These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are moist, fluffy and topped with fluffy chocolate frosting. They have all your favorite fall flavors thanks to pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar & vanilla – then the mini chocolate chips and chocolate buttercream makes for the perfect combo. 
As much as I love summer, fall baking is pretty amazing. It’s finally OK to turn on the oven since temperatures aren’t as high, and there’s so many delicious fall flavors:
- Apples
- Maple
- Caramel
- Anything with cinnamon
- PUMPKIN
Seriously, is there anything better than pumpkin season? Because warm comforting spices & delicious pumpkin is always a very good idea.
And when there’s chocolate involved? JACKPOT
So clearly, these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting are a very good idea. They’re light, fluffy, perfectly soft with big pumpkin spice flavor dotted with mini chocolate chips. Then they’re topped with creamy chocolate buttercream. Plus a few extra chocolate chips for good measure.
At first, I was a little hesitant about combining chocolate and pumpkin. Would it be too many flavors? A weird mismatch? But after some delicious experimentation, the combo is perfect. The warmth of the pumpkin and creamy chocolate is delicious. Not too sweet, but packed with flavor.
For the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
These cupcakes get their delicious flavor and soft, moist, fluffy texture from a few key ingredients:
- Oil makes them super moist
- 2 eggs for tenderness
- Brown sugar adds a delicious caramel tone
- A hint of cinnamon for more flavor
- Then a combo of all-purpose flour & cornstarch creates a lighter, fluffier texture
- And pumpkin for soooo much flavor & moisture
Just make sure to use canned pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie filling – since pumpkin pie filling already has sugar, flavorings & other ingredients. Then I recommend using mini chocolate chips instead of regular sized so they don’t sink to the bottom.
Plus, they’re cuter.
Then For the Chocolate Frosting
We’re just making a simple buttercream with cocoa powder today. It’s creamy, fluffy & super delicious. I frosted my cupcakes using a piping bag and a 1M tip, but you can also use a knife if you prefer or are in a pinch to save time.
These pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes are the perfect fall recipe that’s just a little different. They’re filled with all the pumpkin flavor you could want, then the chocolate really sets them over the edge. Perfectly moist cupcakes, full of fall flavors, AND chocolate – you can’t go wrong with these pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup brown sugar , packed
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree , not pumpkin pie filling
- ⅓ cup milk , buttermilk or regular
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips*
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar , sifted
- ¾ cup cocoa powder , sifted
- 6-8 tablespoons whipping cream
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips , for decorating
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 365F degrees.
- Line 2 muffin pans with large muffin papers (you'll end up with about 18 cupcakes total).
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves
- In a separate large bowl beat together the oil and sugars using an electric mixer. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the pureed pumpkin.
- With the electric mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture alternating with the milk.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- In a large bowl using a stand mixer, beat the butter until very fluffy.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, followed by the cocoa powder.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time alternating with 1-2 tablespoon of whipping cream until the desired consistency and sweetness level is reached.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes with a piping bag (I used a 1M tip) or a knife. Decorate with more chocolate chips.
Notes
Make sure to try these other favorite pumpkin desserts too!
Yep, I’m definitely in full on pumpkin mode. I mean, how could I not be after seeing these!? Totally obsessed.
I definitely have no problem with ice cream in December, so I think pumpkin in August is totally fine!