Chocolate Muffins
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Calling all chocoholics! These tender chocolate muffins with a double hit of chocolate make a delicious breakfast or after-school snack.
The men in my family all have one thing in common: they are serious chocoholics. Growing up, my dad lived on a steady diet of chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies, and he always kept a stash of Hershey’s Kisses in the back corner of the freezer, where my sister and I couldn’t reach them.
My son has clearly inherited this chocolate obsession, and he knows that flattery and praise are all it takes to get me into the kitchen, covered in cocoa powder. These tender chocolate muffins with a double hit of chocolate are one of his all-time favorites. They are easy to whip up with everyday ingredients. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, or don’t want to purchase a whole carton, see how to make buttermilk using milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
Table of Contents
“These muffins are spectacular! They come out beautiful, moist and chocolatey every time I make them.”
What you’ll need To Make Chocolate Muffins
- Eggs: Provide structure and moisture, contributing to the tender texture.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture, enhances the muffins’ flavor, and interacts with baking soda to help the muffins rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Elevates the chocolate flavor and adds depth to the taste.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the batter. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Provides intense chocolate flavor without excess sweetness.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, sweetness, and a subtle caramel note. Because it tends to clump, gently pack the sugar into the measuring cup to ensure you’ve got the correct amount.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Leavening agents that help the muffins rise and achieve a fluffy texture.
- Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: Introduce pockets of melty chocolate for a double hit of chocolate.
- Butter: Contributes to tenderness and richness in flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
Whisk well.
In another large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk well and then rub the mixture through your fingers to break up any lumps of brown sugar.
To the dry ingredients, add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, the buttermilk-egg mixture, and the melted butter.
Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix until just combined.
Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, fill the muffin cups to the brim with batter.
Distribute the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips evenly over the muffin tops, pressing them lightly into the batter.
Place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then turn the oven down to 350°F (175°C) and bake for about 12 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (check a few spots as the melted chocolate chips will make the tester look wet). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan; cool on a rack.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Natural cocoa powder is acidic and has a more intense, slightly bitter flavor, while Dutch process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize acidity, resulting in a milder taste and darker color. Dutch process cocoa powder is not used quite as often but if you bake for chocolate lovers, it’s good to have in your pantry for recipes like flourless chocolate cake or this double chocolate skillet cookie. Dutch process and natural cocoa powder are not always interchangeable in recipes due to differences in acidity and leavening properties, so, for optimal results, it’s important to use the type specified in the recipe.
Muffins are always best enjoyed fresh on the same day, but they’ll keep nicely in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Sure! The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a 350°F-oven until warm.
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Chocolate Muffins
Calling all chocoholics! These tender chocolate muffins with a double hit of chocolate make a delicious breakfast or after-school snack.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup low fat buttermilk (see note)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ⅔ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar, packed (be sure it is fresh with no hard lumps)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Rub the mixture through your fingers to break up any lumps of brown sugar.
- To the dry ingredients, add ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, the buttermilk-egg mixture, and the melted butter. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix until until just combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, fill the muffin cups to the brim with batter. Distribute the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips evenly over the muffin tops, pressing them lightly into the batter. Place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for about 12 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (check a few spots as the melted chocolate chips will make the tester look wet). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan; cool on a rack.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 324
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 31 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 293 mg
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn,
Will you please give me your recipe to make buttermilk? I made your chocolate muffins this morning & my buttermilk was bad. I looked up how to make it, but I want your recipe. Love, love, love all of your recipes!!
Thanks for inspiring me!!
Debra
Hi Debra, So glad you like the recipes! I actually don’t have a recipe per se, but here’s the method: You’ll need milk and either white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup and then add milk to the 1-cup line (use this same ratio of lemon juice/vinegar to milk when you need more than 1 cup of buttermilk). Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes. You’ll begin to see small curdled bits in the mixture; this means it’s ready to add to the recipe. Hope that helps!
Hi, I loved these muffins! So chocolatey and scrumptious. My kids couldn’t keep their hands off them! I noticed that few people commented that they found them dry. I definitely did NOT experience any dryness at all. I will be making these again soon!
the worst muffin I’ve ever done, and I bake a lot!
SOOOOO dry 🙁
Hi Jenn!
I bought both your cookbooks because all your recipes are always amazing! I only use your recipes now. That being said, this was first recipe out of maybe 100 I’ve made of yours that came out a little dry. I used the spoon and level method too. I was wondering though I made my own buttermilk using skim milk and lemon juice. Could that be the problem?
Also I noticed when I made your chocolate chip muffins you didn’t use cupcake liners? Why on some recipes you do and others you don’t? Some you have us spray liners? Just curious…..Thanks for all that you do for us with your blog and recipes!!!! Wish you could just “take the calories out of all these recipes!” Love, love, love your site!!
Denise Ksen Smith
Hi Denise, So glad you like the recipes but I’m sorry these came out dry for you! Other than making your own buttermilk (which shouldn’t have been a problem), did you make any adjustments to the recipe? If not, you could try reducing the oven temperature and baking them for the whole time at 350°F.
And I decide on whether to use liners, sprayed liners, or no liners at all based on the ingredients in the recipe and how much they would stick with any of the options (or to avoid having them stick). 🙂
Great flavor, moist and tender! I used canola oil instead of butter and full fat sour cream instead of buttermilk, got 16 muffins and baked 350° for 18 mins in silicone cupcake liners. They released very cleanly from the liners which isn’t always the case.
For those getting dry crumbly muffins, it’s likely the flour measure; buy a cheap electronic scale and weigh your ingredients- more accurate, consistent, and less washing up to do since you don’t need measuring cups!
These were great! Might need a little bit of modications to make it perfect. My husband said its not as sweet as he thought. Maybe use cane sugar half and brown sugar half? Otherwise it was great! I didn’t have buttermilk so I looked up how to make buttermilk online.. use mix 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and have it sit for 5 minutes before using it with the recipe. I promised myself to only eat one but couldn’t stop eating them!
What a fantastic recipe!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. The only thing I changed was I halved the amount of sugar. Will definitely make these again and again x
This recipe is easy and delicious! I used apple cider vinegar and 2% milk since I didn’t have low-fat buttermilk. I highly recommend!
So easy but tasty. Thank you for the recipe Jenn ☺️
Hello Jenn,
Will it sink if I put cream cheese in the middle of the muffin before putting it in the oven.
Thank you!
Joyce
Hi Joyce, I’m not sure, but my gut would be to recommend against it — sorry!
Sounds like you’re trying to make black-bottom cupcakes. These have a center with cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla, plus chocolate chips. The centers of these cupcakes taste
like cheesecake. If you decide to add cream cheese, add an egg, some sugar (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how sweet you prefer) and vanilla and you’ll have a cheesecake-like center. Of course you won’t be able to test for doneness in the cream cheese part of the muffin, test in a cake-y area.
That said, Jenn’s recipes are fantastic, maybe it’s not necessary to mess with perfection.