These chocolate chunk pumpkin spice muffins are the perfect fall treat! They’re made healthier with coconut oil, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup, but they’re still a satisfying sweet snack.

Oh, look at that—I baked last weekend.

Much like many things that occur in my life, these muffins weren’t planned. In fact, they’re a direct result of a can of barely-used pumpkin puree that was about to expire in my refrigerator.

Do you have that problem?

I wish they made small size pumpkin puree cans like they do for tomato paste, because most recipes call for as little as a tablespoon or half-cup of pumpkin. And then weeks or months will pass before I think “hmmm, a pumpkin recipe sounds nice!”

Anyhow…these muffins are lightly sweet thanks to minimal maple syrup and semi-sweet chocolate, so they’re appropriate for breakfast or toddler snacks. If your toddler doesn’t scream “I don’t WANT muffin!” while throwing said muffin on the floor, that is.

That definitely happened last weekend. Hopefully I can entice Bazooka to give them a try before Mark and I gobble them up.

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Spice Muffins

yields 1 dozen

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a 12-count muffin tin with coconut oil, cooking spray, or butter.
• In a microwavable bowl, melt the coconut oil until no solids remain. Allow to cool while preparing the other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin, coconut oil, egg, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and molasses until well-blended.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, gently stirring until everything is incorporated (don’t overmix).
• Fold in the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), and scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tins.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes (when a toothpick inserted into the muffin’s center comes out clean).
• Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or countertop.

slightly adapted from this chocolate chip pumpkin bread from Running With Spoons

These muffins are a little denser than your standard buttery, sugary muffins (which we all love in moderation!), but I kind of like that these have just a hint of sweetness. To make them even healthier, you can use whole wheat pastry flour—and probably regular whole wheat flour—but I just stuck with all-purpose because it was at the front of my cupboard and not hidden in the back of the freezer where my whole wheat pastry flour was. Further proof that muffins are a “convenience” food. 😉

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Spice Muffins are perfect for #fall! Share on X

So tell me…

• What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?
• Do you prefer muffins for breakfast or as a snack?
• Some people think chocolate and pumpkin spice don’t belong together—what do you think?