Healthy-ish Pumpkin Carrot Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I know what you are thinking. ‘She only has two food posts so far and they are both muffins!’. This is very true. Muffins have become a staple in my house. Currently, my husband and I have days where we both work from home (during this COVID19 Shelter in Place) with our 22 month old running around. This results in us getting up very early and working late to try to each get a full day of work in. On these days, a muffin is a quick snack to grab for my son. These pumpkin carrot chocolate chip muffins are somewhat tasty and very delicious!

Additionally, I would like to set the stage for what to expect from my food posts. I am a working mom. My job is not typically and ‘8 hours and done kind of job’. Therefore, my recipes will not be overly complicated, they will likely not look like something that comes out of a fancy restaurant, and they will be things that I can make with either my son helping or with half of my attention on him.

Regarding that last point, for Christmas last year, I received a Toddler Tower. I enjoy letting my son help, despite the added mess and time. The specific one that we have is: Simplay3 Toddler Tower. We like it because it is quite easy to clean and allows you adjust to three different heights. His favorite ‘helper’ activities are: putting muffin liners in the pan, dumping the already measured ingredients into the bowl, and stirring. Of course, we always taste test the chocolate chips before adding them to the recipe as well. Below is him helping to add some additional chocolate chips for this recipe:

RECIPE (Yields 12 muffins)

(Adapted from Dinner at the Zoo’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe)

Print Recipe

Healthy-ish Pumpkin Carrot Chocolate Chip Muffins

Easy and delicious muffin recipe. Toddler-approved!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Carrot, Chip, Chocolate, Muffin, pumpkin

Servings: 12 Muffins

Calories: 238kcal

Equipment

• Oven
• Muffin pan

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice or in a pinch 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips and a few additional for sprinkling on top if desired
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• cooking spray or silicone muffin liners*

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray (or use paper or silicone liners*)
• Whisk together eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, vanilla, and oil in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add to wet mixture and stir until just combined.
• Fold in 1/2 cup of shredded carrot and 1 cup of mini chocolate chips.
• Spoon the batter evenly across the 12 muffin cups and sprinkle a few additional chocolate chips on top of the muffins as desired.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Check at 15 minutes if not using the silicone liners).
• Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a plate or wire rack to cool completely.
• Serve (I recommend at least testing one while the chips are still warm), or store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

*Note: We use these: Oxo Silicone Muffin Liners – these are also good for dividing items in lunch boxes