What do you get when you cross a chocolate-lava-themed dessert with cinnamon-spiced pumpkin? The best muffins! Whip up a batch of these simple, quick bread muffins and devour them for an afternoon snack or a Thanksgiving bread. But don’t limit Chocolate-Caramel Pumpkin Lava Muffins to autumn–because they are too good to skip.

WHAT ARE THE BEST RECIPES FOR PUMPKIN?

Pumpkin is one of those flavors of autumn that knows almost no bounds in its food possibilities.

There are recipes for pumpkin chili, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin chai, pumpkin and black bean burritos, and pumpkin galore to burst your belly at the seams.

But my favorite use for pumpkin is in bread. The texture–just like potato bread–is something else!

And don’t forget the fact that pumpkin pairs well with chocolate, caramel, cream, and cinnamon–four of the top ingredients in dessert. It is a vegetable made in heaven.

PUMPKIN AND CARAMEL ARE GOOD…BUT ADD CHOCOLATE TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER…AND THEN CINNAMON TO MAKE IT THE BEST

If you have ever tried a pumpkin caramel chai or spiced latte, then you know what I’m saying when I claim that pumpkin and caramel are a great pair.

But add chocolate, and you’re getting a bit closer to perfection.

What I love about Chocolate-Caramel Pumpkin Lava Muffins is that they incorporate that golden triangle of flavors (pumpkin-chocolate-caramel) and add cinnamon. It’s fall in a muffin tin.

ARE PUMPKIN MUFFINS HEALTHY?

That depends on what you are thinking about.

Healthy for your heart and emotions? Definitely!

Healthy for your body? Not exactly.

They aren’t the worst thing you can eat, for sure. But they are not a secretly delicious way to serve healthy vegetables. (For a muffin recipe that fits that bill, check out Secretly Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Muffins.)

HOW DO YOU MAKE PUMPKIN MUFFINS?

Making Chocolate-Caramel Pumpkin Lava Muffins is easy. It doesn’t require a lot of attention or time, so I often have my two-year-old help me mix and taste-test.

To begin with, you need to mix up the dry ingredients well. Then set them aside and mix up all the wet ingredients. Mix it all up together and add pieces of caramel-filled bon-bons.

Bake at 350F (180C) just until they are set. (Make sure not to overbake, because they are best when moist.)

Then gobble them up.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED FOR PUMPKIN MUFFINS?

Pumpkin muffins require a few extra ingredients in addition to regular muffins: cinnamon, nutmeg, and–of course–pumpkin. This recipe for Chocolate-Caramel Pumpkin Lava Muffins also needs caramel-filled chocolate pieces (bon-bons).

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE PUMPKIN MUFFINS?

Let’s talk tools! To make pumpkin muffins, you will need:

Silicone muffin liners

(I like these because they make removal of the muffins from the pan nearly mess-free.)

Muffin pan (I like to use stainless steel to prevent leaching of bad metals and chemicals into our food)

Spatula

Kitchenaid Mixer

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Though it is no longer autumn (as I write this, January summer is upon us in Southern Brazil), these muffins are not limited to one season alone. They are too good for that.

Because of its simplicity, this recipe is a great one for toddlers and small children to help bake. My son loves “stirring” and taste-testing for me. (Even raw bread dough is “yum!” to him, so I can’t rely solely on his opinion. But he and my husband are both enthusiastic fans of these muffins.)

When you try this recipe for Chocolate-Caramel Pumpkin Lava Muffins, be sure to tag @myhome.yourhome.ourhome on Instagram. I love seeing what you’re whipping up in the kitchen! It’s {almost} like getting the chance to bake together.