Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins

Easy and delicious pumpkin chocolate swirl muffins. These pumpkin spice muffins swirled with rich chocolate make the perfect fall breakfast on the go or sweet snack with a warm beverage.

We are exactly halfway into September and my youngest is already talking our ears off around the dinner table about Halloween costumes. To say she’s obsessed would be a gross understatement. Contenders {in no particular order} include a pineapple (how cute!), a dunkin’ donut {think basketball player meets sprinkle donut}, a frat boy (umm, no) and Thing One & Thing Two with her bestie. She pretty much asks every hour on the hour how soon we can drive over to the nearest Halloween pop-up store to check out her options up close and personal. I’m afraid my delay tactics aren’t going to hold her off much longer, and even though I’m not a big fan of Halloween, I’m happy fulfill my motherly obligation to get her all decked out from head to toe for a night of tricks and treats.


Since we’re friends here on the blog I feel like it’s safe to confess something that may come as a surprise. I don’t love Halloween. Yikes. Did I say too much?! Too late to take it back? Please let’s still be friends even if October 31st is your most beloved day of the whole entire year. For me? Not so much. I’ve just never really been a fan of dressing up in a costume and going to all the effort of finding all the right parts and pieces to make it perfect. Can’t we just wear regular clothes?? (only halfway kidding).
I’m a total over-achiever so I’m an all-in or not-at-all type of girl. As a kid I dreaded dressing up every year but naturally I played the part just so I could get my hands on a pillowcase stuffed with full size Snicker’s bars and mini Reese’s peanut butter cups. I would never miss out on a chance to stock up on my favorite chocolates even if it meant throwing on some ridiculous costume and parading around the block a time or two.

But once I grew up I was more than fine throwing on my favorite Target t-shirt that reads “This IS my costume”. If I’m feeling extra festive I’ll top it off with a tall black witch hat. That’s pretty much me every year. Except for the time I dressed up as Victoria Beckham {you know her…otherwise known as “Posh Spice”.  Yep, that one. The one who never smiles}. I wore the thigh high dress, some strappy stiletto heels and even donned a short blonde wig and giant black celebrity sunglasses. I didn’t crack a smile even once the whole night because I was dead set on nailing the part. I’m telling you, I take this Type A thing verrrry seriously.
Oh, and how could I forget? My husband dressed up as a bleach blonde, tatooed, David Beckham from his Manchester United days. The whole thing was pretty epic I must say, but I don’t think we can ever top it which is why I love my Target t-shirt.

That was a long, roundabout way of saying that even though I’m not big on costumes I really do love everything else that comes along with the month of October. I love the sweater weather and autumn leaves. I love the caramel corn sugar high and the smell of fresh pumpkin seeds wafting from the oven. I especially love fall baking which includes pretty much everything pumpkin. If you’ve hung around this corner of the internet long enough, then you know I add chocolate to almost everything. Pumpkin is no exception and I dare say, pumpkin is just better with chocolate. One bite of these Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Muffins and I think you’ll agree.

We all need a few seasonal recipes in our back pocket that we can throw together for friends and family without being tied to the kitchen too long. These muffins just scream fall and I’d bet good money these pumpkin and chocolate gems are going to be your new go-to all autumn long. This recipe comes together in a pinch and besides a can of pumpkin, I’m guessing you have all the ingredients you need already in your pantry.  Stock up on the pumpkin bakers…I have a sneaky feeling these easy peasy muffins are going to be on repeat.

To make these muffins we start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. To really bring out the pumpkin flavor I like to use cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and a dash of ginger. Set this bowl aside and then whisk together the sugars, eggs, oil, buttermilk, pumpkin in a separate bowl until well combined. Next add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients being careful not to over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter can lead to deflated muffin tops which is obviously no bueno. Less is definitely more. We’ll divide the batter between muffin liners, filling 3/4 of the way full.
Then comes my favorite part. Add a few small dollops of the melted chocolate to the top of each muffin and swirl together with a toothpick. Don’t get too carried away here…no need to go swirl crazy.

In to the oven they go and in a scant fifeteen minutes I can pretty much guarantee you’ll want to eat the whole batch all by yourself. I mean just look at that shiny chocolate on top!
Like I said, I pretty much add chocolate to everything and in the case of these pumpkin muffins I think it’s definitely the right thing to do. I hope you’ll make a batch soon and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

These muffins are one of my favorite ways to usher in the fall season. I hope you make many batches of these Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins between now and Thanksgiving. But honestly, they are just as good any other time of year so stock up on a few extra cans of pumpkin for when the craving hits. Recipe is below…happy baking!

If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment here on the blog, or send me a message on Instagram. I love seeing what you are baking up in your kitchens!

IF YOU LIKE THESE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE SWIRL MUFFINS YOU MAY ALSO LIKE :

Glazed Coffee Cake Muffins
Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Chia Muffins
Double Chocolate Espresso Muffins