Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cake Mix

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are pumpkin muffins made with a box of yellow cake mix and canned pumpkin. A simple pumpkin cake mix muffin recipe for a quick fall breakfast or snack!

I have been making these super easy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with cake mix and chocolate chips for years now. These easy pumpkin muffins are made with a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree — no oil and without eggs.

This cake mix recipe is an old WW pumpkin muffins recipe, so these delicious muffins are low in calories but big on flavor. The perfect fall treat!

In fact, these cake mix pumpkin muffins are so simple that my youngest daughter has completely taken over making them.

If you’re wondering why you should use a cake mix to make muffins, let’s just say that sometimes easy recipes are best! So when my daughter wanted to make her favorite easy pumpkin muffin recipe for breakfast this weekend, I told her to go for it!

If you’re looking for homemade pumpkin muffins, try my pumpkin muffins with applesauce or pumpkin spice muffins.

Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy recipe. You can find them in your grocery store or online.

• Cake mix — a box of yellow cake mix, white cake mix, vanilla cake mix or a box of spice cake mix.
• Pumpkin puree — not pumpkin pie filling
• Cinnamon — for extra fall flavor
• Pumpkin pie spice — for more flavor
• Nutmeg — just a hint of spice for warmth
• Chocolate chips — semi sweet chocolate morsels or milk chocolate chips

How to Make Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. Then, grease a muffin tin with butter or non stick cooking spray. You can use baking cups or parchment paper muffin liners if you like.

Add the box of cake mix and the can of pumpkin puree to a large mixing bowl. Then, add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg, and stir until well blended.

We mix the batter with a spoon, but you can use a hand mixer (electric mixer) or stand mixer for this step.

Next, stir in the chocolate chips. I like to add a cup of chocolate morsels to the batter and place a few chips on top of the muffins.

This is optional, but there’s nothing wrong with a little extra chocolate! The batter will be thick, but this is completely normal.

Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin. You can use a spoon or a cookie scoop for this step.

My daughter even added some fall candy sprinkles and a few extra chocolate chips on the top.

Baking Time

Place the muffins into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

You may get a few crumbs or chocolate on the toothpick, but it shouldn’t be goopy.

Remove the pumpkin cake mix muffins from the oven and place on the counter to cool slightly. Then, remove the muffins from the muffin pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Store

Store these delicious pumpkin muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. You do not have to refrigerate pumpkin muffins. In fact, refrigerating muffins affects the flavor and causes them to dry out faster.

You can freeze the muffins for up to 3 months for best results. Just place them in a large freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Make sure to thaw completely before eating.

Substitutions

This is basically a 2 ingredient pumpkin muffin recipe, but you can change these simple cake mix muffins to suit your tastes.

For pumpkin spice muffins, use spice cake mix, and leave out the extra spices. You can add white chocolate chips or pumpkin chips instead of semi sweet chocolate.

Use a mini muffin tin for mini pumpkin muffins. For chocolate pumpkin muffins, use chocolate cake mix.

If you have homemade pumpkin puree, you’ll will need about 2 cups for this recipe.

Helpful Tips

To make just 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins, use only cake mix and a can of pumpkin.

Be sure to use the whole can of pumpkin for this easy muffin recipe.

If the muffins sweat too much, place a paper towel underneath the muffins when storing to absorb excess moisture.

Don’t use non stick spray if you are using non stick muffin pans, as the spray can ruin the coating. Use paper liners or grease with butter or oil.

Because, you can never have too much chocolate, right? These muffins should satisfy your pumpkin craving, but if not, check out these 12 Super Easy Pumpkin Recipes. It’s pumpkin season, after all!

Like a lot of you, we get a little obsessed with pumpkin recipes this time of year. For more pumpkin recipes, try Pumpkin Spice Waffles, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes or see more fall recipes for all things pumpkin and more seasonal goodies.

If you love cake mix recipes, try my cake mix blueberry muffins or cake mix banana muffins!

I hope you get a chance to try these easy chocolate chip pumpkin muffins this fall! Be sure to sign up for the newsletter and follow me on social media for new recipes more delicious recipes for fall!

Happy Baking,

Recipe published in 2017 and updated in 2023.