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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.
The men in my life all have one thing in common: a strong, deep-seated penchant for chocolate. Growing up, my dad lived on a steady diet of Nestle Crunch bars, and he kept a stash of Hershey’s Kisses in the back corner of the freezer, where my sister and I couldn’t reach them. These days, I live with chocolate lovers of a more discriminating sort: my husband and son, who know that a little flattery and praise is 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 their all-time favorites.
What you’ll need To Make Chocolate Muffins
How to make Chocolate Muffins
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 450°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!
YOu may also like
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Banana Bread
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
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
- 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed (be sure it is fresh with no hard lumps)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 stick (1/2 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 3/4 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 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, 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.
- 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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Reviews & Comments
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These muffins are delicious – strong chocolate flavor yet not too sweet. I didn’t have liners and muffins cake out of pan just fine. Just sprayed well with baking spray.
These will now be in the rotation when buttermilk is in the house – your chicken tenders, cranberry nut bread and chocolate muffins! Yum!!
Hello and good evening. Is it okay to completely opt out of the chocolate chips? If yes, are there any changes to be made on any of the ingredients’ measurements? Chocolate chip stocks have recently run out and I’m tasked to make something for a parent who’s coming home within the next couple of days or weeks after more than a year away to work overseas. Thank you for this recipe. Looking forward to making this soon.
Hi Ana, It’s fine to just omit the chocolate chips. Hope the recipient enjoys! 🙂
Theses came out soooooo nice! Satisfying, but not overly sweet. My family and I absolutely LOVE them!
Hi Jenn,
Got a question… Can I use Dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe?
Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend Dutch-processed cocoa powder here – sorry!
I put the melted butter into the fridge for ‘just a few minutes’ to ‘cool slightly’ and forgot it. The chocolate muffins STILL ended up perfect! The grandkids loved them, the husband loved them and I loved them!
Hi Jenn,
I have 3 questions:
a) Can the chocolate chips be substitute by chopped chocolate bar?
b) I see that we can replace buttermilk with yoghurt, do we keep to the measurement of 1 cup?
c) Can we add nuts as topping for the muffins instead of more chocolate chips?
Thanks!
Hi Joyce, 3 answers:
-The chocolate bar will melt a little into the muffins (it won’t hold its shape like chocolate chips) but it should work.
-Yes
-Yes
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
These were absolutely delicious! My family loved them!
These muffins are better than Costco chocolate muffins, and that’s saying something. The ultimate fix for a chocolate craving – dark chocolaty crumb interspersed with gooey chocolate chips perfect for any time of the day. (I say this to justify my eating too many of them just short of binge eating). The aroma of chocolate wafting through the house is an added treat.
Absolutely loved them! The muffins turned out amazing!
This turned out wayy better than expected. Thanks Jenn!!
Omg, this was hands down the best chocolate muffin recipe I’ve ever had. I halved the recipe as I only had 6 muffin tray, and damn did these turn out so great. I followed the recipe to tee. If you’re skeptical about making them, don’t worry, these are so easy to make. So go ahead and bake these babies.
I am trying to make these into muffin tops. I’ll make them about 3 inches in diameter, and what do you recommend for the thickness? And how long should I bake them for? Thanks for any advice! Love love love your site!
Hi Grace, I haven’t made muffin tops so it’s hard to say for sure, but based on what I saw online, it looks like they’ll take somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes, so I’d start checking them at 15. Hope you enjoy!
Hello Jenn, for this Chocolate Muffins recipe, can I replace the “1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter” with oil? How much oil do I use?
I don’t have buttermilk, can I use full-cream milk instead?
Hi Ranessa, Yes, I think you could get away with replacing the butter with oil; I’d recommend 1/2 cup (same amount as butter). And if you don’t have your own buttermilk, you can easily make your own. See how here. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the mnuffins!
Hi Jenn, is your cup measurement in this Chocolate Muffin recipe based on Metric Cup (that is, 1 Metric cup = 250ml)?
Can I leave out the chocolate chips? My husband prefers chocolate muffins with cocoa powder only.
If I bake this in a loaf pan, what temperature and how long should I bake it for?
Kindly advise, thank you 😄
Hi Alyssa, If you need metric measures, there is a button in the top right corner that allows you to toggle between metric and cup measures. It’s fine to leave out the chocolate chips and bake the batter in a loaf pan. I’d set the oven to 350°F/175°C and start checking around 50 minutes (it could take longer). Hope that helps!
Can I substitute greek yogurt for buttermilk?
Sure – hope you enjoy!
I tried this two times, and both times they came out overflowed and deformed. The first time I followed the recipe to the letter only to find the monstrous deformed muffins in the oven with the batter all over the muffin pan and some spilled to the bottom of the oven. The next day tried them again, but put the temperature to 200C for the first 5 minutes – same result. Measured everything by weight.
Can you use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar? Or substitute with granulated sugar?
Hi Audrey, I wouldn’t recommend granulated sugar, but dark brown sugar should work. Hope you enjoy!
“Better than the ones you buy in the bakery” is feedback I got on these delicious muffins. Thanks for an easy and perfect recipe!
i made these twice this week! got great reviews from my college age boys and their friends! i made them in a giant size muffin pan and reduced the cooking time and temp by about 5min and 5 degrees.
Wonderful muffins, can’t stop eating them. 😋
I made these for my class show and tell! Still just a kid, but I’m very passionate about baking! They were so good, very easy to make!! Will make again!
These were amazing. I can always rely on your recipes!
Tasty and rose really well! Just a bit dry… maybe left it in the oven a little long?
Hi Julia, the muffins may have been a bit overbaked. Also, dryness is often caused by too much flour. Did you use the spoon and level method for measuring it?
These are absolutely divine! Soft and tender on the inside with a crispy top, full of deep chocolate flavor. Love ’em! Thank you for the recipe.
Really one of the best Muffin Recipes I’ve ever tried, I look forward every morning to have a couple (I heat them for 10-15 seconds in the Microwave) with my cup of coffee. Thank you!
So, so delicious! Easy substitute for the buttermilk was some semi-skimmed and a tablespoon of lemon <3
Worked out so peng
Can I use normal milk instead of buttermilk?
No, you really need buttermilk for these. If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make your own. See how here. Hope that helps!
These directions were simple to follow, and a warm chocolate muffin was on my plate in under an hour! Super impressed because they look exactly like the picture and like a muffin I’d see in a bakery. Thank you for supplying my baking therapy 🙂
These are absolutely delicious. Make them 3 times recently. Everyone loves them! Easy enough to make with your little ones.
I did this recipe twice in the last month and turned out amazing. Thank you 🙂
Easy and delicious chocolate muffins. My 3yo loves making these 😊
I have been making these for the family for a while now and I was wondering: can I give them 15 stars? Made them again this morning. I now consider baking to be therapy during these strange times we live in…. Stay safe.
🙂 So glad you like them — stay healthy and safe!
Can these be cooked at all one temperature? I cooked as directions indicated for time and they were super dry.
Hi Kelly, I’m sorry you found these to be dry! Just curious, did you make any adjustments to the recipe? Did you use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour as a little bit of extra flour can make a big difference. If you’d like, you can reduce the temperature and bake them for the whole time at 350°F. Hope that helps!
Amazing! I didn’t have liners so I generously sprayed the muffin tin and also floured it. Worked out perfectly
These came out TRULY AMAZING. Deeply chocolately, moist and delicious.
CHANGES I MADE:
– Instead of butter I used 3/8 cup Olive Oil. Works perfectly. (You can often substitute olive oil for butter in baking by using 2/3rds the amount of butter called for.)
– I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder. I always like the combination of a very light cinnamon touch with chocolate.
PRECISE DIRECTIONS: Your directions are so precise. The oven temperature directions made all the difference – perfect rise, evenly baked, and the outside is ever-so lightly crispy, inside soft and moist. (Often muffins come out super dry or gummy and in order to get the inside baked the outside over bakes. This was not like that at all.)
I will be making these a LOT!
These are more true to a cupcake for me, versus a muffin. Almost like what a chocolate cupcake box mix turns out like, and the choc chips all sank into the batter while cooking. Not bad, but I’m still searching for a good chocolatey MUFFIN recipe …
Turned out great. I used 1:1 gluten free flour, and canola oil (instead of butter). Oh, also I had a bit of Penzeys high fat and some Ghirardelli cacao powder instead of Hershey’s. Thank you- what a treat!
Best muffins I ever made – thank you! I have tried making muffins over the years but they always turned out to be a disappointment; dense and flat. These are so moist and delicious! Is it possible to omit the chocolate and add blueberries or other ingredients?
Carol
Hi Carol, so glad you had success with these! I wouldn’t recommend omitting the chocolate as it would be an entirely different recipe. If you’re interested in blueberry muffins though, these get great reviews from readers. 🙂
These are in the oven on 425 right now…and I’m wondering if after the 8 minutes are up I need to wait until the oven gets to 350 to put the muffins back in for the remaining 12 minutes? The batter tastes sooo delicious! Can’t wait to devour these.
Hi Fran, I know I’m weighing in too late to be helpful, but you don’t need to remove the muffins from the oven while you wait for the temperature to come down. Hope the muffins turned out nicely!
Okay taste but SO dry (and yes, I measured my flour properly and didn’t overmix…I am an amateur pastry chef). I think it was the super high starting oven temp and the 20 minute bake time. Typically my muffins are done in 15 minutes at 350. My oven is well insulated and even after the 12 minutes, the oven temp didn’t come down to 350. Was at 360 when I pulled them out. Next time I’d lower the oven temperature and baking time. Not sure what the purpose of the initial bake af 425 for 8 minutes was. I also used a dark nonstick pan and should have known better than to follow the 425 initial degree bake instructions. They taste great dunked in milk or served with some ice cream, though. Impossible to eat straight.
My kids love these muffins anytime of day! They are easy to make too! I appreciate not having to use a mixer 🙂 thank you so much for sharing this great recipe with everyone!
I love your website and all your recipes! Thank you! I just made these Chocolate muffins last night and I thought I followed the steps correctly and they looked really yummy. However, I felt like they were on the drier side and a bit crumbly. Did I overmix the batter or put too much cocoa powder in?
Thank you for your help!
Hi Amy, Dryness is usually caused by measuring the flour incorrectly. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely.
Hi Jen, thank you!! I tried it again following each direction carefully and it turned out delish this time! I realized the first time I didn’t pack the brown sugar and I didn’t shake the buttermilk before using it. I also love your cookbook and have it displayed on the kitchen counter 🙂
Glad you had better luck the second time around (and that you’re enjoying the cookbook)! 🙂
These “muffins” are my justification for having rich, moist, chocolatey cake any time of the day! They are delicious!! Another amazing recipe from Jen! Thank you!!
Hi Jenn, can these muffins be frozen? Many thanks!
Definitely! See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. 🙂
Hi Jen,
I’m about to make these muffins for my sons Valentine’s Day celebration at school tomorrow but I don’t have enough cocoa powder for two batches. What would I have to change to make them without it? Just regular chocolate chip muffins is what I’m going for here I guess.
Thanks!
Btw, I love all of your recipes. I’ve tried a lot of them and they have never steered me wrong 🙂
Glad you like the recipes! 🙂 And sorry if I’m weighing in too late to be helpful, but I wouldn’t recommend making these without the cocoa powder so you may want to use a different recipe for the second batch. Sorry!
I had enough cocoa powder after all but good to know anyway. And they turned out great, as usual with your recipes. Thanks 🙂
Hi Jen,
My chocolate chips did not melt either.
Tell me what I did wrong.
Joyce
Hi Joyce, You’re referring to the chocolate chips on the inside of the muffins? How did the cake portion of the muffins turn out?
The cake portion is not as thick as it should be.
Hmmm….did you make any changes to the recipe?
My muffin turn out great this time. I just use dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
Thank you 🙂
Glad they turned out well!
Hi Jen,
I only have a dark brown sugar and granulated brown sugar.
How many grams you recommend please.
Joyce
Hi Joyce, I’d use the dark brown sugar — you’ll need 288 grams. Enjoy!
These muffins were delicious! I thought the chocolate chips on top were a great idea, making the muffins look special and tasty. I had no problems with the batter, quantity, oven baking, or timing. This was a great recipe to make.
Hi. Just making these now. What’s the reasoning behind baking at 400+ for 8 min and then at a lower temperature vs just baking for 20min at a constant temperature? Thanks.
Hi Sue, The initial blast of higher heat gives a little boost to the leavening agents so the muffins dome nicely.
This is truly the most delicious muffin recipe I have ever baked…and I have baked many! It is more than bakery worthy. The only thing I changed was to use 1/4c less brown sugar as we don’t like our muffins too sweet. They were moist and fluffy and had a great taste! Thank you for a wonderful recipe that our family of seven (four boys included!) will use again and again!! Thank you Jenn for sharing this amazing recipe!
Another thought…after doing years of baking, I have finally purchased a scale and started using metric measurements. This has helped immensely with accuracy, and allowed me to bake successfully 99% of the time.
Just made these muffins, turned out great, I substituted the buttermilk with vanilla yogurt, plus I added about 1/2 cup more yogurt.
The muffins turned out great! They were very chocolatey and moist inside and rose well. Reduced the brown sugar from 1 1/4 cups to just 1 cup because I prefer my baked goods a little less sweet, and they turned out perfectly even with less sugar. Definitely would recommend reducing the sugar to make it (just slightly) more healthy. Thanks for the recipe, will be making these again in the future!
Hello, Can I use this recipe to make giant muffins?
Sure. 🙂
Just made it yesterday… I used plain milk added with lemon as buttermilk substitute and instead of butter I used vegetable oil… The batter was not as thick as I thought but it turned out great and the muffin was gone within hours…. Thank you…
Just made these for my family… even though I didn’t use buttermilk (not available in my country) I used plain milk and muffins turned out great!!! How can I substitute buttermilk? Can I use oil instead of butter in this recipe? Thank you
Hi Zoe, So glad you’re enjoying the muffins. You can actually make buttermilk quite easily. See how here. And, yes, it’s fine to replace the butter with oil. Hope that helps!
Excellent recipe,
Everyone enjoyed!
Thank you for sharing.
Hi may i know how long can i keep these muffins after they bake? thank you! 😊
Hi Angie, Muffins are always best enjoyed fresh on the same day, but they’ll keep nicely in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Hope that helps!
Be still my beating heart!!.. these are perfect in texture-dense but not overly so, chocolaty goodness with out being too sweet. Definitely 5stars!! Next time I will use dark chocolate chips (just a personal preference) all chips in the batter/none on top (again, personal preference) and I will have them with a great cup of coffee!! Can’t wait to try these with a cream cheese filling. My local coffee shop and bakery’s could sure learn something from this recipe!!A quick tip to all muffin lovers out there, spritz your muffin papers with a non-stick cooking spray like Pam before putting in the batter. Makes for easy removal even when warm. Thank you for sharing such a fabulous recipe!!!!
My family loves these muffins! As I have a fussy eater, I’m wondering how I can alter the recipe to sneak in applesauce and/or zucchini? Thanks!
Hi, glad these are well liked in your house! I actually have a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that can be converted into muffins. They’ll take less time to bake – I’d start checking them for doneness at 20 – 25 minutes.
Perfection! No other word fits these muffins. I made no substitutions and they came out perfect. I’m a chocoholic so I used good quality (Callebaut brand) cocoa powder and chocolate chips. These muffins were delicious. I can’t wait to make them for friends.
Thank you for another keeper!
I tried this skeptically, as Ive tried hundreds of highly ranked recipes only to end up with mediocre or sometimes pretty bad results. I have to say that these were fab! Soft, chocolaty and just enough not too sweetness to justify making them 😉 Made them with my 5yo and 8yo who cant wait to make them again. Thanks 🙂
Hi! How would I modify if I want to try to make 6 Jumbo muffins? Thank you.!!
Hi Joelle, I haven’t made these jumbo-sized, but I think should you should add about 5 – 10 minutes to the baking time. (I’d start checking them after 5 extra minutes.) Hope you enjoy them!
I made jumbo muffins with this recipe, using canola oil rather than butter. The yield is 8 muffins. Baked at the 425 degrees for 10 minutes; then the 350 degrees for 15 minutes. I used two six yield muffin tins and paper liners. You will have two empty cups in each tin, simply fill each of these 1/2 full of water for better heat distribution. They turned out fantastic. My husband said this recipe is definitely a keeper. He thought they were great; so did I.
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!
Hi it seems this recipe is big hit, how if i just wanna make chocolate chip muffin (plain/basic muffin)? should i take out the cocoa powder & replace it w/ flour?
Hi Aya, I wouldn’t recommend it – sorry! Instead, you could add chocolate chips to these Donut Muffins or use the batter from this coffee cake to make muffins.
These muffins are Amazing! They are perfect, and super easy with basically no advance planning (aside from buying buttermilk). Thank you so much for another great recipe Jenn! I have come to really enjoy cooking and baking since I discovered your website and purchased your book. You make it easy for a novice to have success!! I love the clear directions that you provide. Many thanks
These were SO good, Jenn! I agree with some of the other comments that chocolate muffins are usually too sweet, heavy, or oily (I would never buy one at a deli here in NYC, ha!). But I loved, loved, loved these. Thanks again.
I would like to add espresso powder to this recipe. Opinion?
Yes!
I should have been more specific – how much espresso powder would you suggests? Thanks.
Hi Katie, Depending on how strong you want it, I’d suggest 2 to 3 teaspoons.
I realised too late that my cocoa was processed with alkali. What can I do to combat this? Add more of something? The dry and wet are not mixed yet.
Sorry for the delayed response, Sammm! How did the muffins turn out?
Actually they turned out great! They still rose and looked exactly as you pictured them. I even had enough for a 13th muffin which I put in an ungreased silicone muffin cup. It too turned out great.
What is the reasoning behind greasing AND lining the muffin tins?
So glad they turned out nicely – good to know that the cocoa didn’t have a significant impact! I recommend both spraying the pan and using liners because these muffins tend to stick – just extra insurance!
I made these muffins last night. I was trying to use up some leftover hot chocolate mix, so I decreased the cocoa and sugar and added a half-cup of the mix. They turned out great!
Very yummy. I LOVE IT. Thanks
Where does the butter go?
Hi Nadira, When you add the wet ingredients to the dry, the recipe indicates to add the butter then as well. Hope that clarifies!
I made these yesterday. Absolutely delicious. Moist, filled the chocolate craving without being too sweet. I added 1/4 teaspoon of espresso power, as I add this to my baking anything chocolate. Instructions were perfect. Will be making these many times over. Thank you!
Can I use this recipe to make mini muffins and how long should I bake?
Hi Susan, For mini muffins, I’d adjust the oven temp to 375°F and start checking after 12-15 min. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Can you please clarify the oven temperature for mini muffins? Do I start them at 400 for 8 mins or at 375? And if so, what do I drop it down to after? Thanks!
Lee-Ann has
Hi Lee-Ann, For mini muffins, I’d adjust the oven temp to 375°F (and keep it there for the entire baking time) and start checking after 12 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
You’re the expert, so I take your word for it, but I’m just curious what the reason is for not using Dutch processed cocoa. I’m really looking forward to making these chocolate muffins for my family during the Christmas vacation.
Thanks,
Gail
Good question – The acidity in natural cocoa powder activates the baking soda in the recipe and causes the batter to rise in the oven. Dutch-process cocoa powder has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its acidity and is therefore not acidic enough to activate the baking soda. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for the awesome recipe. I made it once & it tasted awesome. Can I replace the butter with applesauce?
What is the purpose of baking powder in the recipe?
Glad you liked them! If you want to substitute applesauce for the butter, I’d recommend replacing half the amount of butter with applesauce. Any more than that and I’d be concerned the muffins would be too moist and dense. And the baking powder helps to make the muffins rise. 🙂
Can this recipe be baked in loaf pan? I know, that the baking time may be different.
Sure, Tuty – that should work. Enjoy!
Yes. It works and is delicious. Moist and tender. Thank you.
Wonderful! I did not have buttermilk so used the 1 Tablespoon of vinegar then enough milk to make a cup rule, and they came out wonderful. I made them again and only had Greek nonfat yogurt so I substituted that instead of the buttermilk and they also came out wonderful. This recipe is a favorite at our house. We pair it with turkey sausage/bacon and some fresh fruit.
Hi Jenn,
My child needs to take chocolate muffins for a picnic,,and i knew where to search them”ONCE UPON A CHEF”…i know these will come out delicious..just needed a little help.
1.can i use two medium eggs instead of large ones?
2.can i use plain granulated sugar instead of brown..or half of dark brown and half of white granulated?
3.can i use oil instead of butter?
4. will they stay well if i bake them a day or two in advance?
Please help as i need to bake them before
Tuesday.
Thanks a ton.
DV
Hi DV, You can use medium eggs. For the sugar, I’d use half dark brown/half granulated. And it’s fine to use oil instead of butter. I’d baked them no more than one day in advance for best results. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you very much for your quick reply.
The muffins were tasty and i did use oil,,my son was super happy.
I did find them a little dry though,cannot understand why?
i have used light brown sugar.can you help?
All the same thanks for another lovely recipe. Waiting to hear from you.
Regards,
DV.
Hi DV, Did you measure the flour using the spoon and level method? Even just a little too much flour can cause muffins to be dry. You might also try reducing the baking time by a few minutes.
These muffins are fantastic as written (and a good chocolate muffin recipe is hard to find)! We have made them several times for a family member with celiac disease using Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour. They are still delicious but maybe not quite as good as the original. We take 2-3 minutes off the total cooking time for the gluten free version.
I was always intrigued by chocolate muffins but never made them before. What have I been waiting for? They are absolutely delicious. Tender crumb and wonderful chocolate flavour. Who wouldn’t want chocolate for breakfast? A definite winner that I will make again and again and again ………………….
This recipe makes a tasty batch of muffins indeed! I have made this recipe several times now and have learned that not over-mixing the batter results in a lovely soft textured muffin. Definitely a favorite.
Thank you for the recipe, I’m going to try it tonight. If I bake it in a pound cake pan, what temperature and for how long should I bake it for? Thanks.
Hi Mic, what are the dimensions of your pan? I know pound cake is often made in both loaf and tube pans.
What is the nutrition info?
Hi Louise, I just added them. You can find them immediately under the recipe.
These muffins are really quite delicious. I used pastry flour (210 grams instead of the 220g called for in the recipe, as pastry flour tends to absorb more liquid), and got a super-tender result. As these muffins cook up fairly large, busting out of the pan, I might make 6 next time instead of the whole dozen. They are so rich, and being on the large side, I think a half-portion is enough for the four of us.
Thanks!
Definitely for a chocoholic. Such as myself… you can not only taste the chocolate in the chips, but in the bread as well.
These were a big hit with my husband and friend. There was more batter than I needed for my 12-cup muffin pan; the recipe made 16 muffins. They were nice and chocolatey and not too sweet. I had to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes. Yum!
These muffins are great! As you say, they are full of chocolate but not too sweet. I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of AP, and forgot to start the oven at 425 degrees (it was a constant 350 degrees). The muffins still turned out as delicious as my daughter was hoping!
Thank you for Chocolate Muffins.
My world is now complete with Chocolate for breakfast. When the family smells them baking they come without even calling them. Simply delicious Don’t need to add a thing.
Thank you so much for the effort that goes into your recipes. These were Perfection!!! Really looking forward to your cookbook!
Can I use sour cream or plain yogurt in place of buttermilk?
Thank-you
Lina from Quebec
Sure– enjoy!
Is it possible to make the muffin batter the night before you want to bake them and refrigerate until use?
Unfortunately Katie, for best results, I would not suggest refrigerating the muffin batter overnight as they will not rise when you go to bake them.
Thank you for the response!
Perfection!
Made these on the weekend. Turned out great. Had to put them in the Freezer so I wouldn’t eat them all!! Will definitely make again.
These muffins are delicious. They’re so good with brown sugar.You should tell people to heat them for 20 seconds in a microwave for an even better muffin,
Hi Jenn, just made your chocoholic muffins, how wonderful, I’m an ozzie, living permanently in my caravan, travelling our beautiful country, I love to cook and your recipes are always a pleasure to make! Wendylou
I simply love these muffins- I made them as a last minute dessert for a New Year’s party and they were a big hit. They are moist and not very sweet. I can;t wait to make them again soon.
Hi Jenn,
I can’t tell you how much I love love love all your recipe. Everything is awesome! I’ve made quite a few dishes from you and I’m always craving for more.
I’m going to make this choco muffin cake for Christmas Eve for my family. Thank you!
I followed this recipe and had a strange result. The bottoms of my muffins had a nice consistency, but the tops very dense, with completely melted chocolate chips that didn’t look very pretty. Is this typical, and if not, what do you think made this happen? In contrast, I get perfect results with the Best Blueberry Muffins every time (i.e., often) so I’m not sure what happened here. Thanks.
Hi Helena, So sorry you had trouble with the muffins. Did you reduce the oven temp to 350?
What is a stick of butter?
Thanks
Olga, It is the equivalent of 1/2 cup of butter.
Love love these muffins but I was wondering if I can make them as just chocolate chip muffins
Hi Nalini, I don’t recommend it — sorry!
Hi Jenn, These were the BEST Chocolate muffin I’ve had so far (and I’ve tried too many to count – chocolate cake and muffins are my favourite!) but I find they either are: too dry, or moist but oily, or too rich. I made them for a picnic and everyone loved them! I’m glad this muffin recipe doesn’t use oil like the recipe I tried before.
Thanks for the metric measurements, most helpful!
I baked mine for 2 extra minutes at 350 degrees F. Next time I plan to make these as mini-muffins, do you have any experience yet with adapting the timing and temperature for mini muffins? I see below your advised checking after 12-15 minutes. Does that mean the 12 minutes at 425 degrees F should be shortened too or all at one temperature?
Can’t wait to try your Blueberry Muffins and Pumpkin Bread and savoury recipes. Thanks!
Hi Kate, So glad you enjoyed them! For mini muffins, I would cook at one temp (375°F) and start checking after 12-15 min. Please let me know how they turn out 🙂
These muffins are so perfect! They are chocolatey, moist and super delicious! I am so glad I found your site. Sometimes I’ll be in the mood for something specific and I used to search the Internet, reading tons of recipes and reviews. Now I just see if it’s something you’ve made, and if so I stop my search. I’ve made several of your recipes, and they all turned out delicious! I know my ingredients will not be wasted, and that’s very important to me…(a busy mom of 4.) And THANK YOU for including metric. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so measuring by weight is the best way in my opinion?
Loved these muffins! If I wanted to make them as mini muffins, how long would I bake them?
Hi Amanda, I’d start checking at 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!
Amazingly easy to make and always gone within 24 hours!!! Even those who aren’t into chocolate cake eat these
Can it be made into a cake tho?
Hi Ruth, Glad you enjoyed! Might be a little dense for a cake.
What can I add instead of buttermilk and how much in quantity?
Hi Ritu, You can make your own buttermilk. Add one tablespoon lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then add milk to the 1-cup line. Let sit for 10-15 min and you’ll have buttermilk.
Wow these are the best ever muffins. I’ve also made the blueberry muffins from once upon a chef and they’re fab too. Keep up the fabulous recipes.
When you have the oven on 425 and cook the muffins for 8 minutes then you reduce temperature to 350 and cook for I think it said 12 minutes. Do you take the m I fins out of oven after 8 minutes till the oven goes down to 350 or just change the temperature and leave in oven and set timer once you change the temperature.
Hi Michelle, You just change the temperature and leave the muffins in the oven the whole time. Hope you enjoy!
I tried this recipe for Chocoholic Muffins and turned out wonderful !! I could see it rise in the oven beautifully and it tasted awesome ! not too sweet and firm and chocolatey..
Jenn, I love your recipes ! I really appreciate the time and effort you put in to present the recipes in such as beautiful way that it is actually tempting to go try out the dish !
I stumbled on your blog while I was browsing causally and I am very glad that I signed up for your newsletter. Kudos to you and please keep sharing the great recipes !
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, Deepa. I appreciate it!
My family loves these muffins. They are easy to make and alwayd a big hit. My son in college begs me to send them to him 🙂
My family absolutely loved these. They came out perfectly–thank you so much!
What is the calorie count for these muffins?
i love chocolate, as do my children. they will be excited about these. i was wandering if honey could be substituted for the sugar?
Hi Christie, I’m afraid honey would cause these muffins to brown too quickly and burn. I’d stick to sugar. Sorry!
I just made them. They are soo easy to make and this is coming from an 11 year old girl!
Can you freeze these
Hi Diana, Yes it’s fine to freeze these muffins.
Kids loved the muffins. They are so moist and chocolatey (is that a word?). Really good.
oh my gosh, these are so delicious. the batter is super fluffy and they make big, beautiful muffins. GOOD JOB
Chocoholic heaven! Love these muffins for breakfast, dessert, snack – you name it. I only had salted butter and was too lay to go out so just cut back the salt to 1/4 t in the recipe and they turned out great.
I found the yield on these to be just a bit off. When I filled the muffin tins as directed, the muffins overflowed the pan. I’ll try filling less next time. And I think I’m due for another batch soon! Love these!
You named these for me!? I’m touched, really I am! :-)Anything chocolate with buttermilk gets my vote.
Made these, they are awesome!
I make these often. I am such a crazy person about chocolate that I even add a chocolate icing. Oh my, right?! It is more of a chocolate glaze. YUMMY!
I finally made these today and oh my goodness! They are light, moist, and filled with decadent chocolatey delishousness! My friends are going to love them! Thanks for a great recipe. I skipped the muffin liners because I ran out…also made some mini ones. They did stick to my pans even with a good coat of olive oil, so the liners are definitely needed.
My daughter sent me your blog site. I had some buttermilk left over from another recipe so I went and made these muffins. They took care of my need for chocolate. Nice and light but satisfying.
I’m drooling at the thought of these muffins! I’m going to make some for my kids and hubby to eat for breakfast (egg free of course because of my son’s allergy)
These muffins are amazing! If I try to give any away, my family gets sad!
I tried these and they were okay, I think I overbeat the mix though, so they were a little tough. I might try again, seeing and I can justify eating them for breakfast.
I am a muffin person and like to make them.
I want to make these, I am wondering where does one find expresso powder?
Is it the same as instant coffee?
thanks!
PJ, You should be able to find it at the regular grocery store. If you can’t find it, instant coffee is fine.
My son can probably eat this alone for all his 3 meals. Loves loves chocolate. Will make soon.
I have been looking to make some chocolate and coffee flavored muffins since trying one at a whole foods several months ago – I wonder if I could add some espresso powder to the liquid ingredients and get a similar taste? I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
I’m a total chocoholic, so these are right up my alley! Thank you for the great recipe! 😀
OK, I just made these and they are very YUMMY! I’ve been cooking for 11 years, but I’ve not been a successful baker. However I’ve baked two different muffin recipes from your site with success! My husband and son are very happy! Thanks for sharing!
These were addicting – and almost too rich for me – the girl who never met anything chocolate she could not devour in no time flat. My kids thought I was nuts – happily so, I might add – when I let them eat these for breakfast!!! Yummy – definitely a keeper!
Oh, these are *dangerous*! I just recently realized I’d made a ton of your recipes without ever commenting, so here I am. I made these on a whim one very, very late night for my roommate and she LOVED THEM so much, I didn’t even have to bribe her to eat a second one. While your zucchini bread is still my go-to dessert-for-breakfast, these muffins are lovely all on their own. Thank you!
I am a confirmed chocoholic & these were the BEST! I would eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner (& in between)! They were wonderful! My husband loves chocolate as much as I do & also devoured them! I even mailed some to my son (who’s 39) who I knew would totally appreciate them. He said, “Send more!” Thanks for another great recipe!
I printed this recipe and filed it in my “try sometime” pile. Then my old college roommate called to say she was coming for a 1st visit (after 27 years!) with her kids and requested I bake something chocolate for her after the long trip. I decided to try out these muffins. My, oh, my!! These are a keeper!! Everybody raved over them. Because both of our kids have dairy allergies, I “veganized” it and tried to make them as healthy as possible without losing their original intent. I used all white whole wheat flour, 2 T. extra light olive oil and 6 T. applesauce instead of the butter, 1 T. Ener-G egg replacer powder with 1/4 c. almond milk for the eggs, and 1 T. lemon juice with almond milk for the buttermilk. They were incredible!! A double batch is gone 1 1/2 days later…and the crumbs were carefully scavenged, too. 😀 Thank you for such tasty recipes. Next…I’m going to veganize and whole-wheat the waffles…
Thanks Pixie for your comment as I am a veggie and was wondering if I could use the almond milk and the olive oil. I’m going to try them as you did.
They are so light and fluffy…I’m in chocolate heaven. Thank you for the recipe! I made them today and doubled the batch for our family of ten. I believe they will be gone soon. Delicious!!
Really good and easy to make. This will become a staple in my house! My husband is always a little dubious about trying anything new. Now I just tell him it’s from “Once Upon a Chef” and he’s happy to try it – and he has not been disapointed yet. THANKS 🙂
What an inspiring recipe! My slightly health-ified version turned out delicious today! I have been obsessed with making them since you posted the recipe and I finally got a chance today during The Big Snow.
Alterations: (doubled the recipe) 1 cup regular unbleached flour, 1.5 cups white whole wheat, 1 cup spelt flours, one extra egg; and then I mixed about 1/4 cups rolled oats, 2-3 tablespoons mini chips and 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar up in a small bowl, and topped each of them with a scant teaspoonful. I got 30 muffins out of the double recipe.
Next up, the chili for Superbowl Sunday!
Thank you for the great recipes (pictures are fabulous)!!!
I agree…who cares? LOL!!! Love, love, LOVE chocolate muffins for breakfast!
Kellie – So glad you enjoyed! I always do that with muffins so the muffin tops don’t stick to the pan when they rise and spread. You could just grease the top of the muffin pan, but I’m lazy…it’s easier to just spray the whole thing 🙂
I made these today; They were very good! These muffins fulfilled this chocoholic’s every need!!
Just one question…why do you spray the pans before lining with paper liners?
Thanks!
Kellie C.
I definitely don’t care. I could eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m sure you could “health” these up by making them with white whole wheat flour. Chocolate masks any whole wheat flavor very well.
ooo, these do look inviting.Just put some rolled oats on the top and call em breakfast! AWESOME PICS!
I eat chocolate EVERYDAY…seriously!
These look amazing..with a big ass glass of cold milk!
Hi Jenn,
This recipe is absolutely divine! Thank you for it. I used a gas oven and followed your directions, the muffins were a tad bit drier but very close to perfect. Do I need to reduce the time or temperature in a gas oven? I followed the level And spoon method for the flour. Also if I substitute butter with oil would I use 1/2 a cup of oil. Thank you !!
Hi Divya, I’m not sure if the fact that they were drier was due to the gas oven, but when you make them again, I’d reduce the baking time by a minute or two. Glad you enjoyed them!