Easy dairy-free double chocolate muffins is a simple recipe for rich and delicious muffins made without milk or butter. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a comforting, chocolately treat.
Why you should make these...
Dairy-free double chocolate muffins are delicious and chocolately. They are terrific to have with your morning coffee or a glass of cold milk. Plus, if you need comforting at the end of a long, busy day, these muffins are perfect.
Made with simple prep, in one bowl with basic pantry ingredients, it's a budget-friendly treat made with oat milk (a milk alternative) and oil. No butter or milk.
Tip: The recipe calls for 1¼ to 1½ cups of oat milk. If you use the smaller amount of oat milk, your muffins will be denser than if you use the larger amount.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for dairy-free chocolate muffins
This recipe calls for oat milk, but can I use a different plant-based milk instead?
Yes, you can easily substitute oat milk with almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or regular water depending on what you have on hand in your pantry. If you use coconut milk, however, you will introduce additional flavor, and your muffins may taste a bit coconutty.
Can I customize these dairy-free chocolate muffins?
Yes, absolutely. You can easily customize these muffins by folding in up to 1 cup total of dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, or a spoonful of peanut butter into the batter before baking.
The recipe calls for between 1¼ to 1½ cups of oat milk. What's the difference?
Using the smaller amount (1¼ cups) of oat milk will yield a slightly thicker batter, resulting in denser muffins. Using the larger amount (1½ cups) will create a slightly thinner batter, producing less dense muffins.
How should I store leftover chocolate muffins?
Store your leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep them fresh.
Can I freeze these dairy-free chocolate muffins?
Yes, these muffins freeze wonderfully! Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave before serving.
These are called muffins. What is the difference between muffins and cupcakes?
While muffins and cupcakes share a similar base batter, muffins typically have a denser, heartier texture than cupcakes, which are lighter, fluffier, and more cake-like.
Also, muffins are enjoyed as a quick breakfast or casual snack, while cupcakes are celebration treats specifically designed to be finished with frosting or ganache with sprinkles.
General FAQs and information about baking:
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you're completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice-once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it's not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don't ruin it.
What do eggs do in baking?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter "creams" better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼, and from margarine or butter to oil, the ratio is typically 1 to ¾.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it's not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
Should I sift flour before I use it?
Unless you are concerned about bugs or clumps from moisture, the need to sift depends on your recipe.
For example, you don't need to sift for dense baking like muffins or quick breads, where lumps won't ruin the texture. But you should sift for recipes that rely on air bubbles, such as sponge or angel cakes or soufflés. You also should sift your flour if you are making baked goods with a high fat content, such as brownies, because it is important that the fat be absorbed throughout all of the flour, and having flour clumps could prevent this.
Sifting the baking powder and/or baking soda together with the flour and salt before mixing in the other ingredients may be able to help prevent cakes from coming out lopsided, where one side may be somewhat higher than the other.
What equipment is good to have in my kitchen for convenient baking?
- a stand mixer, which I use mostly for dough and sometimes for whipping
- a hand mixer (for things that aren't dough and I don't want to mix manually)
- a kitchen scale
- different sizes and shapes of baking pans, including loaf pans
- mixing bowls (or just large bowls-I have plastic, glass, and metal)
- cookie sheets
- pie dishes
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisks
- rubber spatulas (really good for when you don't want to leave anything in the bowl)
- rolling pins
- a baking mat for rolling out dough
- baking strips
- a good supply of baking (or parchment) paper (also round for layer cakes)
Which pantry staples are good to have for last-minute baking?
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark-I usually keep dark)
- confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
- a variety of fillings, frostings, and toppings:
- whipping cream
- packaged pie dough or ready-made pie crusts
- puff pastry dough
Tips for baking
Preparing the batter
As obvious as that may sound (except to people like me), following instructions when baking is important.
It seems that all too often, bloggers will add extra steps or add extra ingredients, unnecessarily complicating the recipes.
Nonetheless, sometimes what seems unnecessary can be helpful.
That noted, the best way to start, unless directed otherwise, is by putting the dry ingredients in the bowl first and combining them together, and then adding the wet ingredients.
I haven't found that it matters much what order ingredients are put in the bowl when it comes to dough, however, with batter, it can make a difference, and it is a good practice to add the wet ingredients, one at a time, blending lightly in between, mixing slowly and thoroughly.
Dumping all of the ingredients in before mixing can leave flour clumps, which may not dissolve while baking and mixing too quickly will add air bubbles, which can create air gaps in the cake
Flour clumps, especially the larger ones, may not bake into your cake, and you may find them in your slices. If you have them, remove as many as you can before baking. Using a strainer helps. (Yes, this has happened to me.)
If you find you do have a lot of little air bubbles, gently tap the side of the bowl with your fingers before you pour into the pan (you can do this with the pan if you didn't notice the bubbles until you already poured the batter).
The tapping will pop them (you can actually see this). You may not get rid of them all, but the bigger ones are more important to pop. The bubbles seem to be more of a problem with thinner batter and with thicker batter.
The batter
Before you pour the batter into the pan(s), make sure to coat well with something to help prevent your final products from sticking.
There are various ways to do this, depending on your preference. You can use some type of fat, such as oil or cooking spray, margarine, or butter, with or without sprinkling flour as well. Or you can use baking paper.
My personal preference is to place baking paper on the bottom of the pan(s) and then coat with cooking spray, or vice versa. Baking paper can come in individual sheets or in rolls. For round pans, you can buy a suitable size that will fit right on the bottom of the pan. OR you can place the pan on top of the baking paper, trace around the bottom of the pan, and cut to size.
If you use baking paper, you might find that it won't stay at the bottom of the pan properly while you are trying to pour the batter in, and there are a couple of tricks I use to help. One is to cut the paper so it fits in the pan like a lining, and the other is to wet it so it sticks (the latter is quicker, so I normally use that one).
When making cupcakes or muffins, you can coat or you can use cupcake paper. I have found that with some brands, however, while the paper won't stick to the pan, it will stick to the cupcake, so you might want to lightly spray the paper before you pour in the batter.
If you are making a layer cake, separate the batter equally into both pans. The best way to do this is to weigh the pans with batter to make sure they are even. Personally, I just eyeball it (which is probably not the best idea unless you have a good eye).
Cooling
You know your baked good is ready when a toothpick can slide cleanly and easily in and out of the baked item (or when the top is a little firm and springy), it can be removed from the oven.
Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.
For cupcakes and muffins, I recommend using cupcake paper, and after you have used the knife to loosen them from the cup, you should be able to just pop them out carefully using the same knife.
Love muffins?
Try
Dairy-Free Cranberry-Orange Muffins
Dairy-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins
And if you like those, you should try these!
Dairy-Free Baked Apple Doughnuts
Dairy-Free Glazed Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
Easy Dairy-Free Double Chocolate Muffins Recipe
Delicious and rich chocolate muffins with chocolate chips, made without milk or butter.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of dry instant coffee (crystals or powder), optional*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ - 1½ cups oat milk**
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup semi-sweet, dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and coffee (if desired).
- Add oat milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with cupcake paper, or spray the inside of the pan well with cooking spray, or coat well with oil.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the cups of the two pans.
- Sprinkle the tops with chocolate chips (optional)
- Place in an oven that has been preheated to 350°F and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the muffins are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
Notes
*coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate, but you can leave it out if you want.
**If you use less, they will be more dense.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 4gSugar: 28gProtein: 8g
