These high altitude pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are moist and a little dense, full of warm fall spices and loaded with chocolate chips. And today’s recipe even uses up a whole can of pumpkin, so you won’t have any leftover pumpkin to save for later.
You might also love these maple cinnamon pumpkin scones, iced pumpkin sugar cookies, and mini pumpkin bundt cakes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A Whole Can of Pumpkin. I typically don’t mind having leftover canned pumpkin, since I just refrigerate or freeze it for other baking projects (or to add to smoothies), but it’s nice when it works out that you can use up a whole can. Unlike my other pumpkin muffin recipes for pumpkin crumb cake muffins, pumpkin pecan muffins and pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins, which use a partial can of pumpkin, today’s pumpkin chocolate chip muffins use up the whole (15 oz) can.
Understand that by adding more pumpkin to the batter, you have to reduce some of the other moisture, and in this case, I omitted the oil. These muffins are extra pumpkiny in flavor, but also a little more dense than pumpkin baked goods that contain oil for moisture, which also makes them lighter and fluffier.
Quick and Easy. Just whisk everything up in a bowl, and the muffins are ready to bake.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin. Be sure to use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sugar. You’ll need both granulated sugar and brown sugar to add sweetness and moisture.
- Milk. Adds moisture and lightness. I used whole milk, but any type of milk will work.
- Eggs. Add structure, moisture and strength.
- Flour. All purpose flour gives the muffins structure.
- Corn Starch. Tenderizes the crumb of the muffins for a softer texture.
- Baking Soda. Leavening agent, so the muffins rise as they bake.
- Spices. You’ll need salt to balance the sweetness, as well as vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for flavor and warmth.
- Chocolate Chips. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, and I used a combination of regular and mini sized.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a standard-sized muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Lightly spray the liners with non-stick baking spray, to easily release the muffins, and spray the top of the muffin pan, too.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugars, milk, eggs and vanilla.
- Separately, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking soda, salt and spices.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together with a spatula, just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in half of the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them full, and sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Put the muffins in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375 F. Bake the muffins on the center oven rack for about 25 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, or with moist crumbs.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully remove and set on a wire cooling rack. Cool for 10 minutes, and serve warm.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I sprinkled a little coarse Turbinado sugar over the muffins after baking them.
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High Altitude Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a standard-sized muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Lightly spray the liners with non-stick baking spray, to easily release the muffins, and spray the top of the muffin pan, too.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugars, milk, eggs and vanilla.
- Separately, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking soda, salt and spices.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together with a spatula, just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in half of the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them full, and sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the batter.
- Put the muffins in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375 F. Bake the muffins on the center oven rack for about 25 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, or with moist crumbs.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully remove and set on a wire cooling rack. Cool for 10 minutes, and serve warm.
Moist and chocolatey. I used mini chips because that is what was available. Turned out great.
Perfect recipe, delicious, great texture.