Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blender Muffins

These easy pumpkin blender muffins (chocolate chips delicious but optional!) take just a few minutes to whip up and are fluffy and delicious. They are also easily gluten-free!

Well, I know you probably have about a million other things to do today (Halloween! Hello! Love it or hate it?) than check recipe blogs for the latest and greatest.

So after you finish rifling through the candy buckets of unsuspecting children (that may or not be blood related to you) and hoard all of the fun size midnight Milky Ways, come back here for a little rendezvous with some healthy, hearty whole grains to offset all.the.sugar.

I’ve made no secret over the years that Halloween is one of my lesser favorite holidays, but I’ll still use any excuse to indulge in a good-for-you muffin that also tastes amazing.

And since it seems appropriate today, on this ultimate day of jack-0-lanterns and fluffy pumpkin costumes, to celebrate another pumpkin recipe, let’s talk muffins. Delicious muffins. Easy Muffins. Muffins wherein the chocolate chips are totally optional (but be warned that whatever you choose will say a lot about you).

These easy pumpkin blender muffins are so, so simple to make. And there’s no worrying about over mixing the batter or fussing with unusual ingredients. Nope, not here. Similar to these popular blender banana chocolate chip muffins, today’s pumpkin version is just as easy and just as tasty.

After lightly processing the oats in the blender (I’m sure a food processor could work, too), all the other ingredients are piled in, blended, scooped into muffin tins and baked.

Somewhere in there you’ll want to stir in some chocolate chips, too! I mean, if that’s your thing. You all know me well enough to know chocolate chips are always my thing. But I’ll love your guts no matter what you decide.

It’s amazing to me how awesomely light, fluffy, and moist these easy pumpkin blender muffins are! You can’t beat how simple they are to make. But then to have them turn out so perfect?? It’s a muffin miracle. And one that we will happily indulge in long after pumpkin season is over and it is no longer deemed acceptable among some circles to use it in baking (who are those people??).

These tasty pumpkin chocolate chip muffins keep very well at room temperature for several days. I keep them in a ziploc bag on the counter; the tops will get a little bit wet like a lot of baked pumpkin goods do when covered, but it doesn’t affect the taste. They also freeze great, too.

Easy breakfasts! Simple snacks! Healthy lunch options!

I would maybe suggest you whip up a batch or two and pass these out to trick-or-treaters but then the thought: why give up something so delightfully delicious to kids who are just as happy with marshmallow peanuts and dum dums? And also, homemade baked goods on Halloween from potential strangers is just maybe a little bit slightly creepy.

If you’re looking for a healthy snack today, these easy pumpkin blender muffins should do the trick! Happy Halloween!

One Year Ago: Pie Making Boot Camp: Week #4
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread {The Best of the Best}
Three Years Ago: Slow Cooker Lasagna {Perfected}
Four Years Ago:  Crusty Artisan No-Knead Bread
Five Years Ago: Pumpkin Cream Sandwiches

Yield: 12 muffins

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blender Muffins {Gluten Free}

Total Time:32 mins

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:17 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (7.5 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free, if needed)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) canned pumpkin puree (or homemade)
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or sugar (see note)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a blender (or food processor), process the oats a minute or two until they are ground to the consistency of coarse flour.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and process until combined, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes until the top of a muffin springs back lightly to the touch. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack. They keep well for several days at room temperature (in a sealed bag or container) and freeze great, too.

Notes:

Each of the different sweeteners (pure maple syrup, sugar, honey) will add a slightly different flavor, so use what you prefer taste-wise. The full 1/2 cup doesn’t make an overly sweet muffin (just about perfect for our family), but if you like a less sweet muffin, use the lesser 1/3 cup amount.

All images and text ©Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Recipe Source: adapted from lots of recipes online (here and here and here) and also using these delicious blender banana chocolate chip muffins as inspiration