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These Chocolate Muffins are rich, moist, and packed with chocolate chips—basically, everything you want when a chocolate craving hits. They’re quick and easy to make, so you’ll have warm, freshly baked muffins in just 35 minutes. Perfect for a sweet treat any day of the week!
These Chocolate Muffins are the perfect treat when you need something sweet and comforting. They’re rich, moist, and loaded with chocolate chips, so every bite is a little piece of heaven. Plus, they’re super easy to make, and you’ll have them ready in just 35 minutes—perfect for satisfying those chocolate cravings anytime.
Before You Start
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature before mixing. This helps everything blend together more smoothly and gives you fluffier muffins.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the muffins dense and tough, so stop as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks of flour.
- Measure Your Flour Correctly: Too much flour can lead to dry muffins. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to get the right amount—don’t scoop directly from the bag.
- Use Quality Cocoa Powder: The cocoa powder you use makes a big difference in the flavor of your muffins. Go for a good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder for the best chocolatey taste.
- Add Extra Chocolate Chips: If you love extra chocolate (and who doesn’t?), sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top of the muffins before baking. It adds an extra burst of chocolate in every bite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: You’ll need all purpose flour for your muffin batter. If you want to make them a bit healthier, you can swap half of the flour with whole wheat flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This is where all the rich, chocolatey flavor comes from. Use good-quality cocoa powder for the best taste.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These two help the muffins rise and get nice and fluffy. Don’t skip them!
- Salt: A little salt balances out the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor. It’s essential, even in sweet recipes.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: The combination of these sugars gives the muffins the perfect sweetness and moisture. The brown sugar also adds a touch of caramel-like flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Melted and cooled, this adds richness and moisture. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the added salt a bit.
- Eggs: They help bind the muffins together and give them structure. Make sure they’re at room temperature for better mixing.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely flavor that complements the chocolate. You could use almond extract for a twist, but vanilla is classic.
- Buttermilk: This adds moisture and a slight tang, making the muffins tender and delicious. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of regular milk.
- Chocolate chips: The stars of the show! They melt into little pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the muffins. You can use any kind you like—dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it with non-stick spray. This way, your muffins won’t stick, and they’ll come out of the tin easily.
In a large bowl, sift together 1¾ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Tip: Sifting helps break up any lumps and mixes the ingredients evenly. Sifting also adds a bit of air to the flour, which makes for lighter, fluffier muffins.
In another bowl, whisk together ¾ cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup of packed brown sugar, ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Pour in 1 cup of buttermilk and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
Tip: If your buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature, they’ll blend better with the butter, helping the batter come together more smoothly.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix—stop as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks. Gently fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. This way, you’ll get chocolate in every bite.
Tip: If you love extra chocolate, save a few chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the muffins before baking.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. If you saved some chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top now for an extra chocolatey treat.
Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tip: Keep an eye on the muffins during the last few minutes of baking. Ovens can vary, so start checking them around 18 minutes to avoid overbaking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of flour?
Yes, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier option. Just keep in mind that the muffins might be slightly denser. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
How do I store leftover muffins?
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To keep them fresh longer, you can refrigerate them, but bring them to room temperature or warm them up slightly before eating for the best texture.
Can I freeze these muffins?
Absolutely! Let the muffins cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze for a couple of hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for about 20-30 seconds when you’re ready to enjoy them.
How do I reheat frozen muffins?
To reheat frozen muffins, you can either let them thaw at room temperature or pop them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. You can also warm them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes to get that fresh-baked taste.
Can I add nuts or other mix-ins?
Definitely! You can add chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans for extra crunch. You can also mix in dried fruit or even swirl in some peanut butter or Nutella before baking for a fun twist.
More Delicious Muffin Recipes
- Strawberry Muffins
- Cornbread Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Chocolate Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup chocolate chips plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Add the buttermilk to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Notes:
- Mix the batter just until combined to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
- For extra chocolatey muffins, sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top before baking.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk for a smoother batter and better rise.
