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Moist Chocolate Muffin Recipe: Irresistible Homemade Muffins

This moist, tender chocolate muffin recipe yields tall, bakery-style muffins studded with plenty of semisweet chocolate chips. They’re rich, chocolatey, and impossible to stop eating—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an anytime treat.

Chocolate muffins in muffin liners.

These double-chocolate muffins combine unsweetened cocoa in the batter with generous chocolate chips folded throughout and sprinkled on top. The trick for high-domed tops is a short blast of high heat at the start of baking; the recipe explains how to get that beautiful rise. Serve warm with coffee, a glass of milk, or alongside savory brunch favorites.

Seriously The Best Chocolate Muffins Recipe

  • Mega chocolate. Cocoa powder and chocolate chips give an intense chocolate flavor.
  • Easy to make. No electric mixer required—just a whisk and a spoon.
  • Versatile. Great for breakfast, a snack, or an after-school treat.
  • Kid-approved. Think of these as a cross between chocolate cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients for a chocolate muffins recipe are text labeled.

What You’ll Need

Simple pantry staples plus buttermilk and sour cream add richness and moisture. Check the ingredient list below for exact amounts.

  • Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of kosher salt.
  • Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature.
  • Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
  • Oil: Vegetable or canola oil.
  • Buttermilk: Shake before measuring; whole milk can be used in a pinch.
  • Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
  • Chocolate chips: Semisweet chips are recommended; mini chips or milk chocolate are good alternatives.
Chocolate muffins are served on a wooden board, with a glass of milk in the background.

Tips and Variation Ideas

  • Fill the cups 3/4 full. This leaves room for a high rise without overflowing.
  • Rest the batter. Letting the batter sit up to 20 minutes hydrates the flour for a more tender crumb.
  • Two-stage bake. Start at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F to finish for tall, domed muffins.
  • Chocolate chip choices. Mini chips create small pockets of chocolate; milk chocolate adds sweetness.
  • Add texture. Fold in 1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts for crunch.

How to Store

  • Counter: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container or bag for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Overhead image of the top of a chocolate muffin topped with chocolate chips.

Want to Warm Up Your Muffin?

Warm muffins briefly in a toaster oven or 350°F oven until the chips soften, or microwave for about 30 seconds for melty, gooey chocolate.

More Muffin Recipes

  • Banana Muffins Recipe
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Chocolate muffins in muffin liners.

Chocolate Muffins Recipe

by Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes
Moist, tender muffins with high domes and lots of chocolate chips.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch Kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups chocolate chips, plus more for topping if desired

Instructions

  • Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of kosher salt.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, sour cream, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Combine the batter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, distributing them evenly.
  • Rest the batter (optional). Cover and let the batter rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes to hydrate the flour—this helps create a taller muffin top.
  • Preheat and prepare. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
  • Fill the cups. Divide batter among liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
  • Bake in two stages. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven reduce heat to 350°F and bake another 8–10 minutes or until tops are set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking.
  • Cool and serve. Let muffins rest in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Equipment

  • Muffin tin

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal
|
Carbohydrates: 55g
|
Protein: 4g
|
Fat: 21g

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary with ingredients and preparation.

How to Make Chocolate Muffins

Dry ingredients for chocolate muffins are mixed in a bowl.
Combine dry ingredients.
Eggs are mixed with sour cream in a bowl.
Whisk together eggs and sour cream.
  • Prepare the dry ingredients. Whisk flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk eggs, sour cream, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
The wet mix for chocolate muffins in a bowl with a whisk.
Whisk until smooth.
Dry and wet ingredients for chocolate muffins are whisked together in a bowl.
Combine wet and dry.
  • Combine the batter. Mix gently until just combined.
Chocolate chips are whisked into chocolate muffins batter.
Add chocolate chips.
Chocolate muffin batter is divided into a muffin tin.
Divide batter into muffin cups.
  • Add chips. Fold in chips, cover, and rest the batter for 20 minutes if possible.
  • Bake. Bake 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce to 350°F and bake ~8–10 minutes more. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
Chocolate muffins served on a wooden board, with a glass of milk in the background.