These Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins are healthier muffins made with just 6 ingredients, but no oil, no eggs, no dairy, and loaded with flavors.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
These Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins are healthier muffins made with just 6 ingredients, but no oil, no eggs, no dairy, and loaded with flavors.
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Servings: 12 Muffins
Calories: 145 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
- ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - (note 2)
- 1 cup Soft Brown Sugar - (note 3)
- 1 cup Soy Milk - full-fat (note 4)
- ½ cup Canned Pumpkin Puree - (note 5)
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spices - (note 6)
Optional
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with non-stick paper liners. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk self-rising flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, soft brown sugar, pumpkin pie spices, and salt, if used. Whisk very well to break up any lumps of soft brown sugar and form a consistent mixture.
- In another bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, soy milk, and vanilla extract.
- Add the pumpkin milk mixture to the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to combine and form a smooth muffin batter.
- For sweeter muffins, fold in chocolate chips and stir to incorporate evenly.
- Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin holes.
- Bake the muffins on the center rack of the oven for 18-22 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.
- Let them cool down on a cooling rack.
Notes
Note 1: You can make 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour with 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour + 2 teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free option, use my gluten-free converter, but don’t forget the baking powder.
Note 2: I use unsweetened cocoa powder for a strong chocolate flavor. Avoid sweetened cocoa powder, or the muffins will be too sweet.
Note 3: Soft brown sugar contains more moisture than brown sugar or sugar. It makes the muffins moist. Feel free to swap for any granulated sweetener you love, like coconut sugar or sugar, but the texture won’t be as moist.
Note 4: Make sure you use full-fat soy milk for the best texture. You can use almond milk or oat milk, but the muffins are a bit dry with them. If you want to use lower-fat milk, swap 1/3 cup of low-fat plant-based milk for 1/3 cup of light-flavor oil (canola oil or light olive oil) or for 1/3 cup of canned coconut cream.
Note 5: I am baking with canned pumpkin puree, which is made of pure pumpkin, no added sugar, no added oil. You can also make your own pumpkin puree.
Note 6: Or ground cinnamon.
Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15 °C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.
Storage: Store the muffins in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin (without optional ingredients) | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.7g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 1.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 14.3mg | Potassium: 140.9mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 18.3g | Vitamin A: 1631.4IU | Vitamin B12: 0.2µg | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Vitamin D: 0.2µg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 29.3mg | Phosphorus: 52.4mg | Zinc: 0.4mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.
- Self-Rising Flour – This is the main structure of the muffins. It already contains a leavening agent, which helps the muffins rise and become fluffy. If you don’t have any, you can make your own by mixing 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This provides the deep, rich chocolate flavor. I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder to control the sweetness of the muffins.
- Soft Brown Sugar – This ingredient adds moisture and a lovely caramel-like sweetness. Other granulated sweeteners like coconut sugar work too, but the muffins might not be quite as moist.
- Soy Milk – This provides the necessary liquid for the batter. I find full-fat soy milk gives the best moist texture and it brings more protein. You can use other plant-based milks like almond or oat milk, but the result might be slightly drier.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree – This is my secret to oil-free baking! It adds incredible moisture, acts as a binder, and gives a tender crumb without needing any oil.
- Pumpkin Pie Spices – This blend of spices adds a warm, cozy flavor that pairs beautifully with the chocolate. If you don’t have the blend, ground cinnamon is a great alternative.
How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins (in Pictures)
Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a few more tips for perfect muffins.
- Enhance the Flavor – The pumpkin flavor is very subtle, so don’t skip the pumpkin pie spices! They add a wonderful fall flavor that really complements the chocolate.
- Add a Crunch – For a different texture, you can swap the chocolate chips for 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Stick to the Flour – This recipe is specifically developed for self-rising flour or an all-purpose flour blend with baking powder. It won’t work with almond flour or oat flour, so please don’t make that swap.
- Sugar Swaps – If you’d like, you can replace the soft brown sugar with an unrefined option like coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar.
Is ‘soft’ brown sugar just light as opposed to dark brown sugar? Do you measure it by packing it down in the cup, per usual?
Soft brown sugar is the common term for the moist, pliable texture of both light and dark brown sugar (white sugar with molasses). Yes, you must pack it down firmly into the measuring cup so it holds its shape when inverted.
what do I do if I used almond flour instead? they’re not firming up in the oven!
You can’t swap flour for almond flour, it will never work. It’s written in the baking tips in the post : you can’t make the recipe with oat flour or almond flour. Flour is gluten, it has a structure to muffins and cake. Almond flour is nuts, into a powder, it’s mostly fat, it adds moisture and doesn’t bind. Recipes developed with almond flour are very specific and will use lots of binding from flaxmeal, chia seeds or other starchy flours like tapioca etc.
Could this be baked in a rectangular tin as a tray bake?
I guess, I haven’t tried yet.