Marbled Chocolate-Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoons ground cloves
• 0.5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 0.25 teaspoons ground allspice
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 0.5 cups pure maple syrup
• 0.5 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs , at room temperature
• 0.25 cups unsalted butter , melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 0.33 cups dark cocoa powder , such as Hershey's® Special Dark
• 0.5 cups dark chocolate chips , Optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.

2. 2

   Whisk together whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

3. 3

   Whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, and melted butter in a second bowl until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain. Stir 1/2 of the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. Mix in the other 1/2 of the flour mixture and stir until just combined, making sure to not overmix.

4. 4

   Divide batter evenly between 2 bowls. Whisk cocoa powder into one bowl until just combined. Fold chocolate chips into the other bowl. (Both batters will be somewhat thick.)

5. 5

   Spoon about 1 tablespoon pumpkin batter and 1 tablespoon chocolate batter into each muffin cup. Continue filling muffin cups, alternating between both batters, until each cup is approximately 3/4 full. Make 2 or 3 swirls in the batter of each muffin with a bamboo skewer or butter knife, holding the muffin liner in place as you swirl. (The chocolate chips may make it difficult but just swirl around them.)

6. 6

   Place muffins into the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs, 19 to 23 minutes. Do not overbake.

7. 7

   Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.