Name: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin Tops
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled); 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp fine salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil); 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling); 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided)

From the roundup: 24 Easy Fall Treats Recipes Your Family Will Actually Eat

Jump to Recipe

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffin tops are exactly what the name says: just the top, the domed golden part, baked flat on a cookie sheet in about 12 minutes. No muffin tin to grease, no stump to work through, and the whole thing from bowl to oven takes about 10 minutes of actual effort. I started making these when I realized my kids were quietly peeling the tops off regular muffins and leaving the bottoms on the counter.

The batter comes together in two bowls with no mixer. Canned pumpkin keeps them soft for days without any added sour cream or yogurt, which means I can mix a batch Sunday night and pull from it all week. The one step that matters: press each mound down lightly before baking. I skipped that the first time and ended up with pointy little domes that were raw in the center and too brown at the edges.

One batch makes 14 muffin tops, which covers breakfast for my crew for two mornings, or one morning plus a generous after-school snack. They reheat well in a low oven if you want that just-baked texture back.

Why you will love this

You get all the golden, slightly crisp edge of a muffin top without the dense base underneath.
Total time is 22 minutes, which is fast enough to bake a fresh batch before school if you measure dry ingredients the night before.
One bowl for wet, one for dry, and no mixer or special pan required.
Canned pumpkin keeps them soft at room temperature for up to 3 days, so they hold up well as a make-ahead breakfast.
The extra quarter cup of chocolate chips pressed on top before baking means every muffin top has visible chocolate on the surface, not just buried inside.

Tips for success

Spoon and level your flour rather than scooping straight from the bag. Scooping packs the flour and can make the muffin tops dense instead of soft.
Press each batter mound down with your fingertips before baking, just enough to even out the peak. Skipping this step leaves a pointed dome that stays raw in the center while the edges overbrown.
Pull them when the edges look just set and lightly golden but the centers still look soft. They finish on the hot pan during the 5-minute rest, and if you wait for the center to look done in the oven, the edges will be too dark.
Fold the batter until the flour streaks just disappear, then stop. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the texture tough rather than tender.

Common questions

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? No. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced, and it will throw off both the sweetness and the spice balance in this recipe.
My muffin tops spread flat instead of holding a dome. What happened? The batter was probably too warm, or the pan was greased too heavily. Chill the batter for 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm, and use a light coat of cooking spray rather than butter.
Can I double the batch? Yes. Use two sheet pans and rotate them halfway through baking so both pans get even heat.
Do these work with mini chocolate chips? They do, but the chips disappear into the batter more. Semi-sweet chips give you a more distinct chocolate bite.

Substitutions

Vegetable oil and melted coconut oil both work in equal amounts. Coconut oil adds a faint background flavor that pairs well with the pumpkin spice, but either works fine. If you need a dairy-free version, swap in dairy-free chocolate chips, the rest of the recipe is already dairy-free as written. For a vegan option, one flax egg per large egg works here, though the tops will be slightly less domed.

If you only have pumpkin pie spice in the cabinet, use 1 and a half teaspoons in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Coconut sugar can substitute for brown sugar in the same amount, though the tops will be slightly less moist. For a nut allergy concern, these are nut-free as written, just check your chocolate chip label.

Make-ahead and storage

To get ahead on a busy morning, whisk the dry ingredients together the night before and cover the bowl. In the morning, mix the wet ingredients, combine, fold in the chips, and bake. The whole active time drops to about 5 minutes. Store cooled muffin tops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They stay soft without any special treatment.

To freeze, let them cool completely, then layer between sheets of parchment in a zip bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or warm them in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes to bring back the soft texture. Microwaving works in a pinch but can make the edges a little chewy.

Brittany Stage