September 19, 2020

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix and chocolate chips will satisfy all of your pumpkin cravings! All you need are simple pantry ingredients - pumpkin puree, spice cake mix, and chocolate chips - for the easiest pumpkin muffins with cake mix that you will ever make!

Love baking with pumpkin? Also try my Healthy Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Bread, Easy Pumpkin Pancakes & Pumpkin Cornbread.

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins with cake mix are one of my favorite recipes on Running in a Skirt that readers have been making for over a decade and has been viewed nearly 200,000 times. These easy pumpkin muffins are so simple, I almost feel crazy calling it a recipe. Let's just say it's more of a life hack I think everyone should know. This is one of my favorite muffin recipes that originated from an old weight watchers recipe.

It all breaks down to this, though: you only need three ingredients to make these super yummy 3-ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins. And they taste even more pumpkin-y delightful than they look. These Pumpkin Muffins bake up fluffy and delicious every single time.

The secret is kind of similar to my Black Bean Brownies hack that uses canned black beans and brownie mix. If you don't know this one, you MUST check it out. The hubs actually requests these ALL the time. It's also similar to my Cake Mix Cookies or Strawberry Cake Mix Dump Cake.

I'll leave it up to you whether or not you share OUR little secret with the masses. No one needs to know how simple your muffins are to make with simple ingredients.

Why You'll Love These 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins...

These muffins are made with only 3 ingredients: spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and, of course, chocolate chips.
These are literally the EASIEST pumpkin muffins with cake mix ever.
Let's be honest, most of us are all too busy to make stuff from scratch ALL the time, and sometimes a nice little shortcut can really help.
You could take these to a party or even serve them when company is in town.
I'm especially a fan because these are three shelf-stable pantry staples. You can easily keep the ingredients around and make these even in a pinch. Ya know... when someone just shows up at your door, OR you get invited to a last-minute house party.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

Canned Pumpkin puree: Use canned 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree, not the pumpkin pie filling mix.
Spice cake mix: I love using the 15.25 Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix. You can use a yellow cake mix or white cake mix instead, but you'll want to add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
Chocolate chips: I like using dark chocolate chips because they help balance the sweetness of the cake mix, but you can use whatever flavor you prefer.

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions for making these 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins, but the full, detailed, printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin tin or line it with liners.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the pumpkin puree and cake mix.
Fold the chocolate chips into the large bowl. No need to use an electric mixer.
Using an ice cream scoop, cookie scoop, or spoon, evenly distribute the muffin batter in the pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on the tops of the muffins.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Cooking time can vary due to oven temperature, so watch them.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooking rack.
Serve and enjoy your delicious Pumpkin Muffins. IF you are feeling extra indulgent, you can top them with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins Variations

I love this 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

Make them 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins: Just leave off the chocolate chips.
Use Cinnamon Chips: Cinnamon chips are another delicious addition.
Add Nuts: You can add nuts like walnuts or pecans.
Add Dried Fruit: Cranberries or raisins would be good too!
Add Extra Pumpkin Spice: Love pumpkin spice? Add some extra of my DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice.

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftovers of the 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Freezing

You can freeze the muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

Are pumpkin muffins healthy?

While there is regular ole flour and sugar in the spice cake mix, the pumpkin itself has some redeeming health qualities like vitamins and antioxidants. I'd say these little yummy bites are all part of living in balance.

Now, let's be frank... I'd definitely consider these muffins more of a dessert/cupcake-like treat than a fulfilling breakfast, but they absolutely hit that pumpkin chocolate chip craving I get so often this time of year.

The Hubs and I devoured these as post-dinner treats.

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix

This little 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe/ life hack was just too easy not to share. Now go start your oven and make sure to let me know how they turn out. It's such an easy recipe to make and sure.

More Cake Mix Recipes:

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If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!