Easy Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins are the easiest fall treat you’ll bake all year! These 3 ingredient cake mix muffins make a super simple breakfast option or after-dinner snack. 

If you love muffins, you will also enjoy our Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins, or our Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins. Both are great for breakfast and are full of fall flavors. Other fall baked goods that we love are Cinnamon Apple Bread, Apple Cider Donuts, and Apple Bread Pudding.  

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Why we love Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Fall baking is one of my favorite things to do. It warms up the house and makes it smell amazing in the process. These cake mix pumpkin muffins are always on my list of must-make fall recipes. 

Not only do these chocolate pumpkin muffins make your whole house smell great, but they are also super simple to make.

• They start with a cake mix
• Just 3 basic ingredients 
• One bowl is all you need
• Freezer friendly 
• Easy to make a double batch

Ingredients for Easy Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

One of my favorite things about these muffins is that you only need 3 common ingredients + mix-ins. 

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)(Full printable recipe can be found at the end of this post.)

• Chocolate cake mix – Get one that is approximately 15.25 ounces.
• Solid pumpkin – This is also called pumpkin puree. Just make sure you don’t grab pumpkin pie filling as that has added seasoning and sweeteners.
• Mini chocolate chips – (optional mix-in) I prefer mini chocolate chips in these cake mix muffins, but you can also use regular chocolate chips if you already have them in your pantry. 
• Egg whites – You only need the egg whites for this recipe, so save the yolks for my frozen peach custard, bacon carbonara or eggnog cookies!

How to make Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins 

I know I said the best thing about these muffins is that they only need 3 ingredients, but I think what’s even better is that you only need one bowl to mix everything. Grab your large bowl, a spatula, and muffin tin, and let’s get started. 

ONE: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin liners with cooking spray before adding them to the muffin tin. You can do this by spraying cooking spray directly into the cupcake liners. 

TWO: In your large mixing bowl, whisk together your egg whites until they are white and foamy. This will add structure to the muffins. 

THREE:  Add the cake mix, pumpkin puree, mini chocolate chips and water to the egg whites. You will want to make sure that you mix until everything is well blended. 

FOUR: Using an ice cream scoop, add the batter to the prepared muffin liners. Fill your muffin liners ⅔ of the way full, giving them room for the batter to rise without spilling over. 

FIVE: Place your muffin pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center. 

SIX: I love to add a few chocolate chips to the tops of the muffins once they are done cooking. This is optional but provides a nice chocolate-y touch. Allow the muffins to cool on a baking rack after removing them from the muffin tin. 

Cake Mix Pumpkin Muffins Pro Tips

No equipment is needed for this recipe. Simply a large bowl and spoon or spatula is all that you need.  If you have an ice cream scoop, it’s a great way to fill the muffin liners to ensure your muffins are uniform in size.

This batter is a bit stickier than traditional muffins – so be sure to give the wrappers a quick spritz of nonstick cooking spray before filling them to prevent muffins from sticking

Adding chocolate chips to your chocolate pumpkin muffins is optional, but highly recommended! At the very least, don’t skip adding a few chocolate chips on top of the muffins – they add more chocolate goodness.

Cool on a cooling rack. After your muffins are done cooking, allow them to cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tin. Place the muffins on a cooling rack so that they can properly cool. If you leave them in the muffin tin, they can continue to cook and turn hard. 

Cake Mix Muffin Variations

Try switching up the cake mix flavor. Spice Cake, Vanilla, or Butter cake would all be wonderful with this recipe.

Add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for a little added flavor

Add chopped nuts. Pecans or walnuts are wonderful with pumpkin

Dust the tops of cooled muffins with powdered sugar (a great option if you don’t have chocolate chips to put on top)

Make these chocolate pumpkin muffins with just 2-ingredients. I have always made these with a little water and egg whites, but they can be omitted. Simply use a cake mix and 15 ounce can of pumpkin for great muffins or cookies!! -for cookies bake at 350° F for 13-15 minutes.

Storage And Freezing

Place any leftover muffins in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Make sure that they have a secure closure. The muffins can stay on the counter for up to 3 days. You can keep them in the fridge if you’d like, but I have found they dry out faster that way. 

You can also freeze these chocolate pumpkin muffins! Allow the muffins to cool completely before placing them in a zip-top bag. Remove all the air from the bag and place it in the freezer. The muffins will stay fresh for 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before enjoying them later. 

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Originally posted in October 2009. UPDATED October 2021. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.