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These Chocolate Chip Vegan Pumpkin Muffins are light, moist, and packed with plant-based protein! They make for a great post-workout snack, breakfast, or healthy dessert!
Is Chocolate Vegan?
Yes and no. Inherently chocolate is a plant-based food because it is made from cacao beans. (Yea chocolate is a bean!) But (and it’s a big but…no pun intended), by the time it’s processed and sold, milk fat has been added making it not so vegan-friendly anymore.
However, there are brands that do use animal products in their chocolate chips. Some brands don’t necessarily say “vegan” on the package but you will know it’s vegan if it’s stamped with “dairy-free” (for the most part, always read the ingredients.)
Below are the brands I use.
Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Mini Chips
Or you can make your own DIY Vegan Chocolate Chips.
Canned Pumpkin or Fresh Pumpkin?
I highly recommend using canned pumpkin as it will make your recipe easier and save you time since it’s already pureed. If you insist on using fresh pumpkin, you make your own puree by following this awesome guide on Not Enough Cinanmon’s website How to Make Pumpkin Puree.
Now there is a difference between can pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin pie filling. DO NOT USE canned pumpkin pie filling.
Canned pumpkin pie filling is already flavored with sugar and pumpkin spice. Canned pumpkin puree is an unflavored cooked pumpkin that has been pureed giving YOU control of how much sugar and pumpkin spice to add.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Muffins?
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
- First, make your “vegan egg” by mixing together ground flaxseed and water. Next, make your vegan buttermilk by mixing almond milk with apple cider vinegar. (Photo 1 & 2)
- In a large bowl, add in all of your dry ingredients and mix together well. (Photo 3)
- In a separate large bowl assemble your wet ingredients and mix together very well. (Photo 4)
Bake Your Muffins
- Add dry ingredients to wet and ingredients and stir together. DO NOT overmix. (Photo 1 & 2)
- Fold in chocolate chips gently and add batter to your muffin pans. Bake until done. (Photo 3 & 4)
SUBSTITUTION, COOK, AND STORAGE TIPS:
- I use Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Baking Flour 1 to 1 but if you are not gluten-free, just use regular all-purpose white flour or preferably spelt flour, sprouted wheat flour, or whole wheat flour.
- If using gluten-free flour, the brand mentioned above is the ONLY one I recommend using for this recipe. I CANNOT guarantee success in using any other brand. Please DO NOT use any single gluten-free flour (like coconut flour, rice flour, etc)
- As mentioned above, use canned pumpkin puree NOT can pumpkin pie filling!
- Don’t like pumpkin? Use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree instead!
- Make sure your pumpkin spice is fresh and new to really get that nice pumpkin spice flavor. You can also make your own Homemade Pumpkin Spice!
- This recipe is good without the chocolate chips BUT so much better with them! If you can’t find vegan chocolate chips (NOTES about that listed above), you can omit and replace it with your choice of nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc).
- Both peanut butter and hemp seeds are added for additional “curvy” calories and protein. If you want you can omit them and the flavor will still be wonderful!
- You can use any sugar you desire besides brown sugar. I find the extra flavor of brown sugar pairs really well with pumpkin spice.
- These Chocolate Chip Vegan Pumpkin Muffins will keep a room temperature covered for up to 48 hours, in the refrigerator covered for up to 5 -7 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Other Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
More Gluten-Free Vegan Bakery Recipes
Other Chocolate Inspired Recipes
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Chocolate Chip Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
Vegan "Egg"
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons filtered water
Vegan "Buttermilk"
- ¾ cup almond milk see notes
- 1½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Muffins
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour, level see notes
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder, level
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, level
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice, level see notes
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, level
- ½ cup brown sugar, level see notes
- 2 tablespoons additional brown sugar, level
- 3 tablespoons whole hemp seeds
- ¼ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree see notes
- ⅓ cup melted vegan butter
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips see notes
- handful additional vegan chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Vegan “Egg” and Vegan “Buttermilk”
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray a muffin tray with non-stick spray. Or you can add muffin/cupcake to your muffin tray for easier clean-up. Set aside.
- For your vegan egg, grab a small dish, mix together ground flaxseed and water. Set aside. The mixture will thicken up as it sits into a gel-like consistency.
Muffins
- In a large mixing bowl add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, sea salt, brown sugar, and whole hemp seeds. Mix together well.
- In a separate bowl mix together, vegan flaxseed egg, vegan buttermilk, applesauce, peanut butter, canned pumpkin puree, and melted vegan butter. Mix together well.
- Add your dry mixture into your wet mixture and mix gently until just combined. DO NOT over mix your batter. It's even okay to have a few dry flour spots. Your batter should be thick and have some elasticity.
- Fold in your vegan chocolate chips gently. Then spoon into muffin tins, dividing evenly into 12 muffins. Top with additional chocolate chips and bake for 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
- Remove from heat and allow muffins to cool before removing from pan. You can also serve these with vegan butter, peanut butter (or any other nut butter), or even some delicious Date Caramel Sauce . They taste the best when served warm.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 48 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 7 days. They can last in the freezer up to 1 month in a large size freezer bag or container covered. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave.
Video
Notes
- KEY BAKING TIP: When I say “level” as a measurement, that means that the top of what you’re measuring is flat; no flour/sugar goes above the top of the measuring cup or measuring spoon. DO NOT skip the apple cider vinegar (or you can use white vinegar) to ensure your muffins will rise.
- NON DAIRY MILK: You may use your choice of nondairy milk. It doesn’t have to be almond milk.
- FLOUR: Not gluten-free? Just use regular all-purpose flour or preferably spelt flour, sprouted wheat flour, or whole wheat flour.
- GLUTEN FREE FLOURS: I used Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Baking Flour 1 to 1 (blue label). This is the only gluten-free flour I recommend for this recipe. Trader Joes All Purpose Flour and Bobs Red Mill, All Purpose Flour (red label) can work if you add ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum to it. Please DO NOT use single gluten-free flours like coconut flour, rice flour, almond flour, etc for this recipe.
- PUMPKIN AND PUMPKIN SPICE: Use canned pumpkin puree NOT canned pumpkin pie filling! You can also subsitute with sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree instead! Also Make sure your pumpkin spice is fresh and new to really get that nice pumpkin spice flavor.
- VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIPS: This recipe is good without the chocolate chips BUT so much better with them! If you can’t find vegan chocolate chips (NOTES about that listed in the blog post), you can omit and replace it with your choice of nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc).
- OPTIONAL: Both peanut butter and hemp seeds are added for additional “curvy” calories and protein. If you want you can omit them and the flavor will still be wonderful!
- ADDITIONS & OTHER SUBSITITONS: You can use any sugar you desire besides brown sugar. I find the extra flavor of brown sugar pairs really well with pumpkin spice.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on October 7, 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and a video on October 21, 2019.
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