Easy Double Chocolate Muffins

January 2024 Update

I have made these muffin for 9 years and made the following modifications to the recipe.

1. Use room temperature water instead of warm water.
2. Use 3/4 cup cake flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
3. Substituted granulated sugar for brown sugar.
4. Increased oil from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup.
5. Substitute mint extract for vanilla extract.

For my flour mixture, 1/3 cup (80 ml) oil produces moister muffins.

Try any or all of these modifications.

Original Recipe

This easy double chocolate muffin recipe is slightly sweet compared to some sickly sweet commercially prepared muffins, and packed with chocolate flavor from cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

One small muffin has about 190 calories. Three small muffins is roughly equivalent in weight to one large mega-muffin available at warehouse stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. But, this homemade recipe has about 25 percent less calories, 40 percent less calories from fat, and 50 percent less sugar. You can add sugar for sweeter muffins.

You can prepare a batch of fresh muffins for baking in about the time it takes to preheat your oven.

To Prevent Sticking

Paper or other muffin cups will greatly reduce cleanup if add chocolate chips.

Depending on the brand of muffin cups you use, you may have to lightly coat each cup with vegetable oil cooking spray to prevent these lower fat muffins from sticking to the paper.

If you omit the chocolate chips, saving about 45 calories per muffin, you can bake the muffins directly in a non-stick pan coated with cooking spray.

Cook’s Tip:

All-purpose flour varies by region and country. If your muffin batter appears too thick, thin it by adding 1 or 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of warm water. Do not thin to the consistency of cake batter. If it is consistently thick, reduce the amount of flour by 2 tbsp (30 ml) or increase the amount of warm water.

Substituting Milk For Water

Whole, 2%, 1%, and skim milk can be substituted for the water in this recipe. Skim milk adds no fat and 8 calories per small muffin, whole milk adds less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and about 13 calories per small muffin.

About Unsweetened Cocoa Powder and Flavanols

There are two types of cocoa powder available.

Cocoa processed using an alkali called Dutch process and cocoa processed without alkali. Although Martha Stewart and other celeb chefs prefer milder tasting, darker colored, Dutch processed cocoa powder, the alkali process destroys heart healthy flavinols, an antioxident, in cocoa. But then many celeb chef recipes are not created for healthy eating.

Cocoa powder processed without alkali is high in flavanols. But, don’t expect to ward off heart diseases eating these muffins! Current research shows it takes about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of cocoa powder to provide 200 mg of flavanols for heart health benefits. One muffin has 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder, and about 30 mg of flavanols.

Hershey’s cocoa powder is one brand made without alkali.

Related Recipe

Pastry Flour

Nutrition Information

Updated 11-12-2018 based on latest available data. Carbohydrates was 26 g and sugar 9g.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (225 g) all-purpose or pastry flour
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
• 1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
• 1 cup warm water or milk (100°-110F, 38°-41°C)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola or other vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup (100 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, in all

Method of Preparation