What's better than chocolate chip muffins? Vegan double chocolate muffins. That's what. Rich, moist, and easy to make. What more could you ask for?
It's muffin time.
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๐ About
To be completely honest, muffins are the one food we've never really understood. For years they've been marketed as a health food. A breakfast item that's full of nutrition for you to enjoy on the go. The "healthy cupcake."
Bare with us, we're going to break something down for you. The biggest difference between a cupcake and a muffin is really about the batter. Cupcake batter is beaten for longer, creaming the butter and sugar together to create a smooth consistency. Muffins have a lumpier batter consistency, and usually vegetable oil is used in place of the butter.
The most visual difference between the two is the frosting on top of a cupcake. Compare that to muffins, which are often topped with a glaze, fruit, or chocolate chips, it's easy to see why one seems healthier than the other.
But, why this long tangent about cupcakes and muffins? Because we only want to warn you that neither should really be considered a "health food." Did you know the muffins you get at bakeries and stores often have more than 500 calories in them? We just think it's good to be armed with the facts.
We truly believe in eating foods that may be deemed "unhealthy," but in proper balance with foods that are nutrient dense. All we're saying is try not to be fooled by marketing, and make up your own mind about the foods you eat based on facts!
With that rant over with, we have created a double chocolate chip muffin that will fulfill your chocolate cravings and then some. They're easy to make, but most of all plant-based and delicious.
Do you have any preconceived notions about food? Let us know in the comments!
๐ฒ Key ingredients
- Cocoa powder: when the fat (cocoa butter) from cacao beans is removed during processing, the leftover dried solids get ground into cocoa powder. This is what gives a deep, rich flavor to the muffins. We use the unsweetened variety, and make sure it's not "Dutch cocoa" as the flavor is actually quite different. Cocoa is full of polyphenols that have significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is one of the reasons people say dark chocolate is a health food (in moderation of course).
- Chocolate chips: we talked about the first chocolate, but now we're talking about the double chocolate part. The chips! Nothing is better than taking a bite of your muffin to find an unexpected chocolate chip surprise! When we can add more chocolate to something, you better believe we will. There are so many good brands of vegan chocolate chips, but for this recipe, we use a mix of Enjoy Life mini chips and Kirkland semi-sweet chips.
- Banana: mashed banana works as a binder in these muffins, so you don't have to use eggs. Fruit for the win! Plus, this way you can try the batter without the risk of salmonella. We love bananas for their natural sweetness, especially when you wait for them to start getting real brown. We also appreciate bananas for their fiber content. In just one medium banana, there's over 3g of fiber. Pretty impressive considering the recommended intake is 25-30 grams per day!
- Vanilla: why put vanilla in a chocolate recipe? It's all about flavor science. In baking, vanilla works like salt โ as an ingredient to accentuate the taste of other ingredients. So, make sure to use good quality vanilla as it will enhance the chocolate flavor even more (should these be called triple chocolate muffins?). There was actually a study done showing vanilla has anti-depressant qualities when compared to prescription medication, Fluoxetine.
๐ช Instructions
To start these muffins off, you'll need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, spray or line a muffin pan with paper cups. This recipe makes 12 muffins for reference.
In a small bowl, mix together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to create vegan buttermilk. This will help the muffins rise into fluffy mounds of deliciousness! Set this bowl aside for later.
Whisk the dry ingredients together Mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined
Next up, add your all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk or sift these ingredients together until no clumps remain. The sifter is ideal for this process, but either way will get the job done.
Then, add all of the remaining wet ingredients into the bowl with your buttermilk mixture, and stir together. Pour all wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl, and mix your batter until the wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated.
Fold in some chocolate chips, then evenly divide your batter into the muffin cups. If you fill each one about ¾ of the way, you should end up with 12 muffins. We like to sprinkle additional mini chocolate chips on top, but this step is totally optional.
Bake your muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. The bake time will definitely vary depending on your oven, so start with less time to ensure they don't burn!
Sprinkle some more chocolate chips on top Baked until a toothpick comes out clean
Once they are baked, allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
๐ก๏ธ Storage
These muffins will store well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want to maximize their shelf-life, you can store them in the fridge for approximately 1 week. You can also freeze these muffins for up to 3 months.
๐ญ Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar
- Skip the mini chocolate chips for garnish
- Replace real vanilla for an artificial extract
๐ด Tasting notes
Once you try these chocolate muffins, you won't be giving them away for free. They're:
- Decadent
- Moist
- Rich
- Chocolate-y
If you try these, please rate them and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes?ย Subscribeย to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
๐ Recipe
Easy Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan
- Small mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour ($0.12)
- ยฝ cup cocoa powder ($0.88)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.01)
- ยฝ tsp baking soda ($0.01)
- ยฝ tsp salt ($0.01)
Wet
- 1 ยฝ tbsp apple cider vinegar ($0.09)
- 1 cup soy milk ($0.28)
- โ cup coconut sugar ($0.43)
- โ cup melted coconut oil ($0.64)
- 2 tsp vanilla ($0.42)
- 1 medium mashed banana ($0.16)
Add-Ins
- ยฝ cup chocolate chips ($0.67)
Garnishes optional
- Mini chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF, and lightly spray or line a muffin pan with parchment paper cups.
- In a bowl, mix together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to form a buttermilk mixture. Set aside.
- Add all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl, and whisk or sift those together thoroughly until no clumps remain.
- Add all of the remaining wet ingredients to the soy milk and apple cider vinegar, and stir together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, and mix everything until just incorporated, making sure no flour patches remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Then, evenly divide your batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup about ยพ of the way full. Optional: sprinkle additional mini chocolate chips on top for decoration.
- Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely (about 2-3 hours).
- When the muffins have cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use room temperature soy milk to ensure the coconut oil doesn't harden once both are mixed together.
- Insert the toothpick in a few different spots to avoid over baking (you may get a false result if you pierce a chocolate chip).
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price of the recipe.
Nutrition
โป๏ธ Similar recipes
For more tasty dessert ideas, check out our:
- Vegan cookie dough bites for sweetening up those late-night cravings during Netflix & chill time.
- Easy vegan brownies to satisfy all your needs with these decadent squares of bliss.
- Chocolate chip banana bread for thick slices of sweet banana and chocolate morning, noon, or night.
- Peanut butter fudge for a perfect combination of sweet, rich, and salty.
๐ฌ FAQ
You'll know the muffins are done if you stick a toothpick into the center of a muffin and it comes out with little to no batter on it.
Yes, you can make these muffins sweeter by adding more sugar or extra chocolate chips.
We have not tried making these muffins oil-free, so we can't speak to the results. However, you can try baking these with more mashed banana or applesauce in place of the coconut oil.
Brandy
I've been trying to make healthier options of the treats I love and this one checks the box. It's basically like a cupcake with how moist and chocolate-y it is, but has such really healthy, whole ingredients!
Mitch and Justine
Thanks so much for making these! We're glad you like them ๐