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.
Patricia Rotman
These muffins are truly fantastic! I modify the recipe a bit to be dairy-free and gluten-free and also to hide a few vegetables in there for my family. I used coconut milk and gluten free flour which was mostly rice flour and about 25% almond flour. In place of the sour cream I blended cooked spinach, coconut yogurt, and chickpeas. In place of vegetable oil at used melted Earth Balance. I also threw in about a tablespoon and a half of chia seeds. Unbelievable how well these turned out!
Sam
Wow, so glad to hear they were such a hit! Thank you so much for commenting and for sharing your substitutions, Patricia! 🙂
Jen
Excellent recipe! Moist, flavorful, absolutely Delicious!! Thankyou for sharing! 😃👍❤
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Jen! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Double Chocolate Muffins. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
George
So I’m making jumbo muffins (8) of them, do I need to change something in the temp? I baked them for about 30 minutes yesterday because the tops were still raw but the muffins came out super dry.
Sam
Hmm, I haven’t done this recipe as jumbo-sized but this is a lot of batter to bake into 8 muffins (even jumbo ones). I would try baking according to the instructions for my (jumbo) chocolate chip muffins and see if that helps!
Chris
These are my kids favorite muffins! They always ask for these when I ask what kind of muffins to bake. I have made them in regular muffin pans and jumbo. They come out perfect every time! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Chris! I am so glad that you and your kids love the double chocolate muffins. 🙂
Mom of 1
Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe! These muffins turned out super moist and yummy and it was nice to have everything I needed already in my kitchen. 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed the double chocolate muffins. 🙂
Tilly
This recipe was super easy, and the muffins turned out delicious and not at all dry! Like the other comments, I had everything already in my pantry, so that was definitely a plus. 10/10 recommend
Rebecca
I would like to make these today but I do not have sour cream or yogurt on hand. Can I substitute anything else form them? I was thinking maybe mayo?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Rebecca! Unfortunately, I do not know any other substitutions. I don’t recommend mayo. 🙁
Danette
Mayo might be suitable. I have a mayo cake recipe I love that was my grandma’s. You don’t taste it when it’s baked.
angela
i didnt have sour cream either but i just made these by the recipe minus the sour cream and they were still delicious !
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Angela! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Heather B
My batter seemed a little too thick so I added a 1/2 cup cooled coffee. Perfect!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Heather! The batter for the double chocolate muffins tends to be on the thicker side. I love that you added coffee to get the batter just right. I am happy that the muffins turned out well and were enjoyed. 🙂
Heather
Great recipe! I used coconut oil because that’s what I had. I also added a bit of espresso powder. Really good texture. Very nice chocolate flavor without being too sweet. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the double chocolate muffins, Heather! Thanks for your feedback! Enjoy! 🙂
Alex
I also used coconut oil and they were perfect! Better than Costco muffins!!!
Meghan
I’ve been searching for a double chocolate chip muffin recipe that I love for years – this recipe is it! These are incredible! Your recipe was so easy to follow. How could I turn this into a cookie recipe?!
Sam
Hi Meghan! There would be way too many alterations necessary to turn these double chocolate muffins into cookies. I do have a double chocolate cookie that is quite delicious. 🙂
Meghan
Thank you! I’ll give them a try!
Catherine
I presumed, given the amount of baking soda, that it was natural cocoa powder and not dutched that needed to be used. Since I like the deep chocolate flavor in droste Dutch cocoa, I subbed half the natural cocoa powder for dutched, and then reduced the baking soda to 1/2 tsp and put in a tsp baking powder. Also subbed 2 tbsp milk for coffee and 1/3 of the white sugar for brown. Sorry, I’m an inveterate recipe tweaker:-p. Those two things usually intensify chocolate flavor though, and that’s never a bad thing for a chocoholic like me!
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback Catherine! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Kimberly Green
Can anything else be used in place of the canola or vegetable oil? We don’t use either in our house due to GMO’s.
Sam
Just about any neutral oil will work here. Other oils (olive oil) would work, but you would have the taste of olive oil in your muffins. 🙂
Trisha H.
Try melted butter in place of the oil!
Sam
Melted butter could work, but just be aware that it will make the muffins a little more on the dry side. 🙂
Pat
I really liked this recipe. It is very easy to follow. I didn’t have sour cream so I used apple sauce instead. Turned out very moist.
Love the recipe
Sam
Thank you so much, Pat! I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins! 🙂
Dilek
Perfect muffins, I baked them for 2 minutes less than the recommended time since I like my muffins extra moist. I also made 12 bigger muffins rather than 18. Turned out great!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
Anita
I made your double chocolate muffins today for my college granddaughter. This recipe is super easy and delicious. Definitely, will go in my favorites file.
Sam
I am so happy to hear it turned out so well, Anita! Thank you so much for your kind comment, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the muffins 🙂
Deana Richmond
Can I use coconut oil?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Deana! I personally haven’t tried it but it should be ok. It may alter the taste slightly. Let me know how it works out if you try it. Enjoy the double chocolate muffins! 🙂
Eyeswideopen
I’m picky. I made these with my two little dudes and they are Ah-maz-ing! Super chocolately and actually moist, not like other recipes we have tried with high rating but fell short of even the box mix flavor. Unless I actually taste something else that’s as good, I’m never using another recipe.
Sam
I am so happy to hear this! Thank you for letting me know how the chocolate muffins turned out for you, I appreciate it 🙂
Michelle Sinnett
These were absolutely delicious. My children were fighting over them! Can’t wait to make them again!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the chocolate muffins, Michelle! 🙂
Laura
Can I leave out sour cream, as I don’t have any on hand? Is there anything that can replace it?
Sam
Hi Laura! You can substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream. 🙂