Celebrate Fall! Bake These Low-Sugar, Protein-Packed Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Muffins

Your fall-loving taste buds are going to be so excited when you bite into these supermoist and perfectly spiced pumpkin chocolate-chip protein muffins. These are vegan and made with plant-based protein powder and flaxmeal for an extrasatiating muffin you can enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

These muffins are made with a full can of pumpkin, which means you won’t have a half-used can getting forgotten about in your fridge. The pumpkin adds moisture and subtle sweetness along with the ripe banana, applesauce, and maple syrup. If you want to really cut down on the sugar, use Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips (they’re sweetened with stevia).

These oil-free vegan muffins are so damn delicious, you’ll want to bake extra to share or meal prep a double batch to freeze for later. They’re just the recipe you’re looking for to fill your kitchen with the pumpkin-spice scent of fall. I can’t wait for you to bake these!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons flaxmeal
6 tablespoons water
2 ripe bananas
15-ounce can organic pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 serving vanilla plant-based protein powder (about 1/3 cup; I used Orgain, which has 21 grams of protein per serving)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Mini Chips; save about 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put 16 cupcake wrappers in 2 muffin tins.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flaxmeal and water, and allow to thicken for 5 minutes.
Mash in the 2 bananas. Add the canned pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla.
In a separate small bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, mix together the flour, protein powder, baking soda, and spices until a smooth batter forms.
Add most of the chocolate chips to the batter, saving about 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top of the muffins.
Scoop batter into 16 muffin cups, and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing.
Enjoy right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.

Here’s the nutritional information from verywell.com for one muffin: