One-bowl vegan chocolate chip muffins with huge bakery-style muffin tops! These muffins are soft and fluffy, and loaded with dairy-free chocolate chips.

Large vegan chocolate chip muffin with huge muffin top on two mini plates. More muffins are in background.

Why you’ll love these muffins

TEXTURE/FLAVOR: These muffins have extra vanilla, extra chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon for a wholesome bakery-style touch. They’re moist and soft with crunchy tops and plenty of melty chocolate chips, just like my vegan chocolate muffins.

EASY: One-bowl and no fuss. And I’ve provided the easiest tips for tall muffin tops.

OCCASION: These muffins are a delicious afternoon snack or breakfast. Or make regular-sized muffins for kids’ lunchboxes!

Ingredients you’ll need

Flat-lay of ingredients for muffins.

The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Notes about the ingredients

All-purpose flour or use spelt or whole wheat flour for more wholesome muffins. This recipe works well with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour but it is a little more absorbent so I suggest adding an extra dash of milk.

Oil and melted vegan butter. We’re using both because oil makes the muffins moister whereas vegan butter provides depth of flavor. Alternatively, you can use only oil. Melted coconut oil will work but make sure you enjoy the muffins warm because coconut oil can solidify and make the muffins feel dry.

Mini vegan chocolate chips or roughly chopped vegan chocolate (from a bar). I recommend using a brand of chocolate that you enjoy eating, as it’s the main flavor.

Cinnamon and vanilla extract for extra flavor. They make the muffins taste like they’re from a bakery and brings out the flavor of the chocolate chips.

Apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice (optional). This reacts with the dairy-free milk to create vegan buttermilk and gives the muffins a more tender texture. You don’t need to add the vinegar separately – it does its magic when added to the cake batter!

Making the muffin batter

Like all of my muffin recipes, these vegan choc chip muffins come together in one bowl!

First, combine the dry ingredients then stir through the wet ingredients until just combined (or until there are only a few more lumps).

Four image collage showing how to make the muffin batter without the chocolate chips in one bowl.

Add the chocolate chips and fold in. It should take only a few folds to incorporate all the chocolate chips.

KEY TIP: Avoid overmixing the batter. Some lumps in your batter are fine, as long as they aren’t lumps of flour. Over-mixing results in denser muffins.

Two image collage of muffin batter with added chocolate chips and chocolate mixed in.

Dividing the muffin batter

I recommend using a large ice cream scoop to divide the muffin batter in your tin. It’s much easier and there’ll be fewer drips!

Two image collage of muffin tray showing before and after muffin has been baked. Muffins are spaced apart.

BEST method for high muffin tops

The easiest and quickest way to get high muffin tops is to space the muffins apart in your muffin tin and bake only 6 muffins at a time (pictured above). Spacing the muffins apart means each muffin will be exposed to more heat which encourages them to rise more. This will mean you’ll need to bake the muffins in 2 lots.

Also, make sure your oven is the right temperature! A slightly cooler oven will make the muffins spread out than up.

I’ve tried other methods such as resting the batter overnight, and starting the oven really hot then decreasing it. However, those methods take more time and aren’t always reliable especially if you have an old oven.

Close up of one muffin focusing on melted chocolate chips.

Tips for moist muffins

  1. Don’t overbake the muffins. Aim for some crumbs and melted chocolate on your toothpick! If you wait until your toothpick comes out completely clean, your muffins will be too dry.
  2. Don’t overmix your batter. The batter should be lumpy and similar to pancake batter.

If you accidentally overbaked your muffins, you can soften them by sprinkling a little water on top and reheating what you’d like to eat!

Close up of bitten cross-section of one muffin.

Customizing this recipe

Can I add anything else to these vegan chocolate chip muffins?

Yes! These muffins also will work well with:
– berries
– white chocolate chips
– chopped walnuts or pecans

If you’d like to add bananas, I recommend following my vegan banana muffins recipe and then adding chocolate chips. For zucchini muffins, I recommend making my vegan zucchini bread recipe in a muffin pan.

Can I use all melted vegan butter?

Of course you can. When testing this, all butter makes the muffins shorter, denser and firmer at room temperature. You can see the difference in my Instagram stories and this post by Handle by Heat.

Can I use whole wheat flour, spelt flour or coconut sugar?

Yes! Whole wheat flour and spelt flour absorbs more than all-purpose flour so you may need to add extra milk (just a dash). Coconut sugar makes delicious muffins but makes them darker colored.

Side angle of chocolate chip muffin showing large muffin top.

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More vegan muffin recipes

Close up of vegan chocolate muffin showing large muffin top.

Vegan Chocolate Muffins

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Vegan Banana Muffins

Easy Vegan Apple Muffins

Or see my full recipe collection of vegan muffins.

5 from 15 reviews

Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 12 large muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Author: Anthea
One-bowl vegan chocolate chip muffins with huge bakery-style muffin tops! These muffins are soft and fluffy and loaded with dairy-free chocolate chips.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners.

Make the muffin batter:

  • Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is well combined.
  • Add all of the wet ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix until just combined. Some lumps are fine, as long as there aren't lumps of flour. Add most of the chocolate chips (reserve around 1/4 cup for sprinkling) and fold until just combined.
  • Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to divide the batter into your muffin pan. The muffin batter should reach the top of each cup (check the reference images above, note 4).
  • Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.

Baking and storing the muffins:

  • Bake the muffins for 22-30 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in a muffin and it comes out mostly clean. Your toothpick should have some crumbs and melted chocolate on it but no wet batter. Don't overbake the muffins otherwise they'll be dry.
  • Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes (or until they aren't too hot to handle). Then place them on a wire rack.
  • Enjoy the vegan chocolate chip muffins warm or at room temperature. They're perfect by themselves or with some vegan butter.
  • Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

  1. For the best results, use the spoon and level method to measure your flour. This is where you fluff up the flour in the bag, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. If you use a measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container, it will pack in too much flour and result in dry and dense muffins. Alternatively, use the grams measurements.
  2. Gluten-free muffins: These muffins work well with King Arthur’s gluten-free measure for measure flour. However, that flour is a bit more absorbent so I suggest adding an extra dash of milk and baking for around 25 minutes.
  3. For extra flavor and more tender muffins, I recommend any full-bodied milk such as soy milk or oat milk. Other varieties such almond milk will work but makes the muffins less rich.
  4. For the highest muffin tops, I recommend baking 6 muffins at a time in a 12-cup muffin tray. Spacing apart the muffins allows the hot oven air to bake them faster, resulting in higher tops. This means you’ll need to bake the muffins in 2 lots.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 muffin, Calories: 450kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Sodium: 229mg, Potassium: 41mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 251IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 133mg, Iron: 4mg
Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

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