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) 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) 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.
Hiba Badreddine
Best double chocolate muffins recipe Ive ever made! Thanks for the recipe☺️☺️
Amora
Hello. If I need to make 2 dozen, how do I adjust the recipe? Thanks
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
You can increase the recipe by 50%; you will have just a few extra muffins this way. Enjoy! 😊
Chirese H
This one is one for the books!!! Absolutely amazing. I did half white sugar and half light brown sugar and topped with milk chocolate chips instead of more semi sweet. Texture was AMAZING and a nice cracked muffin top. Thank you!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like your muffins turned out beautifully, Chirese! Thanks for giving our recipe a try ❤
Kara
Love these! Try adding cinnamon and espresso powder as well!
Nicole
I really wanted to love these — looked so good and simple ingredients! But they came out weird for me. The oil taste was very strong, cooking them for 18 minutes made them very dry, and I ended up with weird, hard lumps of flour/cocoa powder in the finished muffins (despite mixing perhaps a little more than “just combined” to help prevent this problem). Maybe my errors, but I wouldn’t make again. I did like the chocolate chips on the top, though — will definitely include that in my next muffin attempt!
Phil
Same thing happened to me. I think my oven is hotter than it leads on. I’ll try lowering the temperature by 15 degrees to see if that helps (or place a thermometer in there). Perhaps baking for less time might work too.
Yvette
Can you swap brown sugar for granulated sugar in this recipe?
Sam
Yup. That will be fine. 🙂
Meghan
They smell heavenly!! They look beautiful AND they taste great. Just the chocolate fix a girl needed. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy these hit the spot for you, Meghan! Enjoy ❤
Julie
Fluffy and delicious, I cut down half the sugar and used coconut oil. Would make again!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how they turned out for you, Julie! Enjoy 🙂
Marilyn C.
I just saw another muffin recipe with oil and they used 1/2 cup melted coconut oil. I am going to try this with this recipe also.
Sylvia Nobre-Hilton
Great recipe. I added reeses peanut butter chips to half the batch and they were also delicious.
Allie A.
I am keto and let me tell you…I have some amazing self restraint because these smelled divine baking and it made my mouth water! I made these for my daughter and she said they tasted just as amazing as they looked. One huge compliment was she liked these so much better than the Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate muffins! Thanks for sharing!
Maurice
I just made these after mulling over tens of recipes on the internet. I baked them in my new Oster air fryer on bake and let me just tell you, not only is this air fryer amazing but these muffins are outstanding!! I’m absolutely in love with them and I’m not a chocolate person. (I know sounds insane) I made them for my husband and I just about are them all before he could try them. Thank you!!!
Jayne
Is it okay if I reduce the sugar to half ?
Sam
Hi Jayne! I’m honestly not sure how they will taste with that much sugar reduced, let me know how they turn out for you!
judith judge
how soon do you remove muffins from muffin pan afater they are done baking
Sam
5-10 minutes 🙂
J
Thank you for sharing! This recipe is great! Used the sour cream alternative (Greek Yoghurt), worked well- they’re moist and delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Bea
Hey Sam! I was wondering if your oven is fan-assisted? Because I baked my muffins at 190°C for 18 mins, as you said, but they still came out raw. Thanks!e
Sam
Hi Bea! My oven is a conventional oven. If they weren’t done I would just put them back in the oven. Is it possible your oven temperature was off or maybe your muffin tin is a little bigger than mine?
Bea
Oh conventional oven, got it. Yeah I did put them back for another 18 mins. I also checked the temperature and nothing was wrong with it. Though I believe my muffin tins were for either 3/4 oz.
However, the muffins tasted delicious! It was rich and chocolatey for sure. Thank you for sharing!
Sam
I’m so glad they turned out and everyone enjoyed them. 🙂
Kate
OHHH WOW!!
I have been on a muffin baking kick lately ( I pass out my baked goods to friends and local small businesses that I support) including the great summer fruits. Decided to try a chocolate muffin recipe. I chose this one from Sugar Spun Run due to ease and the common items. Everyone that I have shared them with has raved about how delicious they are. Follow the recipe and enjoy the results.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Kate! 🙂
p
Can you make these muffins ahead of time? Or premix the wet ingredients for overnight storage in fridge?
Sam
The muffins can be made a day or two in advance, just store in an airtight container in the fridge. I wouldn’t leave the batter in the fridge overnight, though.