Soft and tender Small Batch Chocolate Muffins made from scratch. This easy recipe makes just six large Chocolate Muffins. And they’re ready to eat in 35 minutes. No electric mixer needed.
Chocolate bliss 💕
Introducing my deliciously easy recipe for Small Batch Chocolate Muffins. That’s right, a simple way to make just six large muffins from scratch.
Expect soft and tender chocolate muffins with sky-high muffin tops. Perfect for when you need a chocolate fix, but you don’t want a mountain of muffins in the house.
I recently developed this recipe when I was in that exact scenario. At home, during lockdown, craving a seriously good Chocolate Muffin. You know the kind, with a soft cake-like centre and that thick, bakery-style muffin top.
So I took inspiration from my Double Chocolate Muffins and made a recipe that makes just six perfectly chocolatey muffins. You. Are. Welcome.
These Small Batch Chocolate Muffins are now on regular rotation at my house. You don’t need an electric mixer, you only need a handful of regular ingredients and they are ready to eat in 35 minutes. Please and thank you.
Why you will love this recipe
- It’s quick and easy
- You don’t need an electric mixer
- It makes just six big muffins
- And they will satisfy ALL your chocolate cravings
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Tips for making perfect muffins
- Measure all your ingredients using a baking scale for best results. Using cups can be surprisingly inaccurate, and if you overmeasure your flour and/cocoa powder, your muffins will be dry.
- Don’t over mix your muffin batter. Just gently fold the ingredients together by hand using a spatula until combined. Over mixing will result in tough muffins – no thank you.
- Fill your muffin holes right to the top. Unlike cupcakes, we want our muffins to be big with large, domed tops. This recipe will make six bakery-style muffins so don’t be afraid to fill the muffin pan all the way.
- Don’t over bake your muffins. You’ll know your muffins are ready when they’ve developed those sky-high muffin tops. You can double check they’re done by inserting a skewer into the centre and seeing if it comes out clean (like you would with cake).
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but Dutch processed cocoa powder will work too.
Yes. I’ve used oil in this recipe as it adds moisture and also makes this recipe no fuss. I usually use vegetable oil but most flavourless oils will work. However, if you prefer butter, you can use 60 grams (1/4 cup) melted butter instead.
While muffins are typically best eaten on the day they’re made, these muffins do keep well for an extra day or two. Once completely cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For maximum freshness, freeze leftover muffins on the day they’re made.
Yes! We don’t blame you for wanting to make more because they really are THAT good. You can easily double this recipe to make 12 large muffins.
More muffin recipes to try
- Blueberry Crumble Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
- White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins
- Easy Apple Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Small Batch Chocolate Muffins
Easy small batch recipe for soft and tender Chocolate Muffins. Makes just 6 muffins.
Ingredients
- 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat or whole milk
- 75 grams (1/2 cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease six holes of a 6 or 12-hole muffin pan well with butter or spray lightly with oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and brown sugar and whisk gently.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add oil, vanilla, egg and milk. Whisk with a fork just to break up the egg yolk. Add to dry ingredients and gently fold to combine. Stir through chocolate chips. Try not to over mix.
- Divide chocolate muffin batter into 6 muffin holes – it’s ok to fill them right to the top (see photo below). Bake for 18-20 minutes or until muffins have risen and domed or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Notes
Cocoa powder: I recommend using unsweetened natural cocoa powder for this recipe. Dutch processed cocoa powder will also work.
Vegetable oil: You can use any flavourless oil in this recipe. Alternatively, you could use 60 grams (1/4 cup) melted butter.
Milk: You can also use buttermilk if you prefer, which will create a lovely light and tender muffin.
Quantity: You can double this recipe to make 12 regular-sized muffins. You can also use the recipe as is to make 18 mini muffins.
Sweetness: Some reader feedback has suggested that these muffins are not sweet enough. You can make them a touch sweeter by adding 1-2 tablespoons of caster sugar or granulated sugar, along with the brown sugar. And you can also reduce the cocoa powder to 30 grams. Since cocoa powder is bitter, this will also help make the muffins a little bit sweeter.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 muffin Calories: 320 Sugar: 23 g Sodium: 468.1 mg Fat: 14.6 g Carbohydrates: 46.3 g Protein: 6.4 g Cholesterol: 31.4 mg
Hi, I’m Jess, the creator of Sweetest Menu and the author of Something Sweet. A self-taught baker and published recipe writer who can’t stop making easy and delicious baking recipes.
Kelly says
#1 double chocolate muffin mix I’ve ever come across!!!! You’re a genius/cupcake angel/recipe god. Thank you very much
Jessica Holmes says
YAY! Love hearing that Kelly!
sofi says
this is the 3rd time I’m making this recipe so I’ve finally gathered my thoughts about this recipe.
Firstly I’m a uni student, so naturally me & the kitchen don’t have a good relationship. I want something fast, delicious and preferably with affordable ingredients.
This recipe checks all the boxes.
As a matter of fact, the first time I made these muffins was for my birthday and what self living gift they were!
Fluffy and soft, these muffins are excellent for the winter or whenever you feel like craving something sweet.
They’re super fast to make and I’ve met no disaster from making her (which is usually common for me as an amateur cook).
The only thing I’ve changed was adding 20 gr of extra sugar because I skip the chocolate chips (the ones my supermarket has are gross) and adding few tablespoon of extra milk because my mixture is always on the thick side.
One time I added few chunks of a chocolate milk bar and the muffins were delicious. Just a tiny bit too sweet. I suspect in this case it’s because I still added my extra sugar when it was necessary.
So, final thoughts; add extra sugar only if you skip the chocolate chips. And add tiny bit of extra milk if your mix is too thick.
A big thanks to miss Jessica Holmes for this recipe! ♥️ I’m planning to make it for my parents as well, as soon as I travel home.
They’ve lost some teeth and have trouble with crunchy foods
These soft muffins will be the best indulgence for them.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sofi, thank you for your kind review! I’m so pleased that you love these muffins as much as I do. Thank you for your feedback too – a touch a milk is a great addition if needed. I hope your parents love them too!