Toss your beige breakfasts these double chocolate chip muffins are bakery-pretty, one-bowl simple, and shockingly plush even the next morning.
I often joke in my new cookbook (not this particular recipe) about the gulf between the towering, glossy muffins we eye in coffee-shop cases and the humble muffins we make at home. Why do the shop versions look so plush while ours turn out… beige? I know the reasons: when I bake for home I instinctively cut back on refined sugar, flour, and oil. I bulk them up with oats, dried fruit, and whole grains, which makes them denser and yes, a bit brown and humble. But while staring at a beautiful muffin at my local bagel shop one morning, I decided enough of that.
Sometimes you want a chocolate muffin that’s unapologetically a little like cake. Sure, this one has yogurt and the sweetness is measured, but it’s designed for days when only a rich dark chocolate muffin will do. It was a good decision — my family happily tasted every test batch while I worked this into shape. These muffins follow my baking rules: one bowl, no fussy ingredients, and they survive being left on the counter overnight. In the morning they’re still extraordinarily plush (if a tiny bit drier than fresh). If you’d rather make fewer, halve the recipe — it’ll make six muffins. I hope these set your week off right.
Servings: 12
Time: about 30 minutes
There’s a lot of flexibility here. Use whatever baking fat you prefer — oil or melted butter will both work. You can swap in non-dairy milk, or even coffee or water, for the milk. A thicker Greek yogurt or a regular plain yogurt will both be fine (I prefer regular yogurt here). You can use white or raw sugar instead of brown, though I prefer brown sugar for the way it plays with chocolate. Any cocoa powder works; I tested Hershey’s Dark and Valrhona (Dutch-processed) and both were excellent. The chocolate chips, however, are essential.
Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Neutral oil or melted butter | 1/2 cup (100–115g) | — |
Light or dark brown sugar | 2/3 cup (140g) | — |
Milk | 1/2 cup (120g) | Any variety |
Plain yogurt | 1 cup (225g) | — |
Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | — |
Large eggs | 2 | — |
Kosher salt | 1/2 tsp | — |
Baking soda | 1 tsp | — |
Cocoa powder | 3/4 cup (60g) | Any variety |
All-purpose flour | 1 3/4 cups (230g) | — |
Chocolate chips | 1 1/3 cups (225g) | Divided |
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Either grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter/nonstick spray or line it with paper liners.
In a large bowl whisk together the oil (or melted butter), brown sugar, milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth. Sprinkle the salt and baking soda over the batter and whisk thoroughly to incorporate. Stir in the cocoa powder, whisking until lumps vanish. Fold in the flour, then stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups; it’s fine if they come up to the top. Scatter the remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate chips over the muffin tops.
Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into each muffin’s center comes out clean of batter.
