Chocolate Muffins. Quick, easy, great for packups and very cheap

May 31, 2020 | 6 comments

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Chocolate Muffins. Quick, easy, great for packups and very cheap

I first wrote this post in May 2017, and here we are 3 years later. Mike was again ‘needing some chocolate’, so I made him some of these. I’m baking much more whilst in lockdown and we’re both showing that!

 

Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Mike was ‘needing some chocolate’ yesterday, so I decided to make some chocolate muffins. Haven’t made any kind of muffins for yonks.  They are super easy in that it is just a bit of stirring, and not too much of that either or the the cake will be tough.

If you are using a silicone muffin tray, you can either use muffin cases or not, as you please. If you are using a metal tray, I would use either paper or silicone cases, the muffins do tend to stick. I now like to use silicone muffin cases as I can use them over and over again. If using silicone muffin cases, you won’t need a muffin tray at all as they stand up on their own. 

I have used up all my plain paper ones, like in the chocolate muffin picture.  There are many different types of more decorative cases. These greaseproof cases even come with a free muffin recipe e-book

greaseproof muffin cases

What were the chocolate muffins like?

I added a couple of handfuls of cocoa nibs to mine as I had bought a big bag from Healthy Supplies and I need to use them up.

They were beautiful! A soft and springy crumb, with little bits of crispy / chewiness from the cocoa nibs.

Keep muffins in the freezer as they stale quickly. Good for popping into a packup, taking on picnics, or for after school. If you’re feeling really decadent, give them a few seconds in the microwave to warm through and serve with cream, ice cream or custard.

Chocolate Muffin Variations

Muffins are of course extremely versatile and I only made chocolate ones because of those nibs and Mike’s need for chocolate of course!

I use Susan Reimer’s Muffins book for ideas and inspiration, and there are literally thousands of muffin recipes if you Google.

Chocolate muffins themselves can be varied in many ways. Add some glacé cherries; or any chopped nuts, either mixed in or sprinkled on top; use very strong coffee instead of milk for mocha muffins; add a tsp of orange zest for a chocolate orange; and of course choc chips, milk, plain or white. Plus you could top with a chocolate butter icing, or a fudge one.

If you’re feeling really decadent, you could warm them in the microwave for a few seconds and serve with cream, ice cream or custard.

The vanilla essence is a significantly part of the cost of this batch of muffins, so you could try making your own. It’s super easy, promise.

Vegan Chocolate Muffins

If you would like vegan chocolate muffins, the non-vegan items are egg, milk and butter. You can use oil in place of the butter, or your preferred plant spread, Pure or Vitalite for instance. Muffins can be made easily with no egg, you don’t need any egg replacer, you just need to replace the moisture of the egg, about 80g. If I don’t have eggs, I just use a splash more milk. For the milk, just use your preferred plant milk

Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins

All you have to do to make these muffins gluten free is to use a gluten free flour. If the flour is plain, add baking powder, ensuring that is gluten free too

 

Chocolate Muffins
Chocolate muffins

Chocolate Muffins

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course:
Dessert
,
Pudding
,
Snack
Cuisine:
English
dairy free by Olguioo from the Noun Project
Dairy Free
,
Gluten Free by Eucalyp from the Noun Project
Gluten Free
,
No Nuts by Llisole from the Noun Project
Nut Free
,
vegan by Guilherme Furtado from the Noun Project
Vegan
,
Vegetarian by Philipp Petzka from the Noun Project
Vegetarian
Servings: 12
Cost per portion 8p
Calories: 202kcal
Click on the check box to cross off Equipment, Ingredients or Recipe Steps completed.
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Ingredients

  • 255 g self raising flour 45p/1.5kg, 7p
  • ½ tsps bicarbonate soda 69p/200g, 1p
  • 150 g sugar 110-170g, 69p/kg 150g is 10p
  • 40 g cocoa £1.19/250g, 19p
  • 1 egg 13p
  • 250 ml milk 240-260ml, 11p
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Neilsen-Massey 60ml/£2.93, 24p
  • 85 g butter Brilliantly Buttery melted, £1.36/kg, 11p
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

  • Put all dry ingredients in a bowl, except cocoa.
    255 g self raising flour, 150 g sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsps bicarbonate soda
  • Add half the cocoa, stir it all together and give the mixture a good sniff. If it doesn’t smell chocolate enough, add the remaining cocoa. You might like even more than the 40g here, in which case, feel free to add another 10g or so.
    40 g cocoa
  • Put all wet ingredients in a jug and whisk the egg.
    1 egg, 250 ml milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 85 g butter
  • Stir the two together until just combined and there is no dry flour.
    Lumps don’t matter. Don’t over mix, or the muffins will be tough.
  • If using, put a muffin case in each of the holes of a 12 hole muffin tin.
  • Divide the mixture evenly between the cases and bake at 375-400F /
    190-200C / gas mark 5-6 for 20-25 minutes until the tops spring back
    when gently pressed.
  • Click here to start a 20 minute timer

Notes

Priced at Asda June 2020
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Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Muffins
Amount per Serving
Calories
202
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Cholesterol
 
31
mg
10
%
Sodium
 
209
mg
9
%
Potassium
 
105
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
31
g
10
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
14
g
16
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
231
IU
5
%
Calcium
 
35
mg
4
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @ThriftyLesley or tag #ThriftyLesley !

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Thrifty Lesley

    yes, very easy to make gluten free. Hope your SIL likes them too 🙂

  2. Elaine Fitzpatrick

    5 stars
    Lovely recipe – I love the fact u
    you’ve included variations – my SIL is gluten free so I could adjust and make a batch for her.

  3. Lesley

    Yes, you can use soya milk, nut milk, fruit juice, or even water, although the rise probably won’t be quite as high

  4. Sarah

    Thanks, these look quick and easy. I plan on making them when our friends and their children visit, I have decided to make them in smaller cases so I get more cakes and they are more child-friendly so they are able to eat a whole one and not leave half for the bin.

    Is it possible to exchange the milk for a different liquid?

  5. Lesley

    yes, I must admit, I usually use oil too. Trying to cut down on the Omega 6’s. Although at over 200 cals each, I won’t be having any, plus the cocoa nibs guarantee a migraine!

  6. Judith

    I have just eaten a chocolate chip muffin I made earlier. I used oil instead of butter though, as it makes them really quick to throw together. I also used up some kefir instead of the milk. Muffins are my go to quick bake and I usually have some in the freezer for “emergencies”.

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