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Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate

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These pumpkin crumb muffins are the perfect fall breakfast food. The muffins are moist and they’re topped with a lightly crunchy, crumbly topping.

Quick Links: Pumpkin muffin cooking notes
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate - super moist muffins with a crunchy top crumble on top! | healthynibblesandbits.com

Do you remember the first time you ate something with pumpkin in it? I do! Well, sort of. I must have been 8 or 9, and my sister brought home a Sara Lee pumpkin pie. Or was it a pie from Safeway? Maybe it was from Cala Foods back when Cala was still a thing. No, I think it was a Sara Lee. Sorry, I always get all caught up in minute details.

One small bite was all it took to convince me that the orange thing called a pumpkin was something special. (Coincidentally, that was also the day I discovered that I love cinnamon, BIG time.) Ever since that first sliver of pumpkin pie, I’ve become a borderline fanatical huge fan of anything with pumpkin.

We’re quickly approaching that time of the year when no one will judge you for adding 4 cans of pumpkin puree to your shopping cart. Let’s get ready for that. We always aim to be ahead of the game here.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate - super moist muffins with a crunchy top crumble on top! | healthynibblesandbits.com

Friends, I can probably sit here all day and pick off the crumb topping on these muffins. It has a phenomenal crunch because I used turbinado sugar in the crumb. Even if you’re not ready for pumpkin muffins yet, at the very least, sprinkle turbinado on your next batch of muffins. It’ll be a game changer.

Chocolate for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate - super moist muffins with a crunchy top crumble on top! | healthynibblesandbits.com

To make these muffins extra special, I folded in some chopped up bittersweet chocolate. I love using Ghirardelli’s chocolate baking bars for my baked goods because of their consistent taste and quality. (Examples of my love for their baking products: Green Tea Cupcakes or Double Chocolate Almond Cookies.) Plus, Ghirardelli is based in San Francisco, which as you all know, is near and dear to my heart.

PUMPKIN MUFFIN COOKING NOTES

  • For this recipe, it’s a good idea to mix the dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls before combining them together. The first time I made these, I was lazy and tried to do everything in one bowl. The batter ended up being a bit clumpy and way too thick.
  • With the first test batch, I used 1 cup of pumpkin puree instead of 3/4 of a cup. The muffins had a deeper orange hue. If you want the muffins to look more orange, use 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
  • I also tried a batch with some almond flour in it, and the muffins were more dense. I prefer the fluffier version that I have in the recipe below.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate - super moist muffins with a crunchy top crumble on top!
4.88 from 8 votes
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Author: Lisa Lin

Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate

These moist, fluffy pumpkin muffins are just what you need to get you going in the morning. The prep is very simple, and they’re gluten-free! Makes 9 large muffins or 10 standard muffins.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients

Muffins

  • cooking spray or oil for greasing pan
  • 210 grams (1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons) gluten-free baking blend, see note 1
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 180 grams (3/4 cup) pumpkin puree , (make sure it's not the pumpkin pie blend)
  • 155 milliliters (2/3 cup) whole milk
  • 220 grams (220g) (1/2 cup) honey , (or any sweetener)
  • 70 grams (1/3 cup) coconut oil, melted (olive oil also works)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 115 grams (115g) (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, roughly chopped

Crumb Topping

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Grease 9 or 10 muffin cups in your pan. If you want larger muffins, grease 9 cups. Set pan aside.
  • In a medium bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a larger bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, honey, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually incorporate dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. I like adding my flour in batches: I add about 1/3 of the flour, stir until ingredients are combined, and repeat 2 more times. Fold in chopped chocolate chunks.
  • Fill 9 muffin cups to the top, or 10 cups 3/4 of the way full.
  • Wipe down the bowl you used for dry ingredients and add the ingredients for the crumb topping. Using your hands, break up the butter and mix the ingredients together. The mixture should look and feel like wet sand. Sprinkle crumb topping on all the muffin cups.
  • Bake for 24 to 26 minutes, or until the edges of the muffin tops are slightly browned.
  • Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them out to cool on a plate or rack. Store muffins in an airtight container in room temperature for a few days or freeze them for a few months.

Notes

  1. I used the gluten-free flour blend from Minimalist Baker, and I LOVED how texture of the muffins turned out. I added 2 teaspoons of xanthum gum to the blend for binding purposes. If you’re not quite committed to making your own gluten-free flour, no problem! Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour works too. If you are not gluten free, whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour works with this recipe.
  2. If you don’t care for the crumb, at the very least, you should sprinkle a bit of turbinado sugar on top of the muffins. They add a phenomenal crunchy texture.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!
Cuisine: Baking
Category: Breakfast
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Crumb Muffins with Chocolate - super moist muffins with a crunchy top crumble on top! | healthynibblesandbits.com

Lisa Lin Head Shot

Hello! I’m Lisa Lin

Here, you’ll find well-tested Asian recipes, pantry guides, and recipes from my sassy mother, Mama Lin. Through my recipes and cooking videos, I hope to honor the food and traditions that surrounded my Chinese American upbringing.

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  4. Rosie says

    5 stars
    My favorite pumpkin memory is when I was a little tyke my aunt helping me grow my first pumpkin or two, then making pie and roasting the seeds!

    Reply

  5. Dani says

    5 stars
    Definitely making these ASAP! I missed Pumpkin season last year while overseas. Unfortunately not everyone in the world has caught on to the magic delicious taste that is pumpkin. I think my favorite pumpkin dish would have to be pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin pancakes.

    Reply

  20. Christie@ Lovely Lemon says

    New to your site and I can’t wait to try out all your fabulous recipes. This one looks SO good! I have a slight obsession with Ghirardelli
    chocolate and San Francisco too. Every time I use chocolate in a recipe I make sure it’s Ghirardelli.

    Reply

  22. Traci | Vanilla And Bean says

    Oh yes, pumpkin. It is SO special. Just had it this morning in my bowl! Pumpkin pie was my first taste too… so long ago and didn’t really know how to use it otherwise, until I started playing with it myself in the kitchen. There are so many applications, sweet and savory. I love it! So much so that I’m still clearing out all the roasted pumpkin in the freezer from last year! I stock up! These muffins, Lisa, are absolutely mouthwatering. Thank you for the tip on Turbinado sugar! I get it! Folding in chunks of chocolate is a great way to get the chocolatety texture you’re going for. Thank you for this delicious recipe and giveaway my dear!!

    Reply

    • Lisa says

      That’s such a good idea to keep roasted pumpkin in the freezer! You know, I don’t use pumpkin much for savory dishes, except when I’m making a soup, but I really need to expand my horizons a bit more!

      Reply

  24. Dani @ Dani California Cooks says

    I think one of the first times I ate pumpkin was with my high school boyfriend – he always bought these pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies from Ralph’s market. I remember thinking “what a weird combination!!” and then we ate the whole box. Also – thanks for a great recipe! Love the g-free tag.

    Reply

    • Lisa says

      I know, pumpkin and chocolate chips felt a bit weird to me years ago because the only pumpkin thing I ever ate was pumpkin pie. Now, I’m all about it! Thanks, Dani!

      Reply

  27. Sherwood says

    Favorite pumpkin dish would have to be rolls (with the cream cheese-like stuff all in there). I haven’t had pumpkin many ways, though, and I hope now that I’m cooking, I’ll be able to try new ones!

    Reply

  35. Sarah O. says

    My favorite pumpkin memory is carving jack-o-lanterns when I was little with those tiny, ineffectual plastic knives. It took seventeen years to carve a pumpkin, but your fingers were safe, darnit!

    These muffins look AMAZING.

    Reply

  36. David says

    5 stars
    Plain old pumpkin pie is my favorite dish. As for a memory, I would like to think that we make memories with our kids every year as we pick and carve our pumpkins.

    Reply

  42. Susan Christy says

    Growing up I was the only one that liked Pumpkin Pie and Grandma always baked one for me at Thanksgiving, knowing only one person would be eating it. Grandma’s Love!!!

    Reply

  44. Brenda Haines says

    5 stars
    My favorite pumpkin memory has to be when I brought my son to the pumpkin patch for the first time. The pumpkin patch is always so fun!

    Reply

  45. Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says

    My favorite pumpkin memory is realizing I like pumpkin! As a kid, I was strictly an apple-pie girl, but when I tried pumpkin again in my mid-teens it was love at first bite. Since then, I’ve been baking pumpkin bars and muffins and cookies, eating pumpkin-spice things, and also spooning pumpkin straight out of the can!

    Reply

  49. Leslie @ flora foodie says

    These. are. breathtaking! I have GOT to make them! I’m pretty sure the first time I had something pumpkin had to be pumpkin pie since I think that’s the only way I ate it until the pumpkin explosion a few years ago…. but I have always loved pumpkin pie and had the family position of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie baker since I was teeny 😀

    Reply

  51. Nagi@RecipeTinEats says

    5 stars
    You made me giggle with your opening line, that you could just sit there and pick the crumb off the topping!! I’ll sit on the couch with you and we’ll work our way through all of them, sound good? 😉 Nx Pinning, these are fabulous!

    Reply

    • Lisa says

      Haha, thanks, Nagi! Oh my gosh, I’m so glad I’m not the only one who wants to pick the crumb off those muffins! If we ever get together, that needs to happen!

      Reply

  52. jolly says

    wow, these pumpkin crumb muffins with chocolates are so delicious and yummy. I just loved this. I must try these muffins. thanks for sharing this amazing article about pumpkin crumb muffins with choclates.

    Reply
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