Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

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Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins are a must-have for fall! And, you don't have to resist either. They're made with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, cocoa powder, and lots of pumpkin and are absolutely irresistible!

We "chocolatized" Greek yogurt pumpkin muffins, one of our most popular Fall Recipes. Because chocolate makes everything better! Are you with me? 🙂

In this case, chocolate does NOT mean unhealthy. We used our master muffin mix with Greek yogurt, whole wheat pastry flour, and less refined sugar. They're naturally packed with extra protein so they're anytime muffins...as in you can have them for a snack, dessert, or even breakfast!

Ingredients in Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

As we always say, healthy means something different to everyone. With that in mind, here are the key ingredient swaps we made from a traditional muffin recipe and a few other substitutions we've tried.

• Whole wheat pastry flour is our go-to flour for all of our Bread and Muffin Recipes.
  • Why do we like this type of flour?
    • The entire wheat berry is ground (germ, bran and all) just like whole wheat flour. But, a "soft" wheat berry is used instead of the "hard" one used in whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is finely ground so it's lower in protein and gluten. It has a mild flavor and works well with baked goods.
  • Other Options:
    • White whole wheat flour
    • 100% whole wheat flour
    • A mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour (try ½ and ½)
    • Unbleached all-purpose flour
• Greek Yogurt replaces the oil that is often used in muffin recipes. It typically comes in a 5.3 ounce container. Scrape it all in. No measuring required.
  • Oil can be used instead. Watch the batter consistency and possibly use less milk.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Even better, try unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder!
• Milk gets the batter for these chocolate pumpkin muffins to the right consistency. Most any milk will work, including almond milk. We used skim in the muffins pictured.
• Dark Chocolate Chips adds more chocolate flavor. You know how it goes, the darker the better. Of course, any chip will work. If you can find them, use mini chocolate chips to more easily distribute through all the muffins.
• Sugar! We used a ½ cup of sugar. That's not much distributed across 16 muffins in my book. It works out to be 1.5 teaspoons per muffin. We've used stevia/sugar blends before and they will work. So, if that's what you normally use for baking, go ahead and substitute it according to the directions for the replacement.
• Egg - One egg or egg-replacer will work in this recipe.
• Pumpkin puree from a can (that's what we used) or check out How to Make Pumpkin Puree by Jessica Gavin.
• Salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla round out the ingredient list.

If you're looking for a gluten-free version, then check out Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins which could easily receive the same makeover!

Directions with Pictures

Once the recipe ingredients are gathered, these healthy chocolate pumpkin muffins are a breeze to make!

First mix the dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Next, add the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, egg, and milk. Stir until well-combined. The batter should be thick enough to stick to a spoon for a few seconds.

Fold in chocolate chips. We used 60% cacao dark chocolate chips.

Use paper inserts or don't. Either way, spray the muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Fill the wells about ⅔ full of batter. An ice cream scoop with a lever makes quick work of this task.

Bake healthy chocolate pumpkin muffins in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 25 minutes or until the top is firm.

Allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then ENJOY!

Expert Tips for the BEST Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

1. IF you use a different flour, then you MAY need to adjust the milk accordingly. Start with a small increment, like 1 teaspoon.
   • Add a little extra milk if using 100% whole wheat flour.
   • Start with a quarter cup of milk if using regular pastry flour and add the remaining milk back as needed.
   • The batter should be thick and stick to a spoon for a few seconds. (See the picture above.)
2. Spray the cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray. If you're using paper inserts spray the inside of those too! Otherwise, the muffins will stick to the pan because there is no oil!
3. Did you forget to spray the well? Eventually, the moisture will settle and it will be easier to remove the paper liner...if you can wait!
4. Sift the cocoa powder to remove the tiny clumps before you measure it out!
5. Gently spoon the flour into the measuring cups. I don't sift the flour (although it's not a bad idea.) You don't want to "pack" it or the batter will be too thick.
6. Use an ice cream scoop with a quick release to easily and consistently dish out the batter. We used a blue thumb presser that measures a quarter cup.
7. Allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes.
8. Make an extra batch of the dry ingredients and store in a tightly sealed jar so the muffins are even easier to make the next time.
9. Store chocolate pumpkin muffins in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Or, store in the freezer for about 2 months.

They are sure to be a winner with friends and family!

📋 Recipe