Let's Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About!

Come the autumn season, the all-mighty pumpkin makes an appearance. You walk in the grocery store and see an assortment of foods that now have pumpkin preceding it. We find ourselves eating pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin donuts, and pumpkin soup. And if you’re a Starbucks aficionado, rushing to the nearest store once the Pumpkin Spice Latte is announced.

During September, October, and November pumpkin is the popular older sibling of the squash family that zucchini, acorn, and butternut look at with envy. Even foods that I don’t associate being pumpkin spice flavored now feature this great gourd. Foods have taken “pumpkin spice and everything nice” to a whole new level. Brands like Cheerios, M&Ms, Hostess, Oreos, Werther’s Caramels, Pop-Tarts, and many more have all joined the pumpkin spiced band wagon.

Needless to say, pumpkin is pretty popular come the first cool breeze or leaf change. Or if you’re like me and live in Southern Arizona where colored leaves are something you only see in a movie and it’s still 90 degrees outside, pumpkin still finds a way into my cupboard. So, let’s embrace the pumpkin and add another decadent dessert to our ever-growing list this season: Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins. And to top it off let’s make it vegan, and after one bite I promise your family and guests will be saying “Oh my gourd, these are delicious!”

I first tasted these pumpkin chocolate muffins when my mom’s friend made them four years ago, and they have been my go-to anytime I need a chocolate craving. I am not vegan or vegetarian, however these muffins will please any person who has a sweet tooth or is a chocoholic. I think why people turn their nose up when they hear “vegan” is the assumption that the dessert will taste like cardboard and has never heard before or hard to find ingredients. What I love about these muffins is that all the ingredients are easily found in your local grocery store, and don’t require a trip to the health food aisle or Whole Foods.

These muffins are easy prep, clean-up and will have you making it year-round and serving it for breakfast, dessert, or a midnight snack. This easy 3-step ingredient recipe uses canned pumpkin, chocolate cake mix, chocolate chips, and the optional nut. Using canned pumpkin is a much healthier alternative as it replaces the need for butter, oil, eggs and keeps the muffins moist. The taste isn’t too pumpkin-y but rich, dense, and will be guaranteed to pass the child detector vegetable test. Even my dad who lives by the Julia Childs quote, “with enough butter, anything is good” finds these muffins irresistible- sans butter.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Baking Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Yield: 15 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 can 14 oz. 100% pure canned pumpkin
• 1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge (or chocolate cake mix of your choice- super moist is best)
• 1 C. vegan chocolate chips (I used Guittard semi-sweet)

Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet and Nestle Toll House Allergen-Free Semi-Sweet are great alternatives too.

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Stir cake mix and pumpkin in a large bowl until combined. Batter will be very thick.
3. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts
4. Fill muffin liners 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle each muffin with additional chocolate chips (optional).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 5 minutes before eating.

Tips:

• The extra chocolate chips on top add an ooey-gooey melted goodness, add more or less depending on your chocolatey preference.
• If you prefer a more prominent pumpkin taste, you can omit the chocolate chips all-together.
• To add a fall twist, add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the batter.
• Make sure to grease the muffin liners as they tend to stick.
• Store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. Personally, I love them cold.
• They are freezer friendly and taste great after thawing.