What could be better than these dietitian-approved, moist and yummy double chocolate pumpkin muffins? Even better? They’re made in a single bowl. Read on to learn about these school-friendly, nourishing, and satisfying muffins!
As a dietitian mom I always have a can or two of pumpkin puree in the pantry because it’s nutrient-packed, budget-friendly, and means my kids and I can enjoy all things pumpkin year round! But it recently dawned on me that I hadn’t made chocolate and pumpkin anything yet this season. I had been loving pumpkin breakfast smoothies, pumpkin chia pudding, pumpkin breakfast cookies and heck, even turkey pumpkin chilli but I had yet to combine the forces of two of my fave ingredients: pumpkin and chocolate!
Did you happen to notice “double chocolate” in this recipe’s name? Yup, I doubled down, including both cocoa powder AND chocolate chips! The cocoa powder adds concentrated chocolate flavour and antioxidants while the chips create a velvety texture and add that fun factor. These muffins use oat flour, so they are gluten-free, if gluten is a concern for your family.
Why should you make these double chocolate pumpkin muffins?
Aside from being nourishing and satisfying (more on that later), there are many reasons why my family and I love these beauties.
They’re convenient!
One bowl recipes are always at the top of my preference list. Fast, simple, fewer dishes… these are all qualities I love in a recipe. These muffins freeze well and can be made nut-free using sunflower butter, so they are school friendly, too. Grab one out of the freezer, add it to the lunch box and that’s one snack in the bag!
They’re so yummy!
Pumpkin, chocolate, nut butter and maple syrup? Oh, my! Yes, yes, yes and yes. Earthy pumpkin combined with roasty nut butter and sweetened with maple syrup and banana is a winning combo.
Kids love them!
Kids love these flavour- and nutrient-packed muffins, hands down. I have yet to meet a child who didn’t eat the whole thing and ask for more, I’ll take the win! Children can go through picky eating stages, we all know, and these muffins tend to ensure they get something (nutritious and delicious) into their bellies. I’ll sometimes serve the muffin solo and other days as a safe food alongside other options.
What does this dietitian love about these ingredients?
A snack that features fruit (pumpkin is botanically classified as a fruit, although we tend to consider it a veggie due to its earthy flavour), nut butter, egg, chia seeds and cocoa is satisfying and has many nutrients like fibre, healthy fats, protein and more to help give us energy.
Here’s what you need to make this recipe:
Pumpkin: Pumpkins are rich in potassium, beta-carotene and Vitamin C. These micronutrients can help with blood sugar levels, immunity and more. They contain fibre, which helps us feel fuller, longer, and add moisture to these muffins. And it’s just so handy that the canned versions come already cooked and puréed for us!
Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder is the purest form of chocolate, is rich in polyphenols and has many benefits, including helping with mood. It’s convenient because it is shelf stable and can stay in your pantry until needed.
Nut or seed butter: The healthy fats and protein help little tummies feel full and nourish our bodies. In addition to those benefits, I use nut butter in place of oil in these muffins as it adds a richness and a lovely nutty, deep flavour that rounds out the other ingredients in the best way.
Chia seeds: Small but mighty, chia seeds pack a protein and Omega-3 punch! Like the nut butter and pumpkin, these seeds help us feel full and, being rich in soluble fibre, they aid with our digestion.
Banana: Naturally sweetens and adds moisture to these muffins, and adds fibre and potassium, too!
How do you make these muffins?
Line your muffin pan, preheat the oven and grab a large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl.
Stir, until well combined. I’ll bet you’re thinking that it’s weird to add the chocolate chips in with the wet ingredients, right? That’s a baker’s trick 😉. Adding them at the end of the recipe risks overmixing the batter and you’ll end up with a tough muffin (it’s helpful to be a tough muffin when life gets challenging, but you don’t want to eat one!). If you prefer to stir them into your dry ingredients, though, that works too!
Even though we are using one bowl, we still want to mix the dry ingredients together before incorporating them into the wet ones. So, we’ll layer the dry ingredients on top of the wet mixture (don’t stir them into the wet ingredients yet!!).
Once they are all added, gently whisk them to combine, keeping them on top of the wet mixture, like in the photos below!
Once they are whisked together, we can go ahead and fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Sprinkle some extra chocolate chips and a little coarse sea salt overtop for pretty muffins. The sea salt enhances their sweetness and adds dimension!
Last step! Pop them in a 350°F oven for 20 to 22 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
I’ll let you in on my quick cooling method, it’s just so easy. Gently flip each muffin onto its side, right in the pan! That’s it, no cooling rack necessary. Let them cool (if you can wait that long!), and enjoy.
We have been enjoying these delights as nourishing evening snacks with big cups of almond milk (you can serve your favourite milk!), spread with a little more nut or seed butter (almond, peanut, sunflower – we can’t choose a favourite!) as part of lunch and even for breakfast with yogurt and seasonal fruit on the side (pears, apples and tangerines are all great choices!). They are just so good.
These are seriously speedy, simple and so worth making, I hope you’ll give them a try and let me know if you love them as much as we do!
One-Bowl Healthy Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin, rich cocoa powder and velvety, chocolate chips come together to make these double chocolate pumpkin muffins! Not only are they nourishing and satisfying, but they’re also made in one bowl with only 13 minutes prep time. I recommend baking a double batch - these disappear fast!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup nut or seed butter
- 1/2 cup ripe banana, mashed
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/4 cup chia seeds (ground or not)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Additional chocolate chips
- Coarse or flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a standard muffin pan with 12 liners.
- To a large mixing bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and stir, until well combined.
- On the top of the wet mixture, layer the dry ingredients, but don’t stir them in! Keeping them on top of the wet, gently whisk the dry ingredients to combine them. Then, fold the incorporated dry ingredients into the wet mixture, using a spoon or spatula.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. For a pretty presentation, you can smooth out the top of each muffin with the back of a spoon, then add the toppings: more chocolate chips and a bit of coarse or flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until lightly firm to the touch. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely, or use my trick and simply flip each onto its side right in the pan.
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