I promise to put away the jumbo muffin pan and move on, but here’s one more really good variation on an old King Arthur recipe. This recipe for Jumbo Chocolate Muffins includes a full cup of pumpkin which adds moisture, bulk, fiber and surprisingly little pumpkin flavor. If you don't tell people there's pumpkin in the muffins, they probably won't know it's there.
I originally made these with whole wheat pastry flour, but these days I just use all-purpose or a gluten-free blend like Cup4Cup. Whichever flour you choose, to be sure to weigh it and use 220 grams.
Update: I originally made these as jumbo chocolate muffins with pumpkin, but these days I usually use regular size muffin tins. The first picture is more recent, and you can see that the muffin is slightly lighter in color. That's due to the type of cocoa powder used. Natural cocoa powder will give you a lighter muffin, while dark will give you a dark muffin.
Small Batch Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins or Loaves
This recipe works as loaves, too! Here's my small batch empty nester version, which is just a half batch of the recipe on the card. It makes about 21 oz of batter so you can make 2 10.5-oz mini loaves (35 minutes) or 3 7-oz loaves (probably 28 minutes) or about 8 to 10 muffins. If you really want to scale it down, you can halve the half version again and make just 1 loaf.
- 110 grams all-purpose or gluten-free flour blend
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch)
- ½ teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar (125 grams)
- half cup of pumpkin or 114 grams
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons melted butter or use half oil and half butter (slightly moister)
- handful of chocolate chips
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin cups with paper liners or grease well. Mix flour through salt in one bowl. Mix brown sugar through vanilla in another bowl. Combine flour mixture and sugar mixture and stir until blended, then stir in the butter. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide among muffin cups. Put in the hot oven, reduce heat to 375 bake for 25 minutes
Recipe
Jumbo Chocolate Muffins with Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour 220 grams – weigh or spoon and sweep
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch are fine
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups lightly packed light brown sugar
- 8 oz canned pumpkin about a cup
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (or use 4 T. Butter and 4 T. Coconut Oil)
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 6 jumbo muffin cups with paper liners. If using standard size muffin tins, line about 16.
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- Stir the brown sugar around in a second bowl and mash out any lumps. Stir in the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and vanilla and mix well. Pour the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture and stir a few strokes, then pour the melted butter in and stir (never over-beat muffin batter) until blended.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide batter equally among muffin cups filling about ¾ of the way full (not completely to the top). Put muffins in the oven and close door.
- Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F. bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick or chopstick inserted in center comes out clean.
Notes
If you want an even softer muffin, swap out some of the butter for coconut oil. You could also try leaving out the butter completely and substituting a generous ⅓ cup of vegetable oil.
Bethany says
I have been making some muffins for years that use a can of pumpkin and a chocolate cake mix. Very easy and yummy but I have often wondered how I could make something similar from scratch and healthier... thanks!
Stephanie says
Don't lose the butter - it makes it so much better than oil. What about a tablespoon or two of finely-chopped crystallized ginger? Would be so delish!
Sue says
I made these this morning in an effort to get my daughter to eat something. Anything more than just a bite or two. She ate one half of a muffin so I feel like they were a success.
The muffins are delicious. I had to make some changes because going to the store wasn't an option. I used unbleached ap flour, and weighed out 220 grams. I used half butter and half vegetable oil, and I added a scant tsp. of espresso powder. I'll definitely make these again.
CL says
Muffin Update....These are absolutely fantastic! Very chocolaty, sweet but not overly so. The pumpkin flavor is very faint but that is just fine. The coworkers will love these! 🙂 This recipe is going into the "keeper" file. Yummers! 🙂
Mary says
Happy New Year, Anna. I hope 2010 brings you good health and happiness. Have a wonderful weekend.
CL says
These are baking in the oven as I type! 🙂 They smell delicious, and what a great way to use up the last of the pumpkin puree. I plan to send these to work with my sweetheart-husband...we won't tell them it's "healthy." LOL 🙂 Thank you, Anna!
Lisa Ernst says
These look great Anna. I'm enjoying your muffin variations and I like the idea of adding pumpkin for moisture and the health benefits. Normally I'm not a big muffin fan, but I was in Joshua Tree California during the holidays, and stopped by this little vegan restaurant that had the best muffins I've ever tasted. My favorite was a jumbo chocolate chip coconut made with whole grain flour. Not heavy or "health food" tasting, but really moist and delicious. They were so good I went back three times hoping for more, but they never had them again. I really want to recreate these, if I can!
Katrina says
Ahhhhh, it's Muffin Madness!!!! 😉
krista says
yum!!!
you could try them with beets - i've made chocolate beet cupcakes that were fantastic!
Louise says
Maybe you could try these as waffles. 🙂