These double chocolate muffins have been our favorite chocolate muffin recipe for over a decade. I love them so much that I published the easy recipe in my 1st cookbook back in 2014! (We now add even more chocolate chips and a touch of vanilla for extra flavor, as you’ll see in the recipe below.) The muffins are incredibly rich, mega chocolate-y, and loaded with chocolate chips in every single bite. Sour cream helps guarantee a soft and moist muffin that has a denser texture than chocolate cupcakes.
Not pointing fingers or anything but chocolate sweet rolls, you’re kind of high maintenance for the morning. (Worth the hype and effort for sure though.) Here’s something easier that satisfies your chocolate craving and doesn’t require a ton of effort, time, or patience. Ha!
Double Chocolate Muffins Details
- Flavor: Chocolate. Seriously, that’s all you really need to know! This chocolate muffin recipe comes together with cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In recent years, I began adding vanilla extract to the batter for a touch of extra flavor. You can certainly leave it out if you’d like (and as mentioned above, the cookbook recipe doesn’t include it).
- Texture: Unlike chocolate cupcakes and chocolate cake, these muffins don’t really have a sponge-like texture. And that’s mostly because we aren’t adding hot water to the batter. They’re more like a bakery-style muffin with a tighter crumb and satisfying bite.
- Ease: Besides the deep chocolate flavor, what you’ll love most about this double chocolate chip muffin recipe is its ease. The recipe uses common baking ingredients, doesn’t require a mixer, and is super straightforward like this pumpkin muffins recipe—2 cups of this, 1 cup of that, and whole eggs. (No separating needed.)
Key Ingredients in Double Chocolate Muffins
The full written recipe is below, but let’s walk through some key ingredients so you understand their importance. This is always helpful when looking for substitution options.
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder. You could get away use dutch process cocoa powder, but the muffins may not rise as much. For best taste and texture, stick with natural. Most of the flavor comes from the cocoa powder, so choose a good one! I’ve baked with many over the years and I always go back to Hershey’s.
- Sour Cream: If you were to skip the sour cream and replace it with milk, the chocolate muffins would be thin, flat, and wet. Just like it does in chocolate covered strawberry muffins, sour cream lifts the crumb and keeps the muffins moist. You can replace it with plain yogurt and I often do—in fact, that’s how the recipe is written in the book!
- Oil: We usually use creamed butter and sugar in muffin recipes like blueberry muffins. However, cocoa powder is a very drying ingredient so it’s best paired with oil to keep the muffins moist. If you replace it with melted butter, the muffins will dry out. You won’t miss the flavor of butter because chocolate overpowers it.
By the way, if you enjoy banana + chocolate together, you’ll love these chocolate banana muffins—they’re whole wheat, too!
Expect a thick and sticky batter.
Avoid Overmixing & Use Room Temperature Ingredients
Really all you’re doing here is whisking the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients together in another bowl. The dry ingredients include the sugar and chocolate chips. This way you’re only mixing the ingredients together once—dry + wet instead of dry + wet + mixing in the chocolate chips. Make sense?
- The reason why you’ll mix the chocolate chips into the dry ingredients is to avoid over-mixing the final batter. Over-mixing muffin batter can lead to a tough, dense baked good. While these chocolate muffins are certainly denser than our soft and spongy chocolate cupcakes, they aren’t heavy as bricks.
- What will also help you avoid overmixing is using room temperature ingredients. Bring the eggs, milk, and sour cream to room temperature before starting. As a shortcut, place the eggs in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes and—honestly this is what I do—microwave the sour cream and milk for 10-15 seconds to take the chill off.
Tip: You won’t regret eating one warm out of the oven. Those melty chips!
Double Chocolate Muffins Recipe Video
Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes (includes slight cooling)
- Yield: 12-14 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These double chocolate muffins are incredibly rich, mega chocolate-y, and loaded with chocolate chips in every single bite. Sour cream helps guarantee a soft and moist muffin that has a denser texture than chocolate cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 3/4 cups (315g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (185g) full fat sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 14 muffins, so prepare a second muffin pan in the same manner or bake in batches and reserve leftover batter at room temperature for when the first batch is done.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, sour cream, oil, milk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until completely combined. (Batter is quite thick, so I recommend a spatula or spoon over a whisk.) Avoid overmixing. The batter will be thick and sticky.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-21 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 13-14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.)
- Cool muffins for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack until ready to eat.
- Cover leftover muffins and store at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Jumbo Muffins: If you’d like to make about 6 jumbo muffins instead of standard size, follow the recipe through step 3 using a greased jumbo 6-count muffin pan. Spoon batter into the liners, filling all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Sour Cream: Use full fat sour cream. In a pinch, you can replace it with plain yogurt. (Full fat Greek style or regular yogurt would be best.)
- Oil: For best taste and texture, use vegetable oil. In a pinch, you can replace with canola oil or olive oil. The muffins can taste greasy with melted coconut oil, but if you try it, it’s imperative the other ingredients are room temperature so the coconut oil doesn’t solidify as you mix the batter together.
- Milk: Whole milk is best. 2%, 1%, or nondairy milk work in a pinch. Do not use nonfat milk. Don’t use buttermilk. (You could use buttermilk if replacing both the sour cream AND milk, but the muffins taste a little spongy that way. Best to use sour cream and whole milk.)
- Recipe excerpted from Sally’s Baking Addiction. This version includes more chocolate chips and the addition of vanilla extract for a little extra flavor. The cookbook version also uses plain yogurt, but you can use sour cream as noted here.
Keywords: double chocolate muffins
I make these every time I crave something chocolatey! I make jumbo muffins and they always take longer to bake but always turn out delicious!
★★★★★
Made these for the first time, and my 6 year olds highly approve. Super easy recipe. I didn’t have whole milk so I subbed 2% with a little cream, and I only used about a cup of chocolate chips, which is plenty for us. I also used larger muffin cups and poured the batter into 12 so I didn’t have to use another pan. My oven runs hot, so they were done a couple minutes early.
★★★★★
I have made these multiple times. Always a hit. Saw you recipe for chocolate peppermint cupcakes. Can I add peppermint to these muffins. Any ideas? Would be great for the holidays. Tks
Absolutely! I would use 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and add it with the vanilla.
Just tried this recipe today – we have an egg allergy so I subbed 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce with an added 1/2 tsp baking powder for the 2 eggs and it is delicious.
★★★★★
I’m an Au pair and have made this multiple times for my host family and they turn out amazing every time! They are always a hit with the kids and the adults. They are so easy and quick to make so they have become a go to recipe. Sally’s recipes are the best and I’ve been relying on them for years so I’m trying to start leaving more reviews
★★★★★
Hi, could you please confirm if you use fan forced or conventional oven temperatures. Thank you
Hi Tina, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan) — it’s how we test our recipes, too. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
I love all of your recipes and always go to your blog for all of my baking cravings. The only thing i would change about this recipe & the blueberry muffins is the amount of sweetness/ sugar. I would take it down a tiny bit. Other that that i love everything about them!
★★★★
This is such a great and rich flavour. Baked it twice and forgot to add oil in my second round. Such a grave mistake! But surprisingly the muffins turn out well and still moist.
★★★★★
In the oven now!! Can’t wait to try them. We awoke to a cold, wet day in Houston, so I thought wonder what wonderful, chocolate muffin recipe can I find? You always provide wonderful recipes. I’ll provide an update if needed 🙂
*****FANTASTIC**** I’ve made these a few times and will add this to my Favorite Recipe collection.
Could I bake this recipe in a 2lb loaf tin or 20cm by 20cm square tin?
Hi Hope, you can bake these muffins in a loaf pan or in your square pan for a thinner double chocolate cake, we’re unsure of the exact baking times.
Thànkyou so much for getting back to me quickly
O.k I’ll try the loaf tin, and just keep checking on it to see if it is done.
I never made a chocolate muffin until today! Wowza, these are delicious. I can’t wait to try a basic vanilla muffin recipe where I can add various items. Thanks so much for sharing a FANTASTIC recipe.
★★★★★
Absolute success making these. A warning to all, DO NOT USE DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA POWDER. It’ll rise the muffins too much and cause spill overs.
I messed around with ingredients to find a chocolatey “spike” and figured I’d try a dark chocolate Dutch processed cocoa powder…No bueno.
I did, however, use espresso powder which SIGNIFICANTLY made the “spike more robust and pronounced. Added mint chocolate chips and chunks. My bodybuilding team cried as they ate them
Per usual thanks Sally!
★★★★★
Hey Juan! How much espresso powder did you use??
Deliscious! I added peanut butter, white and dark chocolate chips .. I could have eaten all 🙂
★★★★★
This was a great recipe, BUT quite sweet. I suggest cutting back the sugar quite a bit. I used low-fat sour cream (didn’t have full-fat) and 2% milk and still came out well. Next time I’ll try it with a couple ripe bananas and some nuts mixed in (while cutting the sugar).
★★★★★
Hi Tammy, thank you so much for giving these muffins a try! If you’re looking for a less sweet option with chocolate and bananas, you may enjoy these healthier chocolate banana muffins as well.
The BEST chocolate muffins. I tried several chocolate muffins recipes, on the hunt for some that rivaled Costco’s double-chocolate muffins. These are by far the best and I highly recommend them! My whole family loves them. Thank you Sally! 🙂
★★★★★
This is my go to recipe!!! First try and it was a hit! Gone in two hours! My entire family is full of chocolate-loving freaks and boy, the muffins did NOT disappoint!
★★★★★
My least favourite of Sally’s muffin recipes. Followed the recipe as is and turned out well in appearance, just a let down taste wise. Despite amount of chocolate, butter still improves taste in my opinion.
★★★
Can you make mini muffins with this recipe? I’d like to make some for a potluck.
Hi Donna, absolutely! See the end of step 4 for mini muffin instructions: For mini muffins, bake 13-14 total minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.
I bake these every morning for my 9 year old grandson. He loves them & so do we. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes.
★★★★★
Hi! Will these turn out ok if the ingredients aren’t room temp?
Hi Aja! It’s really best if they are. You can read more about the importance of room temperature ingredients in this post!
What modifications would you suggest for high altitude?
Hi Holly, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Loved it so much. I just need it to be sweeter. Can i add more sugar?
Hi Rana, you can certainly try adding more sugar, but keep in mind that it will change the overall texture and structure of the muffins (in addition to the taste). It may take some trial and error. Let us know what you try!
Can you use half and half to replace milk?
Hi Kathy, half-and-half is too heavy. Milk is the best option here.
This recipe is outstanding! I was craving something chocolatey and these hit the spot! They are incredibly moist and light, I will be making them again for sure!
★★★★★
In the oven right now! The yield was 14 like Sally said. Instead of preparing another muffin pan, I microwaved the remaining muffin batter on high for 90 seconds. It turned out well! I’ve only tasted the microwaved muffin, but it was delicious!
★★★★★
Took a little longer to cook than what the instructions says I had to bake almost 10 mins longer.
Tasty though
★★★★
Delicious! I didn’t have any vegetable oil, so I subbed melted coconut oil and the muffins turned out great! If you need to sub coconut oil, definitely follow the instructions and ensure the oil is fully melted before mixing with the other wet ingredients. These are not going to last long in my house!
★★★★★
Ugh! Just got everything ready to bake and realized I do not have vanilla…I always have vanilla! Can I leave it out, will they taste still taste okay?
Hi Susan, this recipe is actually very similar to the chocolate muffins recipe in Sally’s first cookbook, and the cookbook version doesn’t include vanilla. So they’ll still be delicious! We just add it here for an extra touch of flavor.
First time baker.
I must say I’m glad I went with your recipe. Got nice reviews and the muffins were moist even days after.
★★★★★
This recipe was AMAZING! The muffins were so delicious and rose beautifully. Would 100% recommend!
★★★★★
Just to ask..if we have a left over muffin..can we frozen it?
Hi Ilyana, You can freeze the muffins for up to three months. See recipe notes for details.
I have made chocolate muffins for years. Used your recipe and directions and got the perfect top. Gentle not peaked and looking perfect.ty.
★★★★★
i baked this multiple times already. I got the perfect dome on my first try due to an error in oven settings (i set it to grill and forgot to set it to bake so i started initially at a low temp). When I corrected my mistake, I did not get the dome tops at all. 🙁 my batter is also sort of runny compared to the pictures. but still, overall, it is a great hit with my coworkers!
★★★★★
The BEST
★★★★★
So I’ve made these a dozen times now and it turns out great and your and awesome baker but I have a question could you use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar just a questionable idea ?
Hi Taylor, You can use brown sugar, but the muffins will taste a little heavier.