These moist, chocolatey vegan chocolate chip muffins are perfect for brunch, an after-dinner dessert, or an afternoon snack. Using the famous Jordan Marsh muffins as a base, these muffins are packed with flavor and a tender texture that both kids and adults will love!
Chocolate muffins are a delicious sweet treat to enjoy any time of the day. If you love chocolate as much as we do, you will want to check out our vegan chocolate muffin and vegan chocolate peanut butter muffin recipe!
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What to expect?
This recipe uses the same base recipe as the popular muffin recipe by Jordan Marsh. We start with vegan vanilla muffins as a base, made with flour, baking soda, salt, and vegan buttermilk. Since this is a vegan recipe, we use flax egg as a vegan egg substitute and then mix it into the batter with olive oil and vanilla extract. We then fold in dark chocolate chips before we bake them to a golden chocolate perfection!
Unlike other vegan muffin recipes, our recipe focuses on taste and creating a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture versus height. So, while these muffins do not produce a tall, mushroom-top shape like bakery-style muffins, their decadent flavor, and fluffy cake-like center make it a challenge to have just one!
Here’s why you will love this vegan chocolate chip muffins recipe:
- It is inspired by one of the best recipes – This recipe is a vegan, chocolate chip version of the famous melt-in-your-mouth blueberry muffins by Jordan Marsh.
- It is the most delicious – This recipe uses only the freshest ingredients and measures them to the “T” to create delicious, spongy muffins full of moisture and flavor.
- It is quick and easy to make – You do not need special skills or equipment to make these muffins. This beginner-friendly recipe only requires one bowl, 10 minutes of prep time, and 30 minutes of bake time.
- It is versatile – You can customize these chocolate chip muffins in many ways. See the variations section for more ideas and inspiration!
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Ingredients
- Dairy-free butter – The butter needs should be at room temperature before use. Soft butter is easier to blend with the other ingredients.
- Cane sugar – You can also use dry sugars like coconut, brown, or white sugar.
- Flax egg – This combination of finely milled ground flax seeds and water is an easy vegan egg substitute to bind the ingredients together. Do not use ground flax flakes.
- Olive oil – You can also use other baking oils.
- Vanilla extract – For the best taste, use pure vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour – You can also use whole wheat flour. For gluten-free muffins, you can use any gluten-free flour blend.
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Chocolate chips – Not all dark chocolate chips are vegan, so check the packaging.
- Apple cider vinegar – Combining the apple cider vinegar and the baking powder creates a foam that leavens the batter.
- Dairy-free milk – I use oat milk or homemade cashew milk. Others would work fine. It needs to be at room temperature before use.
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Making vegan chocolate chip muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180 °C and position an oven rack in the center. In the meantime, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray the pan and liners with non-stick cooking spray, if desired.
- Mix your dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) in a small bowl.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the room-temperature milk. The mixture will become your vegan “buttermilk.”
- Add the soft room-temperature vegan butter and cane sugar to a large bowl.
- Whisk them using an electric mixer for just two minutes. The sugar will not melt in the butter.
- Add in the flax egg, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and mix them well with a spatula or spoon.
- Add half of the vegan buttermilk to the batter and mix them well.
- Then, add the second half of the dry ingredients and wet ingredients and mix well again. Stop mixing when the batter reaches a soft, fluffy, and pillowy texture. Refrain from overmixing, as it could result in dense, dry muffins that do not rise properly.
- With the help of a spatula, gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Use an ice cream scooper or two spoons to distribute the batter evenly in the muffin pan. If desired, sprinkle the top of the batter with a couple of additional chocolate chips so that they are visible after baking.
- Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes until the muffins are a light golden color. They are done when you can stick a toothpick in the center, and it comes out clean.
- Let the muffins remain in the pan and cool for 5-10 minutes. They will be very soft and moist, especially while hot.
- Once cooled, lightly run a knife around the muffin (if necessary) before removing them from the tin.
Cooking tips
- Use a scale to measure the ingredients for the best results and texture. When measured correctly, your muffins should turn out soft and moist with a cake-like texture.
- If you do not have access to finely milled ground flax seeds, you can take whole flax seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. The seeds absorb and bind much easier when the flax seeds are in powder form.
- You can mix the flour and milk with the batter using either an electric mixer or a spatula. However, mix quickly to avoid overmixing, resulting in dry, dense muffins.
- Do not bake the muffins longer than 30 minutes, as they will dry out. In an oven similar to mine, 35 minutes is too long.
Variations
- White chocolate or milk chocolate chip muffins – Try using white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate.
- With fruit – Swap out the chocolate chips for raspberries, strawberries, mashed bananas, or cranberries. See my vegan blueberry muffins recipe for more inspiration!
- With nuts – Add some texture to the muffins by adding crushed nuts to the batter. Or, replace the chocolate chips with nuts altogether!
- With spices – Enhance the flavor by adding a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.
- With almond extract – Swap out the vanilla extract with almond extract for a different flavor profile.
- With coffee – Intensify the flavor of the chocolate chips by adding a touch of coffee to the batter, as I do in my vegan chocolate muffins recipe.
- With toppings – For an extra touch of flavor pleasing to the eye, top with powdered or coarse decorating sugar.
Equipment
- Scale – A scale is essential for accurately measuring ingredients and creating the best results.
- Electric hand mixer – An electric mixer is helpful when creaming the butter.
- Rubber spatula – A rubber spatula helps fold the chocolate chips gently and ensures you get all the batter out of the bowl!
- Muffin pan – I recommend using a pan with 12 cavities of 3-in dia. x 1 in. (7.6 cm dia x 2.5 cm)
- Paper muffin liners – I use paper liners in all my recipes; however, using them is optional.
- Ice cream scooper – You can also use two spoons, as I do.
Storing tips
While vegan chocolate chip muffins are best enjoyed the same day you make them, in case you have leftovers, here’s how to keep them fresh and moist:
Room temperature – Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
In the refrigerator – Once cooled, store the muffins in an airtight container for up to four days.
In the freezer – Once cooled, place the muffins in zippered plastic bags or an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to three months.
Defrosting and reheating – To defrost, thaw at room temperature before eating. To serve warm, wrap in foil and place in the oven at 350 °F (ca. 177 °C) for 10-15 minutes. Or, place the muffin on a microwave-safe paper towel or plate and microwave on high for approximately 30 seconds.
FAQs
You can make the batter up to 48 hours in advance. Once you make the batter, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, since the batter will be chilled, it may take a few minutes longer to bake. The texture of the muffins may also be slightly more dense.
I have not tested this recipe using only cooking spray versus paper muffin liners. However, if the muffins sticking to the paper is a concern, you can use cooking spray to spray the pan and the liners.
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Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dairy-free butter
- 1 cup Cane sugar
- 2 Flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax – 3 Tbsp water)
- 4 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 cup Chocolate chips
- 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup Dairy-free milk I used oat milk
Instructions
- If you want this to come out just like in the photos with the moist and soft cake-like texture, use a scale to measure all ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (ca. 180 °C) and put an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. I don’t mind if the muffins stick to the papers, but if you do, spray the pan and the liners with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) in a small bowl.
- Add apple cider vinegar to the room-temperature milk.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the soft room-temperature butter with cane sugar. The sugar will not melt in the butter. 2 minutes are enough.
- Add flax egg (from ground flax, not flakes), olive oil, and vanilla extract. Mix them well.
- Add half the dry ingredients and half the “buttermilk” to the batter. Use a spatula or spoon to mix it well. Then add the second half and mix again. Don’t need to over-mix it. You’ll get a soft, fluffy, pillowy batter.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use two spoons or an ice cream scooper to arrange the muffin batter evenly. It will be full. I always add a couple of extra chips on top, so they are visible after baking.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for about 5-10 minutes. They are very soft and moist, especially while hot. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin if necessary before taking them out.
Notes
- If you can’t buy milled and finely ground flax seeds, grind the whole seeds in a coffee grinder. They absorb and bind so much better in a fine powder form.
- Using an electric mixer or a spatula to mix the flour and milk with the batter have the same result. As long as you do it quickly, you will not over-mix it.
- While these muffins don’t have a huge mushroom top, they are by far the most soft and moisture muffins I have ever eaten. Every time I adjusted the ingredients, I lost that texture.
- Don’t over-bake it, as they will turn dry. 30 minutes should be enough. 35 minutes is too long in my oven.
- I always use paper liners, so I never tested this recipe using only cooking spray.
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