These fluffy and moist Double Chocolate Muffins are made entirely from scratch in just over 30 minutes. They’re perfectly chocolatey without being too rich for breakfast. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Best Chocolate Muffins
These super moist and fluffy double chocolate muffins are one of my favorite ways to eat chocolate for breakfast (chocolate biscotti are always a good option too!). They have a pronounced chocolate flavor (thanks to blooming the cocoa powder) but aren’t too decadent or rich, so they still feel like a muffin rather than a chocolate cupcake!
Today’s recipe is an update to one of my original recipes. While the original version was great, I felt like I could do even better and make the muffins just a bit softer and more chocolatey. Some sour cream and blooming the cocoa with hot water solved my hang-ups with the original recipe, and here we are!
I had many taste-testers compare my original recipe with this one, and while they all liked the original, every single one voted for the new version when comparing the two. If you’re a big fan of the original, don’t worry–I’ve linked to the original recipe in the recipe card. But I really think you’ll love this new and improved version!
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients we’ll be using in our double chocolate muffins:
- Cocoa powder. Use a natural (not dutch-processed!) cocoa powder. This is important since we’re using baking soda; if you’d like to learn more about this distinction, scroll down to the FAQ section or read my natural vs. Dutch process cocoa post.
- Oil. To attain the perfect texture and flavor, we are using oil instead of butter here. Because butter contains water, it actually can dry out our muffins. Typically I like to use a blend of oil and butter for moisture and flavor (I do this in my chocolate chip muffins), but in this case we have plenty of other elements contributing to the flavor of the muffins (mainly the chocolate and sour cream), so we can nix the butter and still have flavorful results. Any neutral cooking oil (such as vegetable or canola) will work here.
- Sour cream. Like in my chocolate banana bread and blueberry muffins, we’ll be adding some sour cream here too. This (very subtly) adds to the flavor of the muffins, but more importantly, it helps to keep them tender and moist. You could also substitute plain, full-fat Greek yogurt instead.
- Chocolate chips. I like to use a blend of mini and regular-sized semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use whatever you like.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Double Chocolate Muffins
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate heatproof bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water (we’re “blooming” it here to develop the flavor, if you’ve made my zebra cake you’ll remember this step from the chocolate stripes!)
- Whisk in the oil until combined. I like to add the oil first because, even though it separates from the water, it helps to cool down the chocolate mixture before we add the sour cream and eggs, which could be negatively affected (they could cook or curdle if the water was still hot).
- Now ad the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Fold together the wet and dry ingredients until they’re just about 50% combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and continue gently folding until just combined.
- Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin (remember, this recipe makes 18 muffins so you’ll need two tins, or to wait for the first batch of muffins to cool so that you can use it for your next 6 muffins!) and top with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
SAM’S TIP: Adding the chocolate chips when the batter is 50% combined helps us avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing makes for tough, dense, dry muffins that don’t rise above their muffin liners. Use a spatula (not a mixer!) and mix until just combined, then stop!
Frequently Asked Questions
This will happen if you over-mixed your batter or over-baked your muffins. Remember to use a gentle hand to fold the wet and dry ingredients together and bake until your toothpick comes out clean or preferably with a few moist crumbs (just try to avoid the chocolate chips!). This recipe is designed to be very moist, so if followed properly, your muffins won’t be dry.
If you don’t have sour cream, full-fat plain greek yogurt will work instead. I don’t recommend leaving it out entirely though.
I don’t recommend it. This recipe relies on the acidic nature of natural cocoa powder to help activate the baking soda. Sour cream is acidic, so it helps, but it won’t do everything we need it to. Dutch process cocoa is alkaline, so if you use it, your baking soda won’t fully activate and your muffins could end up flatter than they should be.
SAM’S TIP: I like to use an ice cream scoop (affiliate link) to portion my muffin batter into liners. It’s less messy and more precise!
Are you team chocolate-for-breakfast? If not, these double chocolate muffins may convert you 😉
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Double Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
- ½ cup (118 ml) very hot or boiling water
- ½ cup (118 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream (see note)
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips divided (I like to use a blend of mini and regular-sized chocolate chips)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a 12-count muffin tin (see note) with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.1 ⅔ cups (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt
- Pour cocoa powder into a separate heatproof bowl or large measuring cup. Carefully pour very hot or boiling water overtop and whisk until mixture is smooth.½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder, ½ cup (118 ml) very hot or boiling water
- Add oil to cocoa powder mixture and whisk in (it will separate, this is fine) then add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until thoroughly combined,½ cup (118 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil, 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently fold together until about halfway combined. Add 1 ½ cups (255g) of chocolate chips and continue to fold batter together until chocolate chips are well distributed and batter is just combined.2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Portion batter into muffin tin, filling ⅔ of the way full, then sprinkle muffin tops with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake in center rack of 375F (190C) oven for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist fudgy crumbs.
- Allow muffins to cool in their tin for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Muffins may also be wrapped and frozen for several months.Sour Cream
You may substitute full-fat plain Greek yogurt instead.Muffin Tin
This recipe makes 18 muffins and a typical muffin tin holds only 12. If you have two tins, divide the batter into the two tins and bake one tray at a time. If you only have one tin, bake the first batch, allow the muffins to cool 10 minutes, carefully remove them to a cooling rack and allow the tin to cool completely before baking the remaining batter.Original Recipe
For those of you who are diehard fans of the original recipe, you can find the original recipe here.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Betsy
Hi!
I would like to make these as mini muffins using mini chocolate chips. Do you think that would work with reduced baking time? Thanks!
Sam Merritt
Hi Betsy! I haven’t tried baking these as mini muffins, but I think it could work. I’m not sure on the bake time so just be sure to keep an eye on them. 🙂
memory
Thank you so much for this recipe ! By far my favourite muffin recipe from now on. (these are so yum hot out of the oven with a spoon or 2 or ice cream 🥰)
Sophie
Insanely delicious!! If I wanted to make a regular chocolate chip muffin could I just not add cocoa powder or would I need to substitute with something else?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sophie! I would recommend making my chocolate chip muffins. Then you don’t have to worry about figuring out alterations. 🙂
Ed
Made this with my niece. Very easy recipe to follow. Especially if you watch the YouTube version. Came out amazing the first time and every other time I’ve done them.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for using our recipe, Ed! Enjoy 😊
Charisma
Thank you so much for listing the step and repeating the ingredients. It is so frustrating when I have to continually scroll up and down … you deserve a prize for this!!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it is helpful 😊
Anne
These look awesome! If, instead of baking at 375 for 18 minutes, I bake at 425 for 5 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350 for another 13 minutes, will it help create a larger muffin top? I’ve read about this technique for other muffin recipes but wanted to see if it would work here 🙂 thank you!
Sam
Hi Anne! I think that could work just fine. I would try following the baking guidelines on my banana muffins. 🙂
Rachael Lambirth
Delicious!!! Will forever use this recipe as my go to.
Love all of the recipes I’ve tried from sugar spun run! Thank you for creating them! 🙂
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you love it, Rachael!
Charlotte
I made these today.They are absolutely delicious 😍They are definitely going to be my go to now.
Carissa
These turned out really moist and I really enjoyed them! I used cacao powder instead of cocoa powder because that’s what I have on hand. It ended up being a very rich bittersweet flavor, which I enjoyed- but my husband who prefers milk/semisweet chocolate thought it was a little too bitter. Next time I’ll try adding a mixture of semisweet and milk chocolate chips rather than semisweet and dark like I did this time- to help offset the extra bitterness from the cacao.
Madison
Sam, I just want to say whenever I look up a recipe I always check to see if Sugar Spun Run has one because your recipes have never let me down! Everything you create is delicious, these muffins are no exception! Thank you!!
Shira
Absolutely a delicious muffin! I tweaked it a bit by substituting the sour cream for a non-dairy version, and by I adding a good two tablespoons of espresso powder for that really awesome chocolate-coffee kick. Additionally I made the muffins jumbo studded with chocolate chunks on top.
They came out perfect and I definitely will be making these again!
Thank you Sam for producing another great recipe, keep it up!
Connie
So yummy!! I like to ration my chocolate chips because they aren’t cheap lol so I did 1 cup in the batter and a few on top. It was the perfect amount.
MIYUKI HIRAI
Very moist and fluffy!
I want to know if I can make it and keep the dough overnight.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! I haven’t tried keeping the batter overnight. There is a potential it could work but I can’t say for sure how it would go.
Tina Cox
My kids absolutely loved these! Should of made a double batch!
Christy Long
These are INCREDIBLE!!! Perfect grown-up sweetness and flavor! I make, (and eat), these a lot.🥰