Name: Double Chocolate Muffins for the home table
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour; 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 1/3 cup Special Dark Cocoa Powder; 3 tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1/2 tsp Salt; 2 cups 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips; 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil; 1 cup Granulated Sugar; 2 large Eggs, room temperature; 3 tsp Vanilla Extract; 3/4 cup Buttermilk

These Double Chocolate Muffins are tender, rich, and filled with bittersweet dark chocolate chips. They're straightforward to mix, require no mixer, and taste genuinely fantastic! For a little added crunch to each bite, sprinkle some sparkling sugar over the top before baking!

Why this bake works

Double the chocolate. This method uses unsweetened cocoa powder, special dark cocoa powder, and 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips. The combination gives these muffins the richest chocolate flavor!

No mixer is needed. Enjoy a good recipe that doesn't require a mixer, and this is one of them! You only need two mixing bowls, a whisk, and a spatula to make these super-tasty double-chocolate muffins. For more recommended baking tools, check out the list below.

The perfect dome shape. After you make this easy double-chocolate muffin batter, let it sit for 20-25 minutes. This will allow some time for the starches in the flour to hydrate and absorb the moisture from the liquid ingredients. You'll notice that after letting the batter sit, it will become thicker.

Soft and tender. Besides the awesome chocolate flavor, these double chocolate muffins are so soft and tender, thanks to using some buttermilk and vegetable oil!

And speaking of soft and tender, if you love this method, you will truly enjoy my other muffin recipes, like my Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins, to name a few!

Chocolate muffin sliced in half and placed on top of opened muffin wrapper on a white background.

What goes in

The following ingredients are needed to make these bakery-style double chocolate muffins. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as baking powder, baking soda, 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate chips, all purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, unsweetened cocoa powder, special dark cocoa powder, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract on a white marbled background.

All-Purpose Flour. My all-time favorite flour brand is King Arthur, but use what you have on hand. If needed, sift the flour!
Cocoa Powders. I used unsweetened cocoa powder and special dark cocoa powder—both Hershey's brand. If the special dark isn't available (I've heard it's also been discontinued), you can use Dutch-process cocoa powder or black cocoa (King Arthur makes a good one!).
Buttermilk. See the buttermilk alternatives below.
Dark Chocolate Chips. I used Ghirardelli's 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips. They're larger in size and remind me more of buttons than the typical chocolate chip. They melt wonderfully, too!
Sparkling Sugar. Enjoy adding this to the muffin tops before baking. It gives the muffin tops a little added crunch! The best I've found is the King Arthur brand.

For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.

Buttermilk Substitutions

If you do not have store-bought buttermilk on hand, you can try one of the following alternatives.

House-made Buttermilk. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a 3/4 cup measuring cup. Then fill the remaining cup with the whole milk. Stir, then let it sit for 5 minutes before you add it to the batter. If you don't have lemon juice, you can use the same amount of white vinegar instead.
Saco Pantry's Cultured Buttermilk Blend. This is a powdered buttermilk you add water to. It can usually be found in the baking aisle with powdered milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. After opening the container, it needs to be kept in the refrigerator.

How it comes together

Below is a brief overview of how to make this double chocolate muffin recipe. For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the method card below.

Whisked all purpose flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a glass bowl with chocolate chips stirred in.

Step 1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips to coat in the dry mixture.

Whisked eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 2. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.

Double chocolate muffin batter in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Let the batter sit for 20-25 minutes (at room temperature or in the refrigerator).

Double chocolate muffin batter topped with sparkling sugar and chunks of chocolate in parchment paper lined metal muffin tin.

Step 4. Scoop and fill each muffin liner. Top with sparkling sugar and chocolate chips.

Step 5. Bake the muffins. 375ºF for 25-30 minutes. Twenty-eight minutes worked well for me.

Step 6. Transfer to a cooling rack after 5-10 minutes. Cool completely or until they're still slightly warm, then enjoy!

Keeping and freezing

To store the chocolate muffins, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 days.

To freeze the chocolate muffins, let them cool completely, then double wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in a well-sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost overnight, then reheat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Baker notes

I yielded 16 muffins using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop and standard muffin liners, filling each liner to the top. You can also use a tulip-style wrapper, as I did with the Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins and Chocolate Chip Muffins, which will yield 12 muffins.
You can let the batter sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Topping the muffins with sparkling sugar is optional, but it adds a nice, subtle crunch when you bite into one.

Questions on this bake

What muffin liners did you use?

I used standard muffin or cupcake liners for this double chocolate muffin recipe, which yielded up to 16 muffins. You can also use the tulip-style wrapper, as I did with the Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins and Chocolate Chip Muffins, which will yield 12 muffins.

Why should you let your muffin batter rest after making it?

Letting your muffin batter sit for 20-25 minutes gives the starches in the flour time to hydrate and absorb moisture from the liquid ingredients, resulting in the perfect dome shape when baked! You'll notice that after letting the batter sit, it becomes thicker and a little darker, too.

Can you freeze chocolate muffins?

Yes, you can freeze these double chocolate muffins! First, let them cool completely. Then double wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in a well-sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost overnight, then reheat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Can you leave these muffins out at room temperature?

Yes. Try keeping them stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, if desired. You can also keep them stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They're truly at their best, though, the day they're baked or the next day.