We’re big fans of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins here. So, of course, when I saw this recipe recently, I just had to try it — especially since I already had all of the ingredients on hand — thanks to some free credit from Vitacost.
I thought it would be fun to change things up for our Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series and make these muffins, instead of our usual amazingly-delicious pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe.
These were very easy to make and were surprisingly yummy — especially for the ingredients. But they aren’t anywhere near as good as our favorite recipe. However, they are much quicker to make. And, I’m guessing, they are much lower in fat and calories, too.
3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 can pumpkin
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Mix can of pumpkin and chocolate cake mix together thoroughly (can use an electric mixer, if you prefer). Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter and stir in.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins almost full. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, until done.
To freeze: Cool completely and stick into an airtight ziptop freezer bag. Store for up to 4 weeks in the freezer.
To serve: Thaw for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Or, warm for a minute in the microwave.
Makes 12 full-sized muffins.
Recipe from Nomadic Nom Nom.
If you haven’t tried our family’s favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe, you’ve got to give it a whirl. I can almost guarantee you’ll like. Unless you’re one of those strange people who don’t like chocolate or pumpkin! 
By the way, my friend Jamie, has an egg-free, milk-free version of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins over on her blog.
Are you joining us for Lunchbox Freezer Cooking? If you’ve blogged about a lunchbox recipes you’ve made for your freezer, leave a link to your post and recipe below. I can’t wait to see your yummy recipes and ideas!
Other posts in the Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series
- My Lunchbox Freezer Cooking Plan
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Bean & Cheese Burritos (Day 1)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Day 2)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Mac N' Cheese Cups (Day 3)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sushi (Day 4)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Chicken Broccoli Rice Cups (Day 5)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Homemade Pizza Lunchables (Day 6)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Homemade Chicken Salsa Pockets (Day 7)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Mini Lasagnas (Day 8)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Corn Dog Muffins (Day 9)
- Lunchbox Freezer Cooking: Allergen-Free Chocolate Crunch Bars (Day 10)
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{ 53 comments... read them below or add one }
We enjoy making these with just pumpkin and french vanilla cake mix
They are a favorite!
vanilla sounds so yummy! thanks for the tip!
I was wondering if you could use another flavor of cake mix. I have most of these ingredients on hand, I think and I was planning on opening a large can of pumpkin and looking for inspiration…this will be perfect.
I make this with spice cake mix (minus the chocolate chips) and it is delicious. But I don’t believe the picture of baked muffins here is the ones from the recipe. While these muffins are very moist and delicious, they come out of the oven looking exactly like they did when they went in. They don’t rise like a regular muffin, so if you want pretty muffins, you’ll need to use another recipe.
Yes, sorry if there was any confusion! The bottom picture was of my other Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe that I linked to below it, for those who are looking for another *even better* recipe.
We are not fans of pumpkin at my house, but my MIL makes these as mini-muffins and my kids (even the picky one) gobble them up. She uses a Devil’s food mix and mini-chocolate chips; all you taste is chocolate!
I usually make them with a spice cake mix. So yummy! You can make them as cookies, too. Just scoop them out onto the cookie sheet and bake them. They come out as soft cookies. Easier and faster to eat.
Love the pretty picture of the muffins!
So you don’t have to add butter, eggs or milk???
Great question!! I was going to ask it also
No! It’s crazy, but it worked!
I was just wondering what kind of chocolate chips are pictured in your photo. I have not seen dairy, soy, nut free brands and would like to look for them! Love your blog!
They are Enjoy Life! You can get them in mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. They are allergy-free, and we use them all the time!
Enjoy life makes soy and dairy free, I think they are nut free too, but don’t have a package on hand. Our target and whole foods carries them as does amazon but only in the colder months to prevent melting. Vitacost likely sells them too
Here is our milk, egg, soy, nut free chocolate chip muffins using Enjoy Life chips.
http://milkallergymom.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins.html
They look yummy! Are you able to use multiple rewards codes on Vitacost’s website? I tried using a 20% off coupon code and a $10 referral credit and it would only let me use one. Just curious.
These muffins look really yummy. I have had a hard time finding dairy free boxed cake mix. I used to be able to find one that was dairy free, but lately I have not seen it at the store. I will have to make a pantry chocolate cake mix up and gives these a try with that recipe. My kids really like muffins and these look easy and yummy. How can you really go wrong with chocolate?
Duncan Hines makes several flavors of dairy-free cake mixes!
Devil’s food (chocolate) is one of them. Spice cake was one, strawberry maybe….I can’t remember the others. But they definitely are the cake we use for our dairy allergy son…when I don’t want to make from scratch.
I used to buy the Duncan Hines Devil’s food mix. Maybe I have just been missing it on the shelf at our store. I will have to look around better the next time I go. I know at the store there always seems to be more Pillsbury and Betty Crocker on the shelf than the Duncan Hines.
I’ve come across this recipe before and tried multiple times but it just doesn’t taste good. Either it’s too heavy and the muffins don’t rise or the texture is off in some other way
I do not like pumpkin or pumpkin pie. However, these do not taste like pumpkin. I skip the cupcakes and just dump it all in a 9 x13. I sprinkle chips on top too. You can use sugar-free cake mix as well. NOTE: make sure the pumpkin is 100% pure and not pumpkin pie filling (with spices). Also can mix pumpkin with lemon or orange cake mix.
Hi Kim,
They look like the Enjoy Life brand. They can be purchased at many health food stores and even some Target carry them. The Enjoy Life website has a store locator, I believe. I have a son with multiple food allergies and these are delicious and the only chocolate chips I use!
Love these great ideas..my 11 year old insists upon bringing her lunch to school
Blessings!
Other delicious variations are a chocolate cake mix, can of pumpkin, and about a cup of water mixed and baked into muffins or a loaf. It’s really moist and only 100ish calories for one muffin. Also, you can do a spice cake mix, can of pumpkin, and cup of water (with or without chocolate chips) for a spice cake version.
I am preparing and freezing squash to use in pumpking recipes such as these. What amount should be in each package? Should I measure by cups or weigh?
I typically do them in one-cup baggies.
What size of a pumpkin can is shown (sorry, my eyesight isn’t the greatest)? I have a really large can that I know is too big, but I am trying to figure out how many batches it could make.
Thanks!
Rachel
It’s a 16-ounce can, or the equivalent.
Thanks!
Crystal, do you think this would work with vanilla cake mix? I have that on hand and chocolate chips. Yet another simple recipe! Love it!
People are saying that it does! Let us know if you try it!
Awesome! I’m going to try it this afternoon. Im looking forward to trying it. I will share how it turns out.
My overall-not-a-picky-eater tweenage daughter is one of those crazies who doesn’t like chocolate or pumpkin. I these look good and I would eat them, but she’d turn up her nose.
However … not to be critical because, Crystal, I adore you … but why are you calling this a muffin? Sorry, but it’s a cupcake! Surely I’m not the only reader who thought that upon reading this post.
Even though pumpkin is very good for you in and of itself, adding it to chocolate cake mix and chocolate chips just doesn’t turns a cupcake into a healthy lunch, I don’t think. Where’s the protein? Where’s the vegetables? Where’s the healthy carbs? It would be a good dessert tho, or snack.
Your favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe … now those I’ve tried and they are good, and certainly more healthy that this cupcake recipe. I’ve taken them to work to share and the’ve gone over very well.
I’m pretty positive that if *this* is a cupcake, then my other recipe is definitely a cupcake — as it is sweeter and higher in fat.
However, I’m going to argue that both of them are muffins because they aren’t frosted. Cupcakes aren’t cupcakes unless they have frosting!
Oour favorite is a spice cake and can of pumpkin. I think cake mix and pumpkin is an old Weight Watchers recipe. We’ve been making those for years.
And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Enjoy Life’s chocolate chips. And their dark chocolate bar is amazing.
Hi Crystal
Have you tried coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil in these muffins? Do you think it would work? That would make them a little healthier.
Thanks!
You mean my other Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe (this one doesn’t have oil in it)? I’ve done olive oil in it with great results. And I know some people who have done half oil, half applesauce, too.
I made these with a yellow cake mix and they are wonderful! I did put a smear of cool whip on top to get the frosting effect.
This recipe works fine for dropping the dough and having cookies and different cake mixes. I like the lemon cake mix with some poppy seed added to the pumpkin. I found the less expensive cake mixes work better than the pudding added mixes. Add 2 eggs and it becomes a cake. It is a good reason to stock up when cake mixes are really cheap.
I make these (sans chocolate chips) for my nieces & nephews on occasion and they SCARF those suckers. They think it’s a chocolatey treat, and I’m happy because they’re getting extra fiber and vitamins from the pumpkin in a low-fat/low-cal muffin. It’s a win-win!
I agree with other posters. If you want to use the pumpkin as a fat substitute, hen follow the above recipe as given. If you want to taste a “pumpkin-spice” flavor, you’ll need to alter it slightly.
I used a yellow cake mix, 1 cup of pumpkin, and I added 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice and about 3/4 cup chocolate chips. The batter looked like cookie dough so I beat in one egg.
I baked at 350 for 27 minutes.
I would like more spice flavor, so next time I might use allspice or 1-1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
This recipe does make good cookies too, like whoopie pies, with cream cheese/sour cream filling (or just use white frosting though it’s much sweeter-tasting).
Just wondering where you get your mini chocolate chips from. You always seem to have them on hand : ) What kind of deals are you able to get on them?
Thanks!
Spice cake mix and pumpkin puree also make a great quick and easy pumpkin muffin…if anyone hasn’t heard that recipe yet : )
I get them from Vitacost with free credit that I’ve earned by sharing the $10 off coupon code, as mentioned in the post. It’s one of my favorite free splurges.
I love your original pumpkin muffin recipe! It’s a big hit with my family/friends/husband’s coworkers
These look so easy and delicious! But then again of course they do…pumpkin and chocolate!? Yes please!
Can’t wait to try them!
All I had was Devil’s Food and they’re totally chocolate! I can’t even taste the pumpkin & I really like pumpkin. They make really good chocolate, chocolate chip muffins though. I may try the french vanilla idea next time.
I love this recipe. I got it from Weight Watchers years ago. (I believe one serving counts as 2-points.) The muffins always turn out moist and delicious. I’ve never tried it with chocolate chips. I think I will, now!
I have tried it with many different box cake mixes and have yet to be disappointed. I actually had it marked to share on my blog. I also hadn’t considered making them and freezing them for future use. Thanks for posting these variations! I have a tendency to get stuck in ruts.
This is very similar to an older Weight Watchers recipe and super yummy. I used the can of pumpkin, devil foods cake mix, and 1/2 of water. 100 calories. Make sure to store in fridge since it has pumpkin. They are yummy cold or warmed up!
I have made these with a gluten free chocolate cake mix and it still works great! Yummy!
We make these often, but use spice cake mix instead of chocolate. They are always very well received when we take them to pitch-ins.
I make these with vanilla or yellow cake mix and add cream cheese frosting. You can either do what I do & plunge the piping bag tip into the cake to make filling or you can just spread some on top. I’ve had them both ways and they are fantastic and so easy!!
Would it work to bake this in a loaf?
I think so, but it won’t rise much.
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