Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
These pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes are the ultimate chocolate lover’s fall treat—soft, spiced, and studded with mini chocolate chips. The cupcakes are topped with a swirl of rich chocolate cream cheese frosting for a decadent twist on a seasonal classic.
These pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes are pretty in pumpkin and basically the Molly Ringwald of fall desserts—sweet, a little unexpected, and totally unforgettable.
Soft pumpkin spice cupcakes loaded with melty mini chocolate chips and topped with rich chocolate cream cheese frosting? A match made in heaven.
The best part is, the recipe is incredibly easy to make. All you need is a bowl and a whisk to make the cupcake batter and the cupcakes come together in less than an hour.
If pumpkin spice makes you swoon, check out my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin spice cupcakes, pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin Biscoff cupcakes.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Pumpkin pie spice – Store-bought or homemade.
- Salt
- Pumpkin puree – 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Any neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Mini semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Cocoa powder – Dutch-process or dark cocoa powder.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat the oven and line cupcakes pans with cupcake liners.
Step 2: Make the cupcake batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Step 3: Bake the cupcakes. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Make the frosting. Whip the butter and cream cheese. Add in the powdered sugar, melted chocolate, dark cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Assemble the cupcakes. Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to frost the cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting and decorate with mini chocolate chips.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter for uniform cupcakes.
- Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkin.
- Don’t over-mix the cupcake batter. Over-mixing can create a tough and chewy texture.
- Toss the mini chocolate chips in a bit of flour before adding to the cupcake batter so they don’t sink to the bottom.
- Check out my posts on tips for making the best cupcakes, best buttercream frosting, and my favorite cupcake baking supplies for even more helpful tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, I highly recommend going with mini chocolate chips because they disperse throughout the cupcake more evenly and melt into the cupcake batter.
Pumpkin pie spice is a combination of warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves. You can use store-bought or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.
Yes! Check out my pumpkin spice cupcake recipe for the measurements for vanilla cream cheese frosting.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (184 g) pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (60 g) mini chocolate chips
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) all-purpose flour
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese (room temperature)
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips (melted and cooled)
- ¼ cup (22 g) dark cocoa powder or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- ¼ cup (45 g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 15 cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add in the pumpkin puree, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mini chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of flour. Fold the chocolate chips into the pumpkin cupcake batter.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter and cream cheese for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it is fully combined with the butter and cream cheese mixture. Then, add in the melted and cooled semisweet chocolate, dark cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and mix well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are well combined.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Then, mix the frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cooled pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes and decorate with additional mini chocolate chips.
Notes
- Room temperature: If serving on the same day, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool place away from direct sunlight for about 2 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer: Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or freezer-safe storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cupcakes and then frost as directed.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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