Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These vegan chocolate chip pumpkin muffins with crumble topping are the ultimate autumn bake! They are soft, moist, and warmly spiced with golden, buttery crumbles. You only need simple pantry staples and no eggs or dairy, these muffins are perfect for cosy mornings, afternoon snacks, or even dessert. 

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It’s the pumpkin season! If there’s one recipe that perfectly captures the essence of autumn, it’s definitely these vegan chocolate chip pumpkin muffins. They’re tender, fluffy, and full of cosy pumpkin spice flavour with melty chocolate chips throughout. And that buttery, crunchy crumble topping adds just the right amount of sweetness and beautiful texture to the muffins.

Honestly, these are my recent go-to muffins to bake, so nice and cosy! These muffins are super easy to make, too. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be having delicious muffins that autumn gifted you in no time. They smell absolutely heavenly fresh from the oven, it’s a true comfort autumn bake!

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: The base of the muffins is plain flour to make this recipe simple and easy to make. For a gluten-free option, a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can be used instead.

Soy milk: If you don’t want to use soy milk,  any plant-based milk like almond, oat, or rice milk works as a substitute. I haven’t tried yet but apparently pea milk makes a good vegan buttermilk like soy.

Caster sugar: Use some caster sugar if you have it in your cupboard, it’s definitely the best type of sugar for baking in my experience. You can make your own caster sugar by processing granulated sugar in a food processor too. If you want, light brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used for a deeper, caramel-like flavour.

Pumpkin puree: The star ingredient! Pumpkin puree obviously gives the pumpkin flavour we all love, plus, it gives moisture, colour, and that gorgeous autumn feel to your baked goods. I used a canned puree but homemade pumpkin puree works perfectly too. It’s super easy to make.

Chocolate chips or chunks: Use some dairy-free chocolate chips or get a bar of chocolate and chop it into small chunks for more chunky choc chip muffins.  You can use dark, milk, or semi-sweet, depending on your preference. I used dark chocolate chips.

Pumpkin spice: If you are making pumpkin muffins, don’t forget to add sprinkles of pumpkin spice. It brings our beloved warmth and depth with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves – it’s what makes these muffins taste like autumn in a bite.

Other ingredients: Vegetable oil, cornflour, apple cider vinegar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, baking powder, and baking soda.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Muffin tray: A standard 12-cup muffin tray is all you need to make these muffins. It makes about 9 to 12 muffins, depending on the muffin’s size.

Muffin liners: I always use muffin cups to prevent the batter and baked muffins from sticking, and it makes cleanup so much easier too. Tulip cups will be so cute for this recipe!

Mixing bowls: As much as I like one-bowl recipes, I always use mixing bowls – one large bowl for dry ingredients and one separate bowl for wet ingredients to avoid mixing the batter too much. 

Silicone spatula or wooden spoon: A Silicone spatula is perfect for gently folding the batter and chocolate chips, ensuring no dry pockets of flour are left behind.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Step 1: Prepare the crumble topping

Let’s start making our pumpkin muffins! First things first, the crumbles. A simple mixture of plain flour, caster sugar, melted vegan butter, salt, and vanilla extract creates a buttery, golden crumble. Combine these until it resembles wet sand, then set aside in the fridge while you make the muffin batter.

Step 2: Make batter

Next we make our vegan buttermilk. Mix soy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside for a few minutes. Yes, that’s it! Super easy. This creates a tangy, curdled vegan buttermilk that helps the muffins rise and stay soft.

While the vegan buttermilk is curdling, mix the plain flour, caster sugar, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin spice in a large bowl using a whisk. Make sure that everything is evenly mixed to distribute the leavening agents properly throughout the batter!

Now whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, melted vegan butter, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree in a separate bowl or jug until silky smooth and well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and gently fold together with a silicone spatula until just combined. The batter should be thick but smooth. Avoid overmixing! Mixing too much can lead to touch and dense muffins. 

Fold the chocolate chips or chunks into the batter carefully without overmixing. Don’t forget to save a handful of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top for that cute chocolatey look!

Step 3: Top and bake

Spoon the batter into muffin cups using an ice cream scoop. For medium-sized muffins, fill the cups about a third, and for big ones, fill to the top. Sprinkle the crumble topping generously, extra chocolate chips, and some pumpkin seeds for a bakery-style finish.

Bake the muffins for 23 to 25 mins until golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Expert tips and tricks

Mix the wet ingredients well

Pumpkin puree can be lumpy, so ensure to mix the wet ingredients very well so that everything blends smoothly for an even batter.

Dry the pumpkin puree if too wet

If your pumpkin puree is watery, pat it with kitchen paper or reduce it slightly by cooking it in a pan until it thickens. Too much moisture can affect the muffin’s texture.

Don’t overmix the batter

Overmixing develops too much gluten in the batter and makes muffins dense instead of light and fluffy. Gently fold until just combined with a silicone spatula or large wooden spoon.

Let the batter rest for a few minutes

If you have time, a short resting time (around 30 minutes) before baking the muffins allows the gluten to relax and the leavening agents to activate. It gives your muffins a taller rise. I discovered this when I had a very small oven and had to bake in 2 batches – the second one always came out looking better!

Use an ice cream scoop for even portions

Scooping the batter evenly helps ensure all muffins bake uniformly, and an ice cream scoop is there to help you achieve that! The muffins will come out of the oven beautifully rounded on top.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• If you want event more crunch to the muffin, you can add chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top for extra sweetness and extra cosy autumn feeling.
• Use other types of chocolate chips like vegan chocolate chips, or ven vegan caramel chips!

How to store

• Room temperature: It’s best to keep the muffins in an airtight container for up to 1 day. The crumble is delicate so store it in a cool, dry spot to keep it fresh.

• Refrigerator: After a day, if there’s any leftovers, I like to store in the fridge for up to 2-4 days in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavour and texture. You can pop the muffin in the preheated oven for 5 mins to bring back the freshly baked feel.

• Freezer: Freeze the muffins for up to 2 months. Wrap each muffin individually, then place in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the kitchen counter, then warm in the oven. Microwave works too, but it can make the muffins a bit too soft so I prefer the oven.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE these easy pumpkin muffins because they are:

• simple and so easy to make
• so flavourful with pumpkin and spices, perfect for autumn and winter baking
• fluffy, moist, and soft

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious muffin and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Easy Pumpkin Pancakes
• Vegan Pumpkin Banana Muffins
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Vegan Apple Crumble Muffins
• Chewy pumpkin cookies
• Banana tahini muffins

Visit the muffins page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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