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–+ servings
Square image of one of the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes on burlap.
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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Welcome Fall with these warm and decadent Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cupcakes! Made with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting, they're a real treat.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time21 minutes
Total Time36 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 617kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for garnish

For the frosting:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar melted and cooled slightly
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-count cupcake tin with liners, and set it aside.
  • Stir together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl, and set aside.
  • Whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, sugar, and oil in another large bowl, until smooth and combined.
  • Then whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add in your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and stir until well combined.
  • Add the chocolate chips and stir them in.
  • Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. They should be about ⅔ of the way full.
  • Bake cupcakes for 18-21 minutes until the cupcakes are domed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
  • Add the butter and melted chocolate to the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until combined.
  • Add the salt, vanilla, and heavy cream, and stir until combined. Place on medium-high speed and whip until light and fluffy for 3 minutes.
  • Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, add the frosting. Add more chocolate chips for garnish if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. When making the frosting, it makes a generous amount, enough to cover all of the cupcakes very well. If you don't prefer that much frosting, you can cut the buttercream frosting part of the recipe in half. 
  2. You can trade out this chocolate frosting for other options, see my suggestions above. 
  3. Tired of pumpkin spice? Trade it out for cinnamon, see more tips on that above. 
  4. This recipe is easy to double or triple and make more for others, or freeze a batch. 
  5. I like to save a few extra mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the frosting.
  6. Don't overmix your cupcake batter or you'll end up with super dense cupcakes instead of fluffy ones. 
  7. These can be frozen, see how to do that above.

Nutrition

Calories: 617kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 3742IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 5mg