Pumpkin Chocolate Muffin with Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This muffin is dense & moist because of the pureed pumpkin and four eggs. It’s versatile and could be eaten any time of day—with no frosting it is simply satisfying; or you can omit the sugar in the frosting and it’s still perfect for breakfast; or go all out with the sugar in the cream cheese frosting and you might as well call it a sweet & scrumptious cupcake!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cupcake, muffin, pumpkin

Servings 24 muffins

Author Abigail Aars

Ingredients

...for muffin:

1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs well-beaten
15 oz. can pureed pumpkin
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
dash salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
10 oz. chocolate chips reserve some for garnish

...for frosting:

4 Tablespoons butter softened
8 oz. cream cheese softened
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar sifted, optional

Instructions

Line your muffin tins with liners. Preheat oven to 350° F. In large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Mix in pureed pumpkin and well-beaten eggs on medium speed.
In separate bowl, combine baking soda, flour, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk them together. Add the flour mixture to your pumpkin mixture, stirring by hand just enough to incorporate most of the flour.
Add one mounded cup of the chocolate chips (leaving some for garnish), and finish stirring by hand just enough to moisten all the flour and evenly distribute the chocolate chips. Fill your muffin liners.
Bake at 350° F for 18 min., until light golden. Take out of the oven and leave in pans for 5 minutes. Then set muffins on racks to finish cooling.
Make frosting: Stir together butter and cream cheese. Next, stir in cinnamon and maple syrup. You can top with this version if you prefer a less sweet muffin. Last stir in sifted powdered sugar. Frost muffins. Add reserved chocolate chips for garnish on muffin tops.