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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Hi, just made these and they turned out beautifully! I made a few adjustments and thought I’d share. I was out of brown sugar and subbed white without issues. I also cut down the sugar to 3/4 c. and added a medium mashed banana to the buttermilk mixture. I made a buttermilk mixture with 1 T lemon juice and 1/2 c milk + 1/2 c plain nonfat yogurt. I also subbed out 1/2 c flour with 1/4 c. wheat germ and 1/4 c. ground flaxseed. I baked them in mini muffin tins 5 min at 450 and 6 min at 350. Thanks for the awesome recipe! They will be devoured by my 6 kids!!
Just pulled these out of the oven, and the smell of chocolatey goodness is everywhere! Can’t wait to dig in. Thanks for another great recipe❤️
Hi. Just made these and the taste is awesome however they overflowed. What did I do wrong?
Hmmmm… these generally rise nicely. When you say they overflowed, do you mean that they didn’t rise and batter pooled around the muffin wells? Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Perfect muffins. Love it when a recipe works and doesn’t need to be tweaked at all. I know every time I try something from once upon a chef it will be a hit.
Delicious!!! Not overly sweet but just the right amount of chocolate. I ended up baking them in several mini-bundt pans and serving them with ice cream as they were the perfect serving of chocolate cake for everyone.
This is one of the best muffins recipes I have ever made. They are light, tender and have a perfect amount of chocolate and sweetness. My family loved these delicious chocolate muffins and this recipe will be made often for family and friends. I visit your recipe site so often because recipes are easy to follow, you’ve done all of the perfecting and tweaking and I get such wonderful comments from family and guests.
Hello! Is it possible to add protein powder to this recipe? And if yes, how much? Much love from Edmonton 🙂
Hi Faiqha, I’ve never incorporated protein powder into baked goods, so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect you could get away with adding up to 1/4 cup to the flour mixture. You may need to add just a little more buttermilk so the liquid to dry ratios aren’t off. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Wow! These are simply phenomenal! My 17 year-old son recently requested me to bake chocolate muffins and I scoured the internet for a recipe. I read MANY recipes but for some reason I found none appealing until I came to this one. I will admit I was skeptical about all that brown sugar, but I followed the recipe to the letter and my son announced they were a 10 out of 10 and my husband said they were a 20 out of 10! Just made them again and this time I put a few left over fall M&Ms on top and made them in Texas-size muffin tins and the result was just as excellent. Thank you so much for a fantastic simple but extraordinarily delicious chocolate muffin!!
Hi! I want to add some Guiness to these.. Would you recommend cutting some of the buttermilk? I lobe chocolate and guiness in a cupcake and Id like to transfer it into a muffin! Any tips?
Hi Emily, I think it would work. I’d replace half the buttermilk with Guinness. Hope you enjoy!
Made these muffins today! Turned out exactly as your pics. Delicious! Not too sweet at all. Our family loved them. I baked mine for 8 mins then turned down to 350 degrees for only 10 minutes and they were done!
Hi there! Can I make the batter the night before and bake in the morning?
Unfortunately, it won’t work to make the batter ahead; the leavening will be activated when the wet and dry ingredients are combined and, so when you go to bake them, they won’t rise as they should. You can combine the wet and the dry ingredients (and keep them in two separate bowls) the day before, and then bake them in the morning. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for the tip!