Name: Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 225 g full-fat cottage cheese (approximately 4% fat); 225 g canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling); 2 medium eggs; 120 ml maple syrup (or honey); 45 ml sunflower oil (or avocado oil); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 250 g all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon fine table salt; 90 g mini semisweet chocolate chips

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These cottage cheese pumpkin muffins bring together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, warm spices, and mini chocolate chips in a simple muffin batter. With 10 minutes of preparation and a standard 12-cup pan, one batch makes a dozen muffins for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

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Cottage cheese pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips baked in a muffin tin.

Why You'll Love These Muffins

No blender needed: The cottage cheese goes straight into the wet ingredients without being blended first.
Ten-minute preparation: There's no separate topping or filling to make before the muffins go into the oven.
Chocolate in small bites: Mini chocolate chips spread little pockets of chocolate throughout the pumpkin batter.
A full dozen: The recipe fills one standard 12-cup muffin pan

I'd have one of these muffins with breakfast and save another for my afternoon coffee. Like my banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins, they fit easily into an ordinary day. A batch means there's something homemade ready for both, without baking again in the afternoon. That everyday usefulness is what appeals to me about making muffins.

I mix the cottage cheese straight into the wet ingredients, leaving it unblended. Pumpkin puree and oil add moisture, while eggs and flour give the muffins structure. The mini chocolate chips bring small bites of chocolate against the warm spices. Gentle folding helps avoid a tough crumb, a useful principle for these muffins and my blueberry muffins.

Cottage cheese pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips cooling on a wire rack.

Key Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

The ingredients each have a clear role in the batter:

Cottage cheese and pumpkin puree: I use full-fat cottage cheese, approximately 4% fat, alongside plain canned pumpkin puree. Cottage cheese contributes richness and moisture, while the puree brings the pumpkin flavor.
Eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla: In my wet mixture, eggs provide structure, maple syrup adds sweetness, and sunflower oil contributes tenderness. Vanilla complements the pumpkin and spices.
Flour and leavening: All-purpose flour forms the structure of these muffins. I combine it with baking powder and baking soda to help the batter rise.
Spices, salt, and chocolate chips: Pumpkin pie spice and additional cinnamon give my batter its warm spice flavor. Fine table salt balances the sweetness, and mini semisweet chocolate chips add small bites of chocolate.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

Combine the wet ingredients, fold in the dry mixture, and divide the batter among the muffin liners. You can find the complete printable recipe with measurements below.

1. Prepare the pan and wet ingredients: Preheat the oven and line a standard metal muffin pan with paper liners. Mix the cottage cheese, pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla in a bowl until combined.

2. Add the dry ingredients: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold into the wet mixture until no dry flour remains, then fold in the mini chocolate chips.

3. Fill and bake: Divide the thick, scoopable batter evenly among the liners. Bake until the centers spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out without wet batter.

4. Cool the muffins: Leave the muffins in the pan for five minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cottage cheese pumpkin muffin with chocolate chips showing the soft, moist interior.

Helpful Swaps

Honey: Use the same quantity of honey in place of the maple syrup.
Avocado oil: Replace the sunflower oil with the same quantity of avocado oil.

Tips for Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

Choose plain pumpkin puree: Pumpkin pie filling contains added sweeteners and seasonings, which would change the balance of this recipe.
Use mini chocolate chips: Their small size distributes chocolate through the batter without concentrating it in large chunks.
Fill the liners evenly: Similar portions help the muffins bake at a similar rate across the pan.
Plan for cooling: Allow extra time after baking for the muffins to cool in the pan and then on the rack.

Storage

Let the muffins cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 2 months.

What to Serve with Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

I'd serve these muffins with a homemade pumpkin spice latte for a fall breakfast or afternoon break. For a larger breakfast spread, add cottage cheese egg bites to bring a savory option alongside the muffins.