This is the best Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe! With fluffy centers and crackly muffin tops, these dairy-free & eggless chocolate chip muffins can be made in 35 minutes for an easy breakfast treat.
It's no surprise that we love muffins at SGTO. In fact, my Vegan Chocolate Muffins & Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are actually two of the most popular recipes month over month.
After trying out a few fun flavors, it's time to get back to the classics and share my go-to recipe for chocolate chip muffins.
These dairy-free chocolate chip muffins are SO soft & fluffy. Plus, they have crackly sugared tops so they taste just like your favorite bakery-style muffin!
Ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Chocolate Chips: You can use any dairy-free chocolate chips you want for this recipe. I decided to use Pascha 85% Dark Chocolate Chips because I like that they're not too sweet.
- Applesauce: Is essential to give these egg-free muffins a moist texture. If you don't have any on hand, dairy-free yogurt also works, but the muffins will be less sweet.
- Cinnamon: Really takes these vegan muffins up a notch! You can even add in a little nutmeg for more flavor.
How to make chocolate chip muffins
Make the muffin batter
First, whisk together the wet ingredients including plant-based milk, olive oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla.
Add in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then, mix everything together until you have a super thick muffin batter.
Finally, add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter and fold it into the vegan muffin batter.
Add batter to muffin tin
Now that the batter is ready, it's time to bake the chocolate chip muffins!
For this recipe I used my favorite USA Muffin Pan and If You Care Cupcake Liners. I also like to use a really large cookie scoop to add muffin batter to the liners for a mess-free experience.
Just like my Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins, I added chocolate chips right before baking. However, I also added raw sugar for that crackly crunchy top that gives these muffins a bakery-style feel. Seriously, don't skip it!
Bake and serve the muffins
Once you've added the batter to the cupcake liners and topped with sugar and chocolate chips, it's time to bake these muffins!
They are pretty big muffins so they need about 22-25 minutes to bake, but make sure to check them with a toothpick before removing them. If they come out clean with no raw batter from the center, they should be good to go!
How to store vegan muffins:
These vegan chocolate chip muffins can be stored in a closed container or wrapped in tin foil at room temperature for 2-3 days.
They can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To defrost frozen cupcakes let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes-1 hour before enjoying. These vegan muffins can also be reheated in the oven or microwave if desired!
FAQ & Tips:
Definitely! Using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour mix works well in this recipe. Please note that using flour alternatives like almond flour or coconut flour will not work in this recipe as it's not a 1:1 substitution.
Definitely! You can omit them completely or even substitute them with carob chips, cacao nibs, walnuts, or raisins for a twist on the classic.
I can't wait to see your remakes of these epic Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins. With soft fluffy insides and crackly muffin tops, it really doesn't get much better than this recipe. Enjoy!
-TSG
More easy vegan muffin recipes you will love:
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Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Muffins
- ⅔ cup oat milk or any plant-based milk subbed 1:1
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup olive oil or any neutral oil
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Muffin topping
- 2 Tablespoons vegan chocolate chips
- 1-2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar or raw sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. It can also be a good idea to spray the top of your muffin pan if it is not a non-stick pan. Set aside for later.
- Add the oat milk, cane sugar, olive oil, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Next, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Start by adding the all-purpose flour and then add the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top.
- Then, use a whisk or spatula to GENTLY mix the batter just until all streaks of flour are gone. A lumpy batter is okay at this point!
- Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter. This step is best done with a spatula or whisk.
- Once the oven has preheated, use a large cookie scoop to add the chocolate chip muffin batter to the 10 cupcake liners until each is about ⅞ full of batter. Then, sprinkle the muffins with the 2 Tablespoons of chocolate chips and 1-2 Tablespoons of turbinado sugar before baking.
- Add the tray of muffins to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until the muffins have cooked through and are browned and slightly cracked on top.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and immediately remove the muffins from the muffin tin. Then, place them onto a wire cooling rack. Do not let the muffins cool in the tin or they risk getting soggy on the bottom.
- Once the muffins have slightly cooled, serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- There isn't a good substitute for brown sugar as it is needed to interact with baking soda.
- Applesauce can be subbed 1:1 for plant-based yogurt, though the muffins will be less sweet.
- These vegan chocolate chip muffins can be stored in a closed container or wrapped in tin foil at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- They can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- To defrost frozen cupcakes let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes-1 hour before enjoying.
Liz says
Wanted to make some quick muffins and these are the best vegan muffins I have ever tried. Super delicious 😋
Megan says
Love to hear that thank you so much for the review! 🙂
Applesauce?? says
Hi! I wanted to ask why you chose applesauce, over any of the other egg substitutes like chia egg or flax egg? Loving this recipe!
Megan says
I like applesauce better for muffins because it makes them a bit more dense/moist than other egg substitutes. Glad you are loving the muffins!
Diane says
These are so delicious. A simple recipe that creates the best muffin. 💖
Megan says
Thanks for the review, glad you liked them!