One thing that’s been especially hard during my recent health struggles is that I’ve had some negative feelings resurface surrounding food and restriction. Those of you who’ve been reading for years may know that one of the reasons I started blogging back in 2008 was to share my journey to health. I spoke a lot about my journey to recovery from disordered eating, something I had struggled with for over a decade.
When I taught myself how to cook and fell in love with making plant-based recipes, I started to make positive associations with food again. And slowly, as I learned to eat intuitively (and embraced therapy!), I built a solid, positive foundation channeling that energy into something that made me feel really good. I don’t know where I’d be now if I didn’t have your support and community along the way. Knowing that my readers were eager to try out the recipes I was sharing kept me immensely motivated to keep going! It still does to this day.
The various symptoms I’ve been dealing with this past year (as well as committing to the dreaded allergy elimination diet) have challenged my relationship with food a great deal. If you’ve dealt with food allergies or sensitivities, you know how much it can drive you crazy in frustration as you try to figure out what’s going on. Every single food becomes suspect. I had incorrectly thought that it was a single food causing my troubles, when in fact it was much more complex than I had realized, with many hormonal imbalances and other systems at play.
Over the past year I found myself starting to question everything I was putting into my body, to the point where for a while I was only consuming a handful of specific foods. I didn’t know what I could eat because everything seemed to be causing reactions. It really messed with my head for a while there! This isn’t my first test by any means, and I know that these challenges and setbacks are a normal part of the journey—there’s no shame in struggling with things you may have thought you’d beaten. I can already tell that this experience has had many silver linings, one of them being a deeper appreciation for my health. And as I’ve seen my health improve over the past couple months, I’ve been so relieved to be getting back to a friendly place with food again by celebrating what it can do for me rather than fearing it!
And what better way to celebrate food this time of year than with the irresistible combo of chocolate and pumpkin? These rich and chocolaty gluten-free and vegan muffins have been enjoyed by everyone lucky enough to get their hands on a trial batch…minus a couple chocolate-hating toddlers roaming around our kitchen. *shrugs* Needless to say, Eric and I have had our fair share throughout the testing process…no complaints over here. Pair the muffins with my popular Pumpkin Spice Latte and you’ll have yourself a delicious and festive autumn snack!
One Bowl Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
Yield
12 muffins
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These moist, dense, gooey pumpkin chocolate muffins are similar to that feeling you get walking through a pumpkin patch, sipping dark hot chocolate, and crunching colourful autumn leaves beneath your feet! Picture a delicious pumpkin chocolate cake or brownie—but in muffin form. What could be better? How about that they take just one bowl to make! This recipe is adapted from Beaming Baker and my Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins.
Ingredients
For the chia egg:
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground chia seed*
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water
For the wet ingredients:
- 1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup (80 g) coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) gluten-free rolled oats, blended into a fine flour**
- 1/2 cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice***
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup (120 g) non-dairy chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, divided**** (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
- Add the rolled oats to a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ground chia seed and water until combined. Set aside for a few minutes to thicken.
- To the same bowl, add the rest of the wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla) and stir until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients (oat flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth (I love using my big whisk for this task!).
- Set aside 1/4 cup (45 g) of chocolate chips (if using) for the topping and stir the remaining chips into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each two-thirds full. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes (I bake for 22), until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each muffin and place it directly onto the cooling rack until fully cooled. Leftover muffins can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for several days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Tip:
* If desired, you can use 1 tablespoon ground flax in place of the ground chia seed. Proceed with mixing in the 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water as directed.
** You can use 150 grams oat flour rather than grinding your own (this is equal to 1 cup and 7 tablespoons oat flour measured using the scoop-and-shake-until-level method). Alternatively, 1 1/2 cups (233 g) whole-grain spelt flour will also work as a swap for the oat flour. If using whole-grain spelt flour, you will likely need to bake the muffins for a couple extra minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Please keep in mind that spelt flour is not gluten-free.
*** If you're a big pumpkin spice fan, you can use up to 1 tablespoon of spice mix in this recipe.
**** Try chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy, healthy twist!
You can make these muffins into a loaf instead. Simply pour the batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (I bake for 46) at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Oh my gosh, these are SO good! I just ate one warm out of the oven for dessert. I made it with one egg instead of the chia egg, omitted the chocolate chips, and used walnuts. A keeper for sure!
Hey Jen, Thanks for your review! I’m thrilled you love them so much. :) They’ve been on a constant rotation in this house along with my banana bread for the kids (who don’t like chocolate).
These muffins are absolutely delicious. I have made this recipe 4 times already. My kids devour them. I cannot say how much my family and I enjoy all your recipes (I have both books that I use very often). I hope there will be a 3rd cookbook in the near future!
Aww thanks Melissa! You don’t know how much this means to me to hear. I appreciate your support so much! And there just might be a 3rd book in the works ;)
Do you have a micro list for this recipe? Looks yummy but as an athlete I have to be carb and protein conscious
Thx
Hi Barb, If you’re looking for the nutritional info I provide that near the bottom (click the plus sign), and it tells you carbs and protein amounts per muffin.
I decided to bake this recipe as cookies. The only thing I did differently was add sea salt caramel chips and greased a cookie tray. I baked them for about 20 minutes, which is longer than I normally bake cookies for. They came out moist and similar to a muffin top. I will definitely make these again as cookies, muffins, or a loaf.
What a fun idea…thanks for sharing with us!
Made a batch of these (made them into mini-ish muffins -the IKEA muffin pan size) and brought them into work… great reviews from everyone… even my boss!
That’s so great to hear Tiffany! And lucky coworkers, heh ;)
So moist and delicious! I LOVE this recipe!
Hi Angela,
I never comment on stuff, but have to say… I’ve been so thankful for your blog over the past couple years. Your recipes have been the biggest place where I have found foods and treats that don’t leave me feeling deprived. I come from families that can cook and especially bake (the German side?), and can honestly say we’ve enjoy many of your baked goods even more than others I grew up on in the past. I also have a history of eating disorders, and started going through a lot of health issues/negative reations to food leading up to finding out I was pregnant with our son… which seemed to worsen my reactions. I was seeming to react to everything, and was eating an extremely healthy food protocal. I finally took an allergy test, and over 35 things came up as reactive foods, allergies/sensitivities. And it’s still an ongoing/always changing struggle. My toddler was also just diagnosed with Lyme disease (one of the main things I’ve struggled with). I’ve found it even to harder to find foods he will eat, while avoiding allergy foods his Pediatrion who also specializes in Lyme is telling us to steer away from. Sorry for the book of a comment… and also to hear of all your personal struggles. But please know that the parts of your story you’ve been willing to share, diligence and creativity has been so encouraging, helpful probably more than you can know! I feel weird for saying this, but finding foods that I’ve been able to eat and enjoy (and make for my family) at times when I’ve been the sickest and struggling the most, has even brought hope in a sense to keep working through it all.
Many thanks,
Katrina and Zion
Hi Katrina, I can’t thank you enough for your lovely note! It means so much to me to hear that you’re finding passion with food again through my recipes, and that they’ve been a bright spot during a challenging time. I can relate a lot to what you wrote…I too have been finding joy with food again after going through health issues this year and it feels so good. I wish you and your family healing vibes and continued progress!
Another winner, Angela!!
I have made these four or five times already and they don’t last in my house. (Of course, I squirrel away a few for my office.)
I don’t use the chocolate chips, as I don’t like chocolate chips in already chocolate-flavored things, but I add a fistful of pecans and YUM.
Pecans is a great idea :) Thanks Christine!
A heavenly luscious recipe! Definitely a must try. Thanks for sharing.
WOW these are so delicious, thank you!!! I made them last week. They are so moist and perfect! I used ground flax instead of chia. I will be making these again!
Thank you Leah, that’s great you love them so much!
These are hands down the best muffins, Vegan or Not! Great recipe ?
Wow, thank you Megan! What a compliment :) I’m so glad you love them too
who would have guessed that pumpkin and chocolate would go together this well
Hi! Making these today. Could I use cacao powder or do I need cocoa? Thanks!
Hi Jen, I haven’t tried it, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Hi Angela, Do you think Cassava flour may work as a sub for oat flour? I am grain free so oats are not an option for me!
Hi there, I have had a tricky time using cassava flour in my vegan recipes…I find its flavour and texture can overpower quite easily so I have best success when it’s combined with other things. I feel like it could be too gummy or dense for these muffins, but it’s just a guess. If you try anything please let me know how it goes!
Hi Angela. my mix was super thick, your photos show a supple one so I added half a cup of almond milk….but the oat flour (i blended my own) drank it and went back to super thick. The muffins, being so heavy did not rise at all. They are delicious however. Any idea of why this happened? I have never baked with 100% oat flour before, i might go back to my trusted spelt as gluten is not an issue in the household…and thank you for your recipies, i love them all.
Hey Christine, I’m sorry your muffins didn’t quite turn out! This recipe is definitely meant to yield a dense, gooey muffin, so the batter will be quite thick either way, but they should also rise beautifully. You could try making them again and weighing the ingredients for more precision and following the recipe exactly as written. If you do try the spelt flour, be sure to check out my note in the tips section. :) I’d love to hear what you think if you try the spelt swap!
Has anyone tried using brown or white cane sugar? I don’t have any coconut sugar, and need to know the proportions :(
Hi Elina, I think cane or brown sugar should work fine though I havent tried it yet!
I tried this recipe and made a few substitutions. I omitted the maple syrup entirely and only limited the oil to a teaspoon (filling the rest w/applesauce). It still turned out rich but a little dry. I wonder if adding a little oat or soy milk would help w/such substitutions.
Hi Kimberly, Thanks for letting us know about your swaps! I’d love to hear what you think if you try the recipe as is.
Absolutly delish!
O.M.Goash<3!! They look SO YUMMY!! Thank YOU so MUCH for sharing the recipe, Angela!! Can't wait to try!!! :D
These turned out perfectly (made them with an egg instead of chia). Gorgeous, moist crumb, amazing flavor, and both of my kids loved them ( shocking, because they have wildly different preferences). Thank you for a great recipe!
It’s definitely a big win when both my kids love something too (it seems so rare these days)….so glad the muffins were a hit!