These perfectly-spiced pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are soft and tender, studded with chocolate, and topped with a buttery spiced crumb. They’re also quick and easy thanks to a short-cut of a boxed cake mix! A full can of pumpkin adds flavor and tenderness. These are so easy you’ll be making them all season long!
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
- Spice Cake Mix – I have been partial to Duncan Hines cake mixes for years, I’ve found them to be high quality and consistent so that’s usually what I grab. In recent years spice cake has been a little harder to find in my stores, so in this batch I’ve photographed I’m using a Betty Crocker mix and it also turned out great.
- Pumpkin – you’ll use a full 15oz can of pumpkin puree. I usually buy Libby’s brand. Just be sure to buy pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Eggs
- Sour Cream – I always use full fat
- Chocolate chips – I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips for most all baking, but you can use your favorite. Mini chocolate chips work great in muffins.
- Streusel – for the streusel, you’ll need sugar, all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, and butter.
- Stand mixer
- Muffin tin
How to Make Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Place the dry cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a stand mixer. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds or until the dry ingredients are moistened, then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until combined.
- Mix your streusel and sprinkle on top of muffins.
- Bake for 20 – 30 minutes.
Storage & Other Tips
- Storage:
- Room Temperature (2–4 days)
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Line the bottom with paper towels to absorb moisture and preserve freshness .
- Refrigeration (up to 1 week)
- Refrigerate to extend freshness—but note the streusel may soften. For best results, warm briefly before serving.
- Freezing (up to 2–3 months)
- Flash-freeze cooled muffins on a baking sheet, then transfer to sealed freezer bags, streusel side up. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 15–20 seconds.
- To avoid overly dense muffins, do not over-mix. Stir just until the flour disappears to keep them light and fluffy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! They still taste great when made a day ahead of time, I just store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can these muffins be frozen?
You bet. Freeze in a single layer and then pop in a container or zip top bag- just know the streusel might fall off if they are being banged around a bit in a bag.
How do I prevent chocolate chips from sinking?
Toss them lightly in flour before folding into the batter—this helps them stay suspended evenly.
Can I skip the streusel?
Yes, though it’s what makes these special! If you do skip it, sprinkle a bit of sugar on top for sweetness and texture.
Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Moist, flavorful spice muffins with a crumbly streusel topping. Quick and easy using a box mix as a base!
Servings muffins
Equipment
- muffin tin this recipe makes 24, so you will want use two 12-count muffin tins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 15-oz box spice cake mix I prefer Duncan Hines if you can find it, but Betty Crocker also turns out well
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree do not use pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup sour cream I recommend full-fat
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 12-ounce package chocolate chips
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Muffins
- Ignore the directions on the box. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, sour cream oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low for 30 seconds or until all the ingredients have been moistened, then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the batter is smooth. Mix in the chocolate chips.
Streusel Topping
- Divide the batter evenly in the cupcake liners. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, then cut in the butter with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or wet sand). Sprinkle the topping over the batter.
- Bake the muffins for 20-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out completely clean. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 15mg, Potassium: 16mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 110IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Calories: 138kcal
Cost: $5
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
Regarding liners, this might be the ultimate in cheapness but I buy the aluminum foil liners. They’re hung right next to the regular paper ones and usually have the same count and the same price, but the foil liners have an inner paper liner too. They’re not attached to each other so I just pull them apart and I get a paper liner and a foil liner – two for the price of one. I haven’t noticed any difference in my muffins or cupcakes regarding how they cook in paper vs foil. I just know I got twice as many liners as the regular pack!
OMG! (Oh MY GOODNESS!) I have been putting off making the Pumpkin Chocolate chip muffins that I’ve promised people at my office multiple times – and NOW I KNOW WHY 🙂
See.. I just needed this recipe to come out 😉
Deeeefinitely “muffins” haha. Love that; these look so yummy. And don’t be jealous Kate, but check out my local forecast this week- woo hoo!!
http://wxch.nl/oG6TC1
I just switched from electric to gas as well and my baked goods have generally been finished way earlier than they had been in my old oven. Really not sure if its the fact that it’s gas or just that all ovens are different in general. Can’t wait to try these muffins, they look delicious!
all i can say is… you had me at hello :)! seriously… these look SO yummy – going to make them today! something about streusel and pumpkin… *sigh*…. 🙂
Ok, found out which picture showed up with my muffin recipe! It was the picture for Quick & Easy Noodle Stir-Fry that popped up! Just added that recipe to my box too! 🙂
These look awesome!!! My kids love the regular pumpkin muffins…so I’m sure they will LOVE THESE!!! Can’t wait to make them!! Just added this to my new OBB recipe box, but it came up with the wrong picture…some noodle dish…hmmm…the noodle dish looks yummy too, I’ll have to figure out what it is and make it too!
LOVE THE NEW recipe box feature…and the shopping list too!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Anne, I think you have to click on the recipe title (so it’s the only recipe showing up on the page) and then it will connect the right picture with the recipe. I know that’s annoying. Hopefully we can fix that (and by “we,” I mean the super-smart computer people behind Zip List, not Sara and myself!)
LOVE those cupcake liners, I’ll have to grab some next time I go to Walmart. Muffins look awesome I wish I had one right now for breakfast… it’d go great with my pumpkin spice coffee I’m sipping on right now!
These sound so yummy!
I love the cupcake (uh…I mean muffin) liners! And, I love that you are using that little green bottle in your photo and can hardly wait until mine show up in a few days. I also love that you are using pumpkin pie spice as I have way too much of that at my house, due to buying it several times when I already had some. These sound so fantastic, and I hope you and your new oven resolve your issues with each other soon.