Sunday, October 4, 2009

Chocolate-Pumpkin Muffin Tops

The recipe for these has been floating around for a while, but I only learned about it a few months ago when my sister was visiting from Texas. We're both Weight Watcher's ladies, and these muffin tops work out to be 1 WW points each (2 points for 2; 2 points for 3). There are other great things about them: some people eat them in place of cookies (and they are good enough to be considered a cookie); there is a whole can of pumpkin in the batter, so you're getting all the good things pumpkin has to offer; there are only three ingredients, and they are all pantry items. And they are super moist, and super yummy.

Is it a cookie or is it a muffin? Depends on who you ask. I call it a muffin because it doesn't have the right texture for me to consider it a cookie. I also give them to my kids for breakfast, and it just wouldn't be right for them to be eating cookies first thing in the morning. And, since I'm used to making muffin tops on baking sheets, and not regular muffins in muffin pans (I own only one muffin pan that I almost never use), it's not a stretch for me to think of these as muffins.

This recipe is a 3-ingredient wonder, requiring only a cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and miniature chocolate chips. Because we go through them so fast I use a large can of pumpkin and 2 cake mixes for each batch. This time I used chocolate, but I also make them with spice cake mix.

When made with the spice mix they taste just like pumpkin pie, and even my 6 year-old, who don't like anything with flavor, gobbles them up. I can hardly taste the pumpkin when I use a chocolate cake mix, so I call them "chocolate muffins" when talking to my kids (If you have kids you know sometimes you have to...smooth out the edges...when describing food). When my daughter saw these pictures she said, "What's the orange?" "Pumpkin." "There's pumpkin?" betrayal. "Yes. But they just taste like chocolate, don't they?" "Well, yeah..." "And don't you love them?" "Well, yeah..." "OK, then." Phew!

Chocolate-Pumpkin Muffin Tops
Printable Recipe

1 chocolate fudge cake mix (I'm a Betty Crocker snob)
1 15 oz can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. Heat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put the cake mix, pumpkin, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl...

... and mix it all together until it's smooth. It can take a little while to get the dry mix incorporated with the pumpkin, so be patient.

3. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to drop the batter on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake for 12-14 minutes (mine were done more to the 14-minute side). Remove them to a wire rack to cool.

You should get about 48 muffin tops (I have to scrape the bowl for the last one). You can also make these in a muffin pan. Use a muffin-size scoop and cook them at 400 for a little longer, maybe 18-20 minutes. My sister says she checks them after 10 minutes.

I keep them in the fridge because we eat them fast enough, but they also freeze great.

Per 1 of 48: 41 cal/1g fat/0.5g fiber/1 WW point
Per 2 of 48: 82 cal/2g fat/1g fiber/2 WW points
Per 3 of 48: 123 cal/3g fat/1.5g fiber/2 WW points
Per 4 of 48: 164.5 cal/4g fat/2g fiber/3 WW points

12 comments:

  1. How many ounces is your can of pumpkin? And is that 48 cookies for one box of cake mix? These look fantastic!!

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  2. Melissa, the can of pumpkin in the picture is a 29 oz can because I used 2 cake mixes. If you use 1 cake mix (like in the recipe) use the smaller can (I think it's 15 oz). And yes, 1 cake mix makes about 48 muffin tops; 2 mixes makes about 70. And they are super yummy, for such an easy, cheating recipe :)

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  3. These are great! I only made 24 with my batch, but they are roughly the size of real muffin tops. Cheap, easy, and low-cal--absolutely perfect for a college student like me--roommates love them as well!

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  4. Allison, I'm thrilled they worked for you!

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  5. Found this through tastespotting and have now made two batches: one chocolate and one spice. I definitely didn't get 48 muffin tops for either attempt, I guess I am an over-scooper, but either way they are sooo tasty!

    My teenager had two last night and two this morning.

    Oh, I added butterscotch chips to the spice variant, is that what you normally do?

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  6. lol, Raven :) You might be an over-scooper ;) The scoops have to be scraped level. And the scoop I use holds about 2 TBL, maybe a little less.

    I've never used butterscotch chips, but it sounds yummy...I'll have to try it next time :)

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  7. I have linked back to this post because I made, and blogged about, these muffin tops. While they aren't my favorite... they are a hit with everyone else here who tasted them. Good job!

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  8. cHim-prints, thanks for the link-back! :)

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  9. Just found you through tastespotting. I've made these before but never thought about using CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX or chocolate chips!!! Great ideas! I also added 2 beaten egg whites to make the mixture some together a little easier.

    I'm definitely trying these again...your way!

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  10. My step-mother asked me to add this:

    I made your pumpkin muffin tops recipe...I used a spice cake, white chips (not chocolate) and the pumpkin mix. They received high praise when I "gifted" them to the neighbors, our Institute class and the women I Visit Teach, I told them it was your recipe and that you have a cooking blog...you should be hearing from them.

    YOU HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE FLUNKIE STATUS FOR SURE.

    Thanks for the yummy recipes!
    Marilyn Harmer

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  11. I made these for a family gathering this week. I used 1 cup of the mini chocolate chips to make them more cookie like. They were a hit and people wanted the recipe. I love that some of the fat is cut out by using pumpkin. My picky 4 year old loved them.

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  12. Laura, 1 cup of chips?! YUM!! :) And yeah for the 4-year old loving them :)

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