So I have this friend Tara. Sweet, quiet, soft-spoken Tara who home schools her kids and is the person in charge of the children’s programs at our church. You know the type. Turns out she has a dark side. She and her husband sometimes watch Arrested Development and 30 Rock into the wee hours of the morning (under my corrupting influence, of course!) and she makes these fabulous, easy muffins that are only 1 Weight Watchers point. And then adds chocolate chips to them. Which, of course, not only makes them infinitely more delicious but also not 1 Weight Watchers point. See? Evil. Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ill-U-sionist.
Even if you have a million, you can store them in the freezer and then pop them into lunch bags or heat one up in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off before you head out to work or school in the morning or for a snack in the afternoon. Or you can eat, like, three while watching The Biggest Loser on Tuesday nights. Never happens. Never.
Ingredients Needed
- Spice cake mix
- Canned pumpkin
- Semisweet chocolate chips
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- These muffins are SO easy! Simply mix a couple of spice cake mixes with a big can of pumpkin and mix it up. Then mix in some chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store muffins in an airtight container on the counter and eat within 3-4 days for best results.
- This recipe makes a lot (36-48 muffins depending on how full you fill your liners) so feel free to freeze some for later, or divide the recipe in half.
- If frozen eat within 3 months.
- These really don’t rise very much, so you can fill the tins pretty full. If aesthetics are a concern, keep in mind that how they look going into the oven is very much what they will look like coming out of the oven. So a cookie scoop works great to keep things on the prettier side.
Frequently Asked Questions
These will definitely bake up well with any flavor of cake mix. Chocolate pumpkin could be good. If all you have are plain white or yellow cake mixes, you can use them as is, or add in some spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice.
For best results, you want multiple layers of protection to prevent freezer burn. Cool your muffins completely then wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Place in a large zip-top freezer bag labeled with the contents and date. Remove as much air as possible, zip closed, and freeze. Eat within 3 months of freezing for best results.
Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 boxed spice cake mixes
- 30 ounces canned pumpkin one large can
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 bag
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Combine cake mixes and pumpkin. Add in chocolate chips.
- Spoon mixture into lined muffin tins. This can make as many as 48 muffins or as few as 36, just depending on how full the tins are filled. These really don’t rise very much, so you can fill the tins pretty full. If aesthetics are a concern, keep in mind that how they look going into the oven is very much what they will look like coming out of the oven. So a cookie scoop works great to keep things on the prettier side.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.
Notes
- Great tip: Duncan Hines, although not pictured, is the best for this recipe.
- Store muffins in an airtight container on the counter and eat within 3-4 days for best results.
- This recipe makes a lot (36-48 muffins depending on how full you fill your liners) so feel free to freeze some for later, or divide the recipe in half.
- To freeze: For best results, you want multiple layers of protection to prevent freezer burn. Cool your muffins completely then wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Place in a large zip-top freezer bag labeled with the contents and date. Remove as much air as possible, zip closed, and freeze. Eat within 3 months of freezing for best results.
- These will definitely bake up well with any flavor of cake mix. Chocolate pumpkin could be good. If all you have are plain white or yellow cake mixes, you can use them as is, or add in some spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
I use this recipe to make delicious Pilgrim Pies: pumpkin version of New England chocolate Whoopie Pies. Drop dough on cookie sheet and slightly flatten, bake 375 for 10 minutes, cool completely, spread cream cheese frosting with some cinnamon mixed in on flat bottom of one cookie, smoosh flat bottom of another cookie together. Huge hit for fall classroom and Halloween parties and a Thanksgiving tradition for my kids. Wrap up individual Pilgrim Pies with saran wrap tied with orange curly ribbon for fall bake sales.
I just made these. With your perfect cream cheese frosting. Oh. My. Goodness. Just buy me a bigger pant size now. Thank you 🙂
You can add a streusal topping to sprinkle over the topping before baking. Basically 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 c. all purpose flour, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 3 T butter. Just fancies them up a bit.
I added two eggs and 1 cup of water to the mix (an extra 2 minutes?) and they were the perfect “muffin” texture.
Shelly – when you added the 2 eggs and cup of water, were you making the 2 boxes of cake mix and the 30 oz can of pumpkin? I want to half the recipe and make mini-cupcakes to take to my son’s birthday celebration at school. Don’t need that much. I’ve made this recipe before and they are dense (not a favorite with my kids, but I love them!) So if I can add something to it and make it more “muffin” like, maybe the kids will like them. It’s always fun to sneak in healthy pumpkin without the kids even knowing. 🙂
I ventured to my local walmart with my girls in tow, expecting to have a hard time finding pumpkin. Luckily it was there & lots of it right in the middle aisle no less! I got a little scared when at first I didn’t see spice cake mix, but again felt lucky enough to see the Duncan Hines brand you preferred peeking at me off the shelf : ) I grabbed my loot feeling like I’d found a needle in a haystack, excited to whip these up & impress my family for my efforts lol. I Love this site best for all your recipes, crafts, & links! Thank you for your wit & easy instructions, pics included : )
Different problem for me. Plenty of pumpkin around, no spice cake mixes to be found! Used a carrot cake mix instead. Still yummy! Thanks!
These turned out so great! Thank you!
My variation:
– a bit of nutmeg
– toasted walnuts
Mine were a bit sticky on top, so next time, I might add a crumbly oaty topping.
Love this recipe!!! Made it several times last fall, and this year I’m wondering how it would do in a loaf pan? What do you think?
Everyone keeps saying these muffins are so light and fluffy, but mine turned out pretty dense. Did I not mix long enough?
Mine are always dense, kind of like a cookie, you know?
I made these this week and they were a HUGE hit. My store was out of spice mixes so I picked up a gingerbread cake/cookie mix instead. My kids don’t like pumpkin so I told them they were “chocolate chip muffins”. They can’t stop eating them! They guessed the ginger but no one had picked up on the pumpkin yet. I little dab of cream cheese frosting on the top made it a special treat too.