fall Flavors with Easy Pumpkin Mini Muffins
As soon as the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp, my kitchen calls for one thing: the comforting aroma of pumpkin spice. Every single fall, I find myself eagerly baking batch after batch of these incredibly simple yet utterly delicious mini pumpkin muffins. They’ve become an undisputed favorite autumn treat in our home, a staple that perfectly captures the essence of the season.
I’ve whipped up these delightful treats for my children countless times, and without fail, they vanish in what feels like mere seconds. There’s something truly magical about these muffins – not only are they incredibly yummy, but they also fill your entire home with the warm, inviting scent of pumpkin spice, creating an ambiance that’s pure fall bliss. They’re the kind of simple pleasure that makes any day feel a little cozier.
⭐️ Reader Review ⭐️
“Very good, easy and ingredients I have on hand. Loving everything pumpkin right now. Thanks for the delicious recipe.” – Loree
The Irresistible Appeal of Mini Muffins
Mini muffins hold a special place in our household, and it’s easy to see why. Their compact size makes them absolutely perfect for little hands, ensuring less mess and more enjoyment for kids. Beyond that, they’re ideal for adults too, offering just the right amount of sweetness when you’re craving a small, satisfying treat without overindulging. They’re fantastic for portion control, making it easy to grab one or two without feeling guilty.
Furthermore, mini muffins bake much faster than their full-sized counterparts, meaning you can satisfy those pumpkin cravings in record time. This makes them a brilliant choice for busy mornings, quick after-school snacks, or even last-minute gatherings. Plus, they’re incredibly versatile and travel-friendly, making them a great addition to lunchboxes or a convenient snack on the go. Once you try these mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, you’ll understand why they’re a consistent hit!
Essential Ingredients and Helpful Notes
The complete recipe with detailed instructions is conveniently located at the bottom of this post, but here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients you’ll need to bake these delightful mini pumpkin muffins, along with some important notes.
- Canned pumpkin: This is crucial! Always ensure you’re using pure canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugars and spices, which will alter the flavor and texture of your muffins significantly. Look for labels that say “100% pure pumpkin.”
- Melted butter: Salted butter adds a lovely depth of flavor. Make sure it’s melted and slightly cooled before adding to the wet ingredients to prevent cooking the eggs. For a dairy-free alternative, you can easily substitute with your favorite dairy-free butter.
- Eggs: Large eggs are best for providing structure and moisture to the muffins, helping them achieve that perfect fluffy texture.
- Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla enhances the overall flavor profile, complementing the pumpkin and spices beautifully. Use pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Brown sugar: The molasses in brown sugar keeps these muffins incredibly moist and adds a richer, deeper sweetness compared to white sugar, which pairs wonderfully with pumpkin.
- All-purpose flour: Standard all-purpose flour works perfectly for these muffins, providing the right structure.
- Baking soda: This leavening agent helps the muffins rise, ensuring they are light and airy, not dense.
- Pumpkin pie spice: The heart of the autumn flavor! This blend typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. If you don’t have a pre-made mix, you can create your own with these individual spices.
- Milk: Any regular milk (dairy or non-dairy) works here. Feel free to use almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk to make these muffins dairy-free without compromising on texture.
- Mini chocolate chips: These are fantastic because their small size ensures you get a bit of chocolate in every bite. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips are classic choices. For a dairy-free option, there are many excellent dairy-free mini chocolate chips available.
These ingredients are typically pantry staples, making this recipe incredibly convenient to whip up whenever a pumpkin craving strikes!
Baking Perfection: How to Make Pumpkin Mini Muffins
Crafting these delicious mini pumpkin muffins is straightforward and enjoyable. Follow these simple steps for perfectly moist and flavorful treats every time:
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients for a Well-Balanced Base. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisking ensures all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which is key for a consistent rise and flavor throughout your muffins.
Step 2: Prepare the Wet Ingredients for Optimal Moisture. In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all your wet ingredients. Whisk together the canned pumpkin puree, melted and slightly cooled butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar, milk, and eggs. Mix until everything is well incorporated and smooth. This step creates the rich, flavorful base for your pumpkin muffins.
Step 3: Gently Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients – Avoid Overmixing! Now, carefully add the whisked dry ingredients to the bowl containing the wet ingredients. Stir them together until they are just combined. This is a critical step for muffin success: it is paramount not to overmix the batter. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which will result in tough, dense, and dry muffins rather than the light and fluffy texture we’re aiming for. A few lumps are perfectly fine!
Step 4: Fold in Those Delicious Mini Chocolate Chips. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the muffin batter. Folding ensures the chocolate chips are evenly distributed without overmixing the batter. You want delightful pockets of chocolate in every bite!
Joy’s Expert Tip
Want some muffins without chocolate chips, or perhaps a mix of both? Here’s a clever trick! First, add about half of your plain muffin batter to a greased mini muffin tin. Then, gently fold half the amount of mini chocolate chips into the remaining batter before filling the rest of the muffin tin. This way, everyone gets their preferred type of muffin!
Step 5: Prepare the Muffin Tin and Fill Evenly. Grease a mini muffin tin thoroughly with cooking spray. For best results and perfectly portioned muffins, use a mini cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) to fill each muffin cup with batter. Fill them about two-thirds full.
Step 6: Bake to Golden Perfection. Bake your mini pumpkin muffins in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for approximately 15-18 minutes. Baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven, so keep an eye on them. You’ll know they’re perfectly baked when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with only moist crumbs attached.
Once baked, allow your pumpkin muffins to cool in the mini muffin pan for 2-3 minutes. This crucial step helps them set and makes them easier to remove. Then, gently use a butter knife or a small offset spatula to carefully lift each muffin onto a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely on the rack – though I must admit, a warm one straight from the oven is always a delightful indulgence!
Just take a moment to admire that fluffy, tender interior, speckled with gooey chocolate and infused with rich pumpkin spice! These sweet little muffins are not just delicious; they are the embodiment of fall baking perfection. Every bite offers a harmonious blend of earthy pumpkin, warm spices, and decadent chocolate, creating a treat that’s impossible to resist.
Serving Suggestions & Creative Variations
These mini pumpkin muffins are incredibly versatile. Serve them for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea, pack them in lunchboxes for a wholesome snack, or offer them as a delightful dessert. They’re particularly wonderful when lightly warmed, allowing the chocolate chips to get melty and gooey again.
Want to get creative? Here are a few ideas to customize your batch:
- Nutty Addition: Fold in a quarter cup of chopped pecans or walnuts along with the chocolate chips for added crunch and flavor.
- Cream Cheese Swirl: Before baking, dollop a small amount of sweetened cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin and swirl it gently with a toothpick.
- Spice It Up: If you love a stronger spice kick, add an extra pinch of cinnamon or a tiny bit of ground cloves to your dry ingredients.
- Glaze Finish: For an extra touch of sweetness, whisk together powdered sugar with a splash of milk and a drop of vanilla extract to create a simple glaze, then drizzle it over the cooled muffins.
- Streusel Topping: Combine a tablespoon of flour, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and a half tablespoon of cold butter, then crumble it over the top of the batter before baking for a delightful crunchy topping.
- Mix-in Fun: Beyond chocolate chips, consider adding dried cranberries, raisins, or even white chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
How to Store Your Pumpkin Mini Muffins for Freshness
Proper storage ensures your delicious pumpkin mini muffins stay fresh and enjoyable for as long as possible:
- At room temperature: If you plan to enjoy them within a couple of days, store your muffins in an airtight container. They will remain fresh for 2-3 days on the counter.
- In the refrigerator: This is the preferred method for extending their freshness. Storing pumpkin muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator will keep them wonderfully fresh for 4-5 days. Simply warm them slightly in the microwave for a few seconds before serving to bring back their soft texture.
- In the freezer: For longer storage, mini muffins freeze exceptionally well! Place cooled muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze for about an hour until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature or gently warm them in the microwave.
Explore More Delicious Mini Muffin Recipes
If you’ve fallen in love with the convenience and charm of mini muffins, you’re in luck! We have a whole collection of easy-to-make, bite-sized muffin recipes that are perfect for any occasion, from quick breakfasts to delightful snacks. Expand your mini muffin repertoire with these fantastic ideas:
- Pancake Mini Muffins: All the flavor of pancakes in a portable, bite-sized form!
- ABC Mini Muffins: A nutritious and delicious way to get your fruit and veggies (Apple, Banana, Carrot!).
- Oatmeal Cookie Mini Muffins: Tastes like your favorite cookie, but in a muffin!
- Healthy Chocolate Mini Muffins: Indulge in chocolate guilt-free with these wholesome options.
- Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins: A classic favorite, perfectly miniaturized.
- Banana Mini Muffins: The ultimate way to use up those ripe bananas.
- Greek Yogurt Banana Mini Muffins: Added protein and moisture from Greek yogurt make these extra special.
- Blueberry Mini Muffins: Bursting with juicy blueberries, a timeless choice.
These recipes offer endless possibilities for delicious snacking and easy baking!
Craving a larger, more substantial treat? Be sure to check out my full-sized Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe for a equally delightful, but bigger, baking experience!
Why These Pumpkin Mini Muffins Are a Fall Essential
These pumpkin mini muffins aren’t just a recipe; they’re a celebration of everything wonderful about fall. Their small size makes them incredibly appealing for kids and adults alike, perfect for a quick snack, a light breakfast, or a delightful addition to any autumn gathering. They are wonderfully moist, perfectly spiced, and the mini chocolate chips add just the right touch of sweetness to make them utterly irresistible.
Make a generous batch on the weekend to ensure you have plenty on hand for easy snacking throughout the week, for those busy mornings when you need a grab-and-go option, or as a much-anticipated after-school treat. Once you experience the comforting flavors and effortless charm of these mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, they’ll undoubtedly become a cherished part of your fall traditions for years to come!
Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Joy Shull
10 minutes
15 minutes
25 minutes
24
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Ingredients
-
¾
cup
pumpkin puree -
¼
cup
salted butter,
melted and slightly cooled -
2
eggs -
2
teaspoons
vanilla extract -
⅔
cup
brown sugar -
1 ½
cups
all-purpose flour -
1
teaspoon
baking soda -
1
teaspoon
pumpkin pie spice -
⅓
cup
milk -
⅔
cup
mini chocolate chips
Instructions
-
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar, milk, and eggs until well combined.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to dense muffins.
-
Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a mini muffin tin generously with olive oil cooking spray or a non-stick baking spray.
-
Distribute the muffin batter evenly into the 24 mini muffin cups using a mini cookie scoop or a tablespoon, filling each about two-thirds full.
-
Bake the mini pumpkin muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
-
Allow the muffins to cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan, then gently remove them onto a wire cooling rack using a butter knife or small spatula to cool completely.
Notes
How to Store
- At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- In the refrigerator: This is the preferred method to keep these muffins fresh for longer. Pumpkin muffins will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- In the freezer: Mini muffins can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
Nutrition
Calories:
105
kcal
,
Carbohydrates:
16
g
,
Protein:
2
g
,
Fat:
4
g
,
Saturated Fat:
2
g
,
Polyunsaturated Fat:
0.2
g
,
Monounsaturated Fat:
1
g
,
Trans Fat:
0.1
g
,
Cholesterol:
20
mg
,
Sodium:
73
mg
,
Potassium:
44
mg
,
Fiber:
1
g
,
Sugar:
10
g
,
Vitamin A:
1287
IU
,
Vitamin C:
0.4
mg
,
Calcium:
21
mg
,
Iron:
1
mg
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