Double Chocolate Muffins
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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
Equipment
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)
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Hi I am curious to try these, but can I ask: I’ve seen a lot of recipes ask for semi-sweet chocolate chips, however, I have never used these before and tend to work with Callebaut’s Belgian Choc Callets – dark, white and milk. What is the difference with using semi-sweet and is this a must? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Demi! Semi-sweet chocolate chips range around 60% cocoa. So if your chips are a little higher in cocoa it will change the flavor a little bit, but if you routinely bake with it and enjoy the darker chips you shouldn’t have any issues. 🙂
Hi Sam, that’s great thank you 🙂 Well I just checked and the ones I have been using says it contains 54.5% cocoa solids. That’s close enough, right haha. Can’t wait to try these! Will let you know how I get on…
Sounds pretty close to me! I hope you love them! 🙂
Do I have to add chocolate chips or can I leave them out.
Hi Shawn! You can leave them out, but then they’ll only be single chocolate muffins. 😉 Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Sam! I’d like to know if you measured your ingredients by weight or did you use cups? I know the amounts are also listed in grams/ml but I wanted to make sure I’m following everything like you did.
Hi Jess! I use weights! I only list the weights if I’ve used them myself (and it’s pretty much how I exclusively bake/measure these days). 🙂
I want to try making pumpkin double chocolate chip muffins using canned pumpkin, but I’m not sure the ratio of pumpkin to use with this recipe and how it will affect the baking time. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Having not tried it myself I can’t give a good recommendation on how to do it. There would need to be more alterations needed to the batter other than just adding the pumpkin. If you try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Very chocolatey, I loved it! Simple and straightforward recipie too!
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sherri! 🙂
I wondered about no baking powder(just soda) in the recipe, then read in the comments (only after placing these in the oven 🙄) that there is supposed to be baking powder! If we make this again, how much baking powder?
Hi Ellen! There is no need for baking powder in this recipe. I’m not sure where the comments say that but the written recipe is correct. 🙂
Thanks! They turned out great!
These are INSANE. You can ditch your other chocolate muffins / cupcake recipes because these are THAT good.
I’m a mom to a 7 year old who loves chocolate and hates vegetables. So I got sneaky with this one.
I reduce the sugar by 1/2 and the chocolate chips to about 1.25 cups. I do half canola oil and half applesauce, and I add in one full package of pureed spinach to the batter. The spinach is virtually undetectable, and my daughter LOVES them. I buy a 5 oz package of fresh spinach and puree it with the oil / applesauce, and add it all in together.
I’ve never made the recipe as written, but for our family, it is plenty sweet with these modifications.
I love how sneaky you got with those veggies! Thanks for sharing your modifications, Stacey, I appreciate it! 🙂
I make muffins almost weekly for the Commander of the American Veterans post near my house. He loves dark chocolate, so I used dark chocolate chips and added blueberries (his request). He said they’re the best muffins he has ever tasted! I’m saving your recipe because I’m sure I’ll be making them again.
I also raised the temperature to 405 for the first 5 minutes then dropped it back to 375 to get them to rise more! They are probably the tallest and prettiest muffins I’ve made so far.
I am so glad everyone enjoys them so much, Kira! 🙂
Can I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for these muffins?
Hi Erin! Sometimes I have gotten lucky substituting one for the other, but since the baking soda reacts with the baking powder here you would need to alter things a bit, from my understanding it looks like you would most likely want to try eliminating the baking soda and use 3 teaspoons of baking powder instead. I have not tried it so I am not sure how it would turn out. Good luck! 🙂
Can i use yogurt as a substitute ?
Hi Jay! You would need plain greek yogurt here. 🙂
Hi
Can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream?
Love your website.
– O
Hi Olga! It may change the texture and make the muffins a little dry, but I haven’t tested it to be sure.
CHOCOLATE! Came out great, lots of chocolate flavor. Just what I was looking for.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Walter! 🙂
Hello! I just had a quick question. Do you think I could replace the sugar with a 1:1 substitute?
Hi, Lauren! I am sorry, but I am not familiar with baking using sugar substitutes so I can not advise. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Hello Sam, can I place the batter in a jumbo tray of 6 instead? And if so would you kindly let me know how long do they need to bake for and at what temperature? I’m new to baking but I’m learning slowly but surely. I made your lemon poppy seeds muffins today , absolutely awesome, thank you!
Hi Maria! You can make them in a jumbo muffin tin. You can follow my guidelines in my bakery style chocolate chip muffins for baking. 🙂
WOW WOW Perfection. I didn’t change a thing altitude 8500ft. Drizzled chocolate ganache over JUMBO muffins YUM
Thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! Thank you for your feedback on high altitude baking. 🙂