When it comes to double chocolate muffins, these big, bakery-style muffins are the best of the best - rich, moist, tender, and extremely chocolatey. They're loaded with three kinds of chocolate for an intense amount of chocolate flavor, and topped with sparkling sugar for an irresistible crunchy-sweet finish - a true breakfast splurge. The best part? These muffins can even be made gluten-free!
This recipe comes with an upfront disclaimer: this is the kind of double chocolate muffin you make when you really mean business. They're chocolatey to the max, and you can't be sorry about that; this is not the time for lightened-up or healthified chocolate muffins. If you're with me (and you totally should be), then great! Let me show ya how it's done.
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The case for calling these the ultimate double chocolate muffins
You know those jumbo, bakery-style chocolate muffins you see at the store? (Costco in particular comes to mind.) I look at those and I expect something moist, cakey, and most of all CHOCOLATEY, but usually you get something else, something that makes eating chocolate for breakfast not-so-worth-it. I've made my fair share of double chocolate muffins over the years, but these were the first to really check all the boxes for me.
- Moist? YES.
- Soft? YES.
- Tender? YES.
- Chocolatey? HECK YES. (They may not be chocolate cupcakes, but they're honestly just as indulgent, whether you make them gluten-free or not!)
And, in one of those rare moments of baked good perfection, these taste phenomenal whether you eat them at room temperature, warm, or - I hate to say it but I will - straight from the fridge.
They're a straight-up splurge if you have them for breakfast, or you can really get wild and serve them with whipped cream for dessert. Either way, I promise you, they're SO worth making. In fact, they may just become the best chocolate muffins you've ever had, and they're really quite easy to make!
Ingredients you'll need
It took a lot of tweaking to get these ingredients and proportions just right, so it's important to stick to the recipe here if you truly want a decadent, moist chocolate muffin with a perfectly domed and crackly muffin top. The good news is that the ingredients are fairly simple:
- These can be made with regular all-purpose flour, or an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend - just make sure it contains xanthan gum.
- It's important to use natural cocoa powder - not Dutch-process - since its acidity reacts with the baking soda in this recipe to create more rise.
- This recipe calls for two eggs and an additional yolk. The extra egg yolk makes the muffins more tender, without the drying effects of the egg white, so don't be tempted to throw in a third full egg. (This "extra yolk" trick is one I also use in my chocolate chip cookies for added flavor and better texture.)
- I make these chocolate muffins with oil rather than butter, since it does a better job of creating a soft, moist crumb. You can use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil.
- Full-fat sour cream keeps the batter thick (a necessity for tall, bakery-style muffins), and the fat content keeps these chocolate chip muffins moist & tender. While whole milk Greek yogurt is a decent substitute (and one that I use often for slightly less rich recipes, like apple muffins and pear muffins) I do recommend sour cream for the best possible results in both flavor and texture.
- I highly recommend using a combination of different chocolates in this recipe (milk, semisweet, and/or bittersweet). It can be in the form of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars. Just remember: the better quality the chocolate is, the better your muffins will turn out. If you use three kinds of chocolate, then technically you'll have triple chocolate muffins - quadruple if you count the cocoa powder!
- You can also add a sprinkle of sparkling sugar to your muffin tops for a sweet, crunchy finish.
How to make double chocolate muffins
Step one - Oven and pan prep: Preheat your oven to 375ºF, and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Use a paper towel to wipe any excess oil off the top surface of the pan, which will help ensure your muffin tops rise up and not out.
Note: I don't recommend using muffin liners simply because this recipe makes quite a bit of batter, and you may run out of room in your muffin cups.
Step two - Combine the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until they're evenly combined.
Step three - Beat together the eggs and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip/whisk attachment (or a handheld electric mixer, in a pinch), beginning beating the eggs and egg yolk on medium-high speed. While beating, slowly pour in the sugar, and continue to beat until the mixture has thickened to a pale, glossy consistency.
When the whisk is lifted, the mixture should ribbon back down into the bowl, like you see in the photo below. Don't forget to scrape down your bowl and beater with a spatula as necessary!
Tip! The ribbon stage
When eggs and sugar are whipped into what's called the "ribbon stage", you're both incorporating air into the mixture and ensuring the sugar is completely dissolved. This technique adds structure to these dark chocolate muffins, and gives them their shiny, crinkly, brownie-like tops.
Step four - Add the remaining wet ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, mix in the oil until it's fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beater, and then mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined into the batter.
Step five - Add the flour mixture and chocolate: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet one, and fold it in with a spatula until it's nearly incorporated, with just a few visible dry streaks. Then, fold in 8 ½ ounces of chocolate, just until it's dispersed and everything is evenly combined.
Always avoid overmixing - that's what leads to tough, chewy muffins. Also keep in mind that your batter should be thick - this is one of my top tips for bakery-style muffins with perfectly domed muffin tops.
Step six - Fill your muffin tins: Scoop and divide the batter evenly between the 12 greased cups in your muffin pan. Use it all; your muffin cups should be full! You can smooth out the tops lightly if needed, but make sure the scoops stay mounded. Sprinkle the muffin tops with the remaining chocolate and sparkling sugar.
Step seven - Bake: Bake the muffins at 375ºF for 10 minutes (this initial, higher blast of heat will help them rise quickly), and then reduce the heat to 350ºF and bake for an additional 7-12 minutes.
You'll know they're done when a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs/streaks of melted chocolate. Don't be tempted to overbake them!
Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before storing - assuming they make it that long!
Tips for perfecting this recipe:
Tons of readers have made these muffins successfully since I first shared the recipe, but if you're making these for the first time, here are a few extra pointers:
- Weigh your ingredients if possible. If not, make sure you measure your flour and cocoa powder correctly using the spoon-and-level method.
- Use the best chocolate you can afford. I mentioned it before but it's worth saying again. If you truly want to make the ultimate double chocolate muffin, splurge on good cocoa powder and chocolate. For these photos I used Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa, along with Ghirardelli's milk chocolate baking chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and bittersweet baking bar. Guittard also makes great chocolate that's easy to find in most grocery stores! Feel free to use all chips for a true chocolate chocolate chip muffin, or throw in those chopped chocolate chunks for texture and variation.
- Don't overmix the batter.
- Fill the muffin cups TO THE BRIM. You're going to make this batter and think that surely you have enough of it to make 18 muffins. But hear this: If you want giant, bakery-style muffins, fill only 12 muffin cups, and fill them to the very top. I do this with my lemon poppy seed muffins, I do it with my banana chocolate chip muffins, and I do it with these muffins. Just follow the recipe and I promise you all will end well.
- Don't overbake! Remember, if your toothpick test reveals a few crumbs, that's just fine.
Recipe FAQ
Once they're cool, transfer them to an airtight container or zip-top bag. They keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Sure! Store the cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. If preferred, you can wrap each individual muffin in plastic wrap first for extra protection. Let them defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
If you don't fill your muffin cups completely, you can easily wind up making more than 12 muffins with this recipe. Don't be afraid to fill them up!
Dry muffins can be caused by improperly measuring your ingredients (especially flour and cocoa powder), overmixing, or overbaking.
The most common culprits are baking powder/soda that is not fresh (or that isn't measured correctly), overmixing your batter, baking at an incorrect or inconsistent temperature, or underbaking.
More chocolate chip muffin recipes
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Recipe Card
Double Chocolate Muffins (GF Option)
When it comes to double chocolate muffins, these giant muffins are the best of the best - rich, moist, tender, and extremely chocolatey. They're loaded with three kinds of chocolate for an intense amount of chocolate flavor, and topped with sparkling sugar for an irresistible crunchy-sweet finish. The best part? These muffins can even be made gluten-free!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes (up to 22 minutes)
- Total Time: 37 minutes (up to 42 minutes)
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: muffins
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 ½ ounces (2 cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour (gluten-free or regular)
- 3 ½ ounces (1 cup) natural cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
- 8 ¾ ounces (1 ¼ cups) granulated sugar
- 3 ⅞ ounces (½ cup) avocado oil, canola oil, OR vegetable oil
- 12 ¾ ounces (1 ½ cups ) full-fat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 10 ½ ounces good quality chocolate chips and/or chopped chocolate, divided
- sparkling sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Oven and pan prep: Preheat oven to 375ºF and grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, using a paper towel to wipe off any excess spray on the top of the pan.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk (or better yet sift) together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly mixed.
- Beat eggs and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld electric mixer), begin beating the eggs on medium-high speed. Slowly stream in the sugar while beating and continue to beat until the mixture is pale and thickened, and ribbons down from the beater when lifted (see photo in post above). Wipe down the bowl and beater with a spatula as needed.
- Add remaining wet ingredients: Beat in the oil until fully incorporated. Wipe down bowl and beater and beat in sour cream and vanilla until evenly incorporated.
- Add flour mixture and chocolate: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in just until only a few visible streaks remain. Add 8 ½ ounces of the chocolate and fold in just until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. The batter will be thick!
- Fill muffin tins: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, smoothing the tops if needed but keeping the scoops mounded; fill all 12 muffin cups completely. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate and sparkling sugar on top.
- Bake muffins in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Immediately reduce heat to 350ºF and bake another 7-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs or streaks of melted chocolate. Cool muffins in pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Ingredients and substitutions:
- If using gluten-free flour, make sure your blend contains xanthan gum.
- Sour cream can be substituted with plain whole milk yogurt.
- I recommend using a variety of chocolate in this recipe, such as a combination of milk, semisweet, and bittersweet chocolate.
Storing and freezing:
- Store cooled muffins in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Muffins can also be kept in a freezer-safe bag (preferably individually wrapped in plastic wrap as well) and frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Keywords: ultimate double chocolate muffins, double chocolate muffins, double chocolate chip muffins, gluten free chocolate muffins, giant chocolate muffin recipe
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Emily says
Loved these cupcakes!!! Made them this morning and had to go into another room before I ate them all. Will make them again!
Marie says
I made these last night and WOW! Absolutely delicious! Very chocolatey and soft. My mother was not a huge fan of the strong cocoa taste though, she said she didn't like the slight bitter taste to it (more for me then! lol I personally loved it). I was wondering if to appeal to her taste, if I could use dutch processed cocoa powder with this recipe? Would it mess anything up? I'd like to be able to make her a batch that she can enjoy too.
alexandra says
Hi, sorry for the late reply! Swapping natural cocoa out for dutch usually isn't a great idea when it comes to baked goods because natural cocoa has an acidity that dutch lacks. However, in this case, since there is another source of acidity in the recipe (the sour cream), it might work fine. You could also try Hershey's Special Dark, which is a blend of natural and dutch cocoa. Hope that helps! :)
Catharina says
Made these today. Just like you promised.....moist, soft, tender and chocolatey. Thanks for the recipe!!
alexandra says
Yay! You're welcome!
sue booth says
these taste absolutely delicious but was disappointed because they sunk in the middle. any idea why? (I have a farenheight gas cooker, tried to use a converter, no use so had to guess temperature at Gas mark 6, could this be the problem)
alexandra says
Could be that the oven temp was off, or you might have under-baked, measured the baking powder/baking soda incorrectly, or used old baking powder/soda that wasn't as effective. It could also be that you over-mixed the batter. Lots of factors come into play, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong without being there!
Vicky says
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your recepie!!! Just have a question, is it possible to substitute sour cream for something else? Or can we just omit it? It is not available in our country...
alexandra says
Yogurt would be a good substitute. :)
Theresa Meehan Currie says
This would make a great cake. Would this do 2 8 in. layers, and if so how long to bake. I'm baking my own birthday cake Friday and have been looking for something rally chocolatey.
alexandra says
I'm really not sure how the recipe would translate as a cake. There should definitely be enough batter, but I don't know texture-wise if it would work well. Plus the layers might dome more than you'd want a cake to dome. That being said, if you want to try it out, I'd start at about 20 min baking time and use the toothpick test to gauge when it's fully baked.
Visa says
First time visiting your site! This is a great recipe! My other half requested chocolate muffins so I decided to give these a try. I accidentally forgot the salt so I will have to make again to taste them in all their glory(oh darn ;). In my oven they ended up taking an extra 12 min (32 min total) the first round. Second round I left the temp at 375° for 22 mins and they were perfect! I also substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil for health reasons. These are decadent and delicious. The perfect treat for my hard working hubby. I will definitely use this recipe again! Thank you :)
alexandra says
I'm glad you guys liked them! The only reason I didn't use coconut oil in them is because chocolate seems to bring out the coconut flavor, and that's now what I was going for with the recipe, but if it's definitely a great substitute if you don't mind having the coconut flavor. :)
Cynthia says
Thanks for your recipe! These were definitely chocolatey! Unfortunately, mine did not come out moist as so many others have said. Instead they're more thick, but not exactly dry. The type that feels like it sticks to your throat. I made substitutions with what I had on hand: creme fraiche in stead of sour cream, half & half instead of milk, turbinado sugar instead of sparkle sugar. I also used just 1 egg since I halved the recipe and I didn't want to half a yolk. I made mini muffins and baked for a total of 16-mins. (At 14-mins the toothpick did not come out clean.) Could you think of why it didn't turn out moist? My muffins are kind of like a cake-y fudge, which sounds good but isn't what I'm looking for.
alexandra says
Creme fraiche is heavier than sour cream and half&half is heavier than milk, so my guess is you might have added to much fat and richness to the recipe causing the thick, fudgy texture rather than the moist, cakey texture you were looking for. The extra egg yolk is also there to help add to the moistness, so that could be a factor as well.
Bakieee says
Muffin is so moist and chocolatety. Luv it.
Alice McCullough says
These are amazing! I'm wondering if you've tried putting blueberries in these instead without the cocoa powder and if you can advice me on doing this? These would be amazing as blueberry muffins too! Thanks!
alexandra says
I suppose you could try replacing the cocoa powder with another cup of AP flour and using about 1 1/2 cups blueberries in place of the chocolate. I would coat the blueberries in a bit of flour before adding them to the batter as well. The sour cream could also be replaced with yogurt, if you prefer.
Cecilia says
Made these yesterday, very moist and chocolatey!! Definitely a keeper ;)
Hamotron says
These were fairly easy to make, and they look absolutely beautiful. The texture of the tops is excellent, but the bottoms are too dry. The taste is lacking. The sour cream adds a bit of an odd tang to them, and despite the large amount of cocoa powder the muffin itself is bland rather than chocolate-y.
The search for the perfect double chocolate muffin continues, but if what you're after is presentation rather than taste these are a fine choice.
alexandra says
Hmm, I'm stumped! But you're the first to have this complaint, so I'd hate for you to give up after one bad attempt! I'm really not sure what might have gone wrong, but it's always helpful to use good quality cocoa and chocolate, which makes a HUGE difference. And if the muffins weren't overcooked they really shouldn't be dry on the bottom; if nothing else, maybe you need a pan that cooks more evenly? I'm not suggesting you did anything wrong or have bad tools/ingredients - these are just a few things that come to mind.
Hamotron says
To be fair, everyone else who tried them liked them, so perhaps it's just me. :)
I have a bit of a cold at the moment, and everything's tasting a little off, so it might be I wasn't totally fair. I'll try to give them another chance once I'm better. The dry bottoms could well have been an extra minute or two of baking. The only cocoa powder I have in the house is the Trader Joe's brand- and the brownies I made with that weren't great either, so that could also be the cause. I think I might also have overmixed them a bit, which could have added to the dryness. The pan should be fine; I've been using it for years. I might have overdone the sour cream- I had a little bit of trouble measuring it, but I don't think by very much. I might try these again with yogurt (I'm wondering if chocolate yogurt might help) or buttermilk (although I'm worried that would affect the texture).
I was in a bit of a mood when I wrote the first comment, apologies for any offense. They really did look wonderful, and the taste was by no means bad- just not exactly what I was looking for just then. Thank you for the quick response.
alexandra says
Yogurt would work just fine. :)
Sabrina says
If I don't have sour cream will it affect the taste or batter?
alexandra says
You can use yogurt. One reader also used mayonnaise without an issue, although I haven't tried that myself.
Nicole says
Hi Alexandra! That is the first recepie of yours that I have tried and they turned really well. I put mayonaise instead of the sour cream though because I didn't have any at hand, also a spoonfull of nutela in the middle instead the chocolate chips. Great recepie!
alexandra says
Happy to hear it! The Nutella sounds like an awesome idea. :)
Rana says
Hi so how many cups of just chocolate chips would i need to add?
alexandra says
10 1/2 ounces would be 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips. :)