These 3 ingredient chocolate chip pumpkin muffins might be the easiest muffin recipe you’ve ever tried! All you need is a can of pumpkin, a box of cake mix, and a handful of chocolate chips! Let’s get baking.

pumpkin muffin
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I love pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and this recipe couldn’t be any easier! With one bowl and just a bit of mixing, you’ll have these muffins in the oven in no time. I love how easy it is to make these muffins and they feel so festive during the fall season.

Pumpkin Muffin Ingredients

  • Cake Mix– I recommend using yellow cake mix or spice cake mix, but you can also use chocolate cake or even muffin mix!
  • Canned Pumpkin– Be sure to use canned pureed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix! Pumpkin pie mix has added sweetener.
  • Chocolate Chips– I love adding chocolate chips but you could use walnuts or pecans instead, if you wanted a lower sugar option.
pumpkin muffins

The Best Cake Mix for Pumpkin Muffins

I’ve tried this with a lot of different mixes, from Betty Crocker to Enjoy Life. Here are a few of my favorite options:

  • Vanilla Cake Mix– You can’t go wrong with vanilla! It pairs perfectly with the pumpkin for a delicious muffin.
  • Chocolate Cake Mix– This makes a fudgy, chocolate pumpkin muffin.
  • Spice Cake Mix– If you want more of a pumpkin flavor, a spice cake mix is perfect!
  • Muffin Mix– This also works with Enjoy Life muffin mix, which is a great option if you want a gluten-free option!
pumpkin muffin

How to Make 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

All you have to do is mix one 15oz can of pumpkin with one box of cake mix. You don’t need to add any additional oil, butter, eggs, or liquid. Simply mix the pumpkin and cake mix and stir in chocolate chips. It’s that easy!

pumpkin muffin batter

How to Store Leftover Muffins

Keep the muffins in an airtight container or a zipper-top bag at room temperature. They should last 3-4 days. You can also freeze any leftovers and thaw in the microwave.

Substitution Ideas

  • Vegan options- Many commercial cake mixes are actually vegan. Be sure to check ingredients, but many brands like Betty Crocker and Dunkin Hines are actually vegan. Be sure to use vegan chocolate chips, if desired.
  • Gluten-free option- Enjoy Life makes a great muffin mix that is perfect in this recipe! It’s gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and dairy-free!
  • To amplify the pumpkin flavor, add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice mix to the batter. See below for a homemade pu,pkin pie spice mix recipe.
pumpkin muffin

These 3 ingredient pumpkin muffins are sweet enough to be enjoyed as a cupcake! You could add your favorite frosting, or just sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top before baking.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

If you want to enhance the pumpkin flavor, try adding a little pumpkin spice blend to the batter! To make a pumpkin pie spice mix, combine these spices together:

  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine the spices in a small jar. Add 1 teaspoon of the spice mix to the batter to enhance the flavor.

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pumpkin muffin

3 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins [Vegan & Gluten Free]

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Description

These 3 ingredient chocolate chip pumpkin muffins might just be the easiest muffin recipe you’ve ever tried! All you need is a can of pumpkin, a box of cake mix, and a handful of chocolate chips! Let’s get baking.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 15oz box cake mix (see note)
  • 1 15oz can of pureed pumpkin
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, and chocolate chips. Do NOT add any liquid, oil, or eggs.
  4. Feel free to add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice, if you want a stronger pumpkin flavor.
  5. Scoop 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin tin. This recipe should make 12-14 muffins.
  6. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean.
  7. Let cool for 1 minute then remove from tray and place on a cooling rack.

Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Here are a few of my favorites!

vegan pumpkin cookies

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

vegan pumpkin dip

Vegan Pumpkin Dip

Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe?

This post was originally published in November 2015. Updated October 2020.