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Say goodbye to dense and heavy muffins. These vegan chocolate chip muffins literally melt in your mouth! Super light, fluffy, and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite, this is undoubtedly our favorite muffin recipe!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- Fluffy, bakery-style muffins. If you are looking for vegan muffins that taste just like the ones you could get at your local bakery, look no further! We tested and retested these multiple times until we achieved what we believe are the best vegan muffins! They have a light and pillowy crumb, are not overly sweet, and are loaded with chocolate chips.
- Simple ingredients and preparation. You will need only 10 basic ingredients and 30 minutes to make these delicious muffins. No applesauce, banana, or nut butter is required! You can easily make these with your kids in just a few minutes! Plus, we are sharing tips on how to get those big and puffy muffin tops!
- A classic. Whenever we crave delicious muffins, this recipe is our default choice. The best part is that these muffins are versatile. You can customize them to your liking by incorporating various add-ins such as nuts, dried fruits, and more.
- Everyone loves them! Vegans and non-vegans alike. Anett, a reader, said: “★★★★★ The most delicious vegan muffin recipe I ever tried! All my non-vegan guests absolutely loved it and had to share the recipe several times. Thanks a lot 🙂”
🍫 Ingredient Notes
This recipe is incredibly easy and requires no weird or hard-to-find ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour. While I haven’t tried it yet, I think it should work with a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
- Sugar – I went with white sugar here for a milder flavor. You can use coconut sugar, but the flavor and the texture will be slightly altered.
- Baking powder and baking soda – To help the muffins rise.
- Vegan yogurt – Adding yogurt not only brings moisture but also makes the muffins lighter and gives them a subtle tang! Here, I went with unsweetened soy yogurt, but any vegan yogurt will work.
- Oil – I tried this recipe with both oil and melted butter. The oil version had a fluffier texture, so I recommend sticking with oil for this recipe. Use a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed oil.
- Almond milk – Use unsweetened almond milk or your favorite plant-based milk like cashew, coconut, or oat milk.
- Vanilla – Vanilla extract adds a sweet and fresh aroma. For the best flavor, use high-quality store-bought vanilla extract or homemade vanilla extract.
- Chocolate chips – I used regular dark chocolate chips, but feel free to use mini chocolate chips! Not a fan of chocolate chips? Use raisins or cranberries!
- Nutmeg – While optional, nutmeg adds a bakery-style flavor and a hint of spice.
🧁 Best Muffin Pan For Visually Stunning Muffins
If you have ever wondered how to reproduce bakery-style muffins like those in Starbucks, the secret lies in the muffin pan! You need to use a crown muffin pan to achieve that perfect crown-shaped top.
Crown muffin pans have a narrower base in comparison to standard muffin pans and are designed to have a crown molding at the top, resulting in beautiful oversized muffin tops. For the best results, ensure you fill each cavity to the 4/5, reaching the start of the crown molding.
Note: this recipe works with both standard and crown muffin pans. Just be aware that if using a crown muffin pan, you will end up with 4 large muffins instead of 6 in a standard pan.
🥣 How to Make It
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients. Next, pour in the oil, almond milk, vegan yogurt, vanilla extract, and white vinegar (optional, but it helps the muffins rise a bit more).
- Whisk. Next, whisk until the batter is smooth. It should have the consistency of a pancake batter.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Line a muffin pan. Place cupcake liners into each cavity of a 6-count muffin pan.
- Fill the pan. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them to the 4/5.
- Bake. Bake the muffins until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Note: if using a crown muffin pan, bake them for 22-24 minutes.
- Let them cool. Let the muffins cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before carefully removing them. Quick tip: to remove them more easily, slightly twist them as you take them from the pan.
You can enjoy them while still warm with the melty dark chocolate chips, or let them cool for about 1 hour before eating!
📔 Tips
- Generously fill the muffin cavities. If you want tall and generous muffins, do not hesitate to fill the muffin cups almost all the way to the top.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. The batter is voluntarily not overly sweet since the muffins are loaded with chocolate chips that already bring a ton of sweetness. If using fewer chocolate chips, I recommend increasing the sugar in the batter (add an extra 3-4 tablespoons).
- Decorate with extra chocolate chips. For better-looking muffins, sprinkle more chocolate chips on top of the muffins before baking.
- Chill in the refrigerator. If you are like us and enjoy fresh muffins with crispy chocolate chips, place them in the refrigerator for 20-25 minutes before enjoying them.
🌰 Variations
If you are looking for ways to customize these muffins, we have got you covered! Here are a few add-ins you can incorporate into the batter:
- Chocolate chunks: Replace the chocolate chips with chopped dark chocolate for a deeper chocolate flavor. You can also use 70% dark chocolate if you want to reduce the sweetness.
- Nuts: Chopped hazelnuts, macadamia, or peanuts.
- Nut butter: Fill half of each muffin cup with the batter, add a dollop of peanut butter, almond butter, or chocolate hazelnut butter in the center, and cover with the remaining batter.
- Caramel: Incorporate vegan caramel sauce swirls into the batter.
- Spices: Add cinnamon, apple spice, or pumpkin spice to infuse your muffins with extra flavor.
❄️ Storing and Freezing
- To store: You can keep these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can then thaw on the counter overnight or place frozen muffins in a 255°F (125°C) preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. The muffins will be warm and so tender!
💬 FAQ
I tried letting the batter rest for 2 hours and saw no difference in texture or rise, so no rest is needed!
While a silicon muffin pan will work, I do not recommend it as your muffins won’t brown evenly, especially in the lower part. Metal pans are a better conductor of heat and will result in evenly golden brown muffins.
The muffins are done when the top appears set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
These vegan muffins are SO GOOD: their texture is super light and tender with a moisture level that is neither too dry nor too moist. The rich and fresh vanilla flavor takes them to another level that makes them hard to resist!
These muffins remind me of “Captain Choc” or “Choco Pepites” cakes from Lu, which I used to binge on during my childhood! And YES, these are totally suitable for breakfast!
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Note: This recipe was first released in May 2022 and was updated in January 2024 with new photos and process shots.
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The Fluffiest Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup vegan yogurt I used soy yogurt
- 7 tbsp almond milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 6-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg if using. Add the oil, vegan yogurt, and almond milk, and whisk until the batter is smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and white vinegar and stir until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir again until the chocolate chips are evenly incorporated into the batter.
- Next, fill the muffin cups to the 4/5 with the batter. Top with more chocolate chips for decoration and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Note: if using a crown muffin pan, bake them for 22-24 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the muffin pan. Enjoy still warm, or let them cool completely on a grid. Muffins will keep for up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
- Generously fill the muffin cavities. If you want tall and generous muffins, do not hesitate to fill the muffin cups almost all the way to the top.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. The batter is voluntarily not overly sweet since the muffins are loaded with chocolate chips that already bring a ton of sweetness. If using fewer chocolate chips, I recommend increasing the sugar in the batter (add an extra 3-4 tablespoons).
- Decorate with extra chocolate chips. For better-looking muffins, sprinkle more chocolate chips on top of the muffins before baking.
- Chill in the refrigerator. If you are like us and enjoy fresh muffins with crispy chocolate chips, place them in the refrigerator for 20-25 minutes before enjoying them.
- Recipe heavily adapted from Aux Fourneaux avec Flo.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
These were EXCELLENT! So light and tender . Thank you!
Thank you Rani!
Super fluffy muffins. We liked them a lot. I cut the sugar in half and it was still sweet enough, I used only 1/3 cup of oil but 2/3 cup of soygurt, and I substituted wholemeal pastry flour for half the flour. The muffins still came out very well (while being more wholesome), so I do not quite understand why so much sugar and oil in the original recipe?
Hi John,
Thanks for your great feedback, I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Well, the goal with this recipe was not to make wholesome or healthy muffins but quite decadent ones 🙂 Hence the slightly higher ratio of oil, which gives the muffins moisture, richness, and prevents them from drying too quickly. Regarding the sugar, I do not find them particularly sweet but that obviously depends on each persons taste 🙂
Happy New Year! These look yummy Thomas. Could I bake these into a loaf pan instead? If so, what size pan and for how long?
Happy New Year to you too Deb!
I don’t see why baking in a loaf pan wouldn’t work. Regarding the size I am unsure as I have never tried. Regarding the baking time I would probably try baking it like most cakes, about 40 minutes.
This recipe turned out great, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the side, my boyfriend said they’re some of the best muffins he’s ever had. My only tip is to remember to space them in the tray if you’re using a 12 muffin model.
Thanks so much Jaclyn!
These chocolate chip muffins were excellent! Thank you Thomas.
Glad you liked them Emy!
Sounds delicious!
Do you think brown flour or almond flour would work? I’m trying to get away from white flour and go with higher fiber/healthier flours…
Thanks!
I’m afraid it won’t work. The recipe would need to be completely reworked to work with gluten-free flours.
Hi I’m in the UK and just checking your metric measurements… Is that enough flour and too much yoghurt please? Sorry, just not sure the conversions for cups are correct. Also, would cider vinegar work for the rise or does it have to be white? Excited to try! Thanks for your help xx
Hi Helen,
The metrics are correct. And yes, apple cider vinegar will work too!
I tried this and the cakes are very fluffy, thanks for sharing
Glad you liked it!
Thank you very much Thomas and Vân! Just writing to thank you for the fluffiest vegan chocolate chip muffin recipe! They really are the best!
You are welcome Lara! We are glad you are enjoying these muffins 😉
Delicious!
Great texture and flavour.
This recipe appealed to me due to the oil,yoghurt and nutmeg.
Glad you liked the muffins Cat! 🙂
The most delicious vegan muffin recipe I ever tried! All my non-vegan guests absolutely loved it and had to share the recipe several times. Thanks a lot 🙂
Glad you liked the recipe Anett! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Tes recettes sont toujours au top et celle-ci ne fait pas exception, c’est un vrai régal : les muffins sont légers, moelleux et délicieux! Et en plus c’est rapide et facile à faire. Merci infiniment !
Merci beaucoup Annie 🙂
Oh my gosh, these are sooo good, so easy and fast to whip up. Sub’d WW pastry flour for AP and they were gone overnight! Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Izzi!
Thanks for your rating!
I would have frozen some of these muffins but they were just so good they didn’t get the chance to be frozen!
I will definitely be making these again.
Glad to hear you liked this recipe Barbara 🙂 Thanks for your feedback and rating!