If I could pick one flavor combo to eat every single day it would be orange chocolate. These orange chocolate chip muffins are my favorite muffins of all time! Full of orange flavor, huge sugary tops, and loaded with all the melty dark chocolate chips, and they don't require any special steps. Perfect for weekend brunch!
Moist orange chocolate chip muffins are a family favorite, the aroma coming from the oven is pure bliss. The key to creating that beautiful orange flavor is using a microplane for zesting and rubbing the granulated sugar and zest together to release the citrus oils.
If you love orange chocolate bakes and muffins, check out my blueberry white chocolate muffins, muffins with lemon curd, orange shortbread cookies, and white chocolate and cranberry muffins!
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Why you'll love this easy orange chocolate chip muffin recipe
FLAVOR- Intense orange flavor paired with rich dark chocolate. My orange chocolate cupcakes are dreamy as well!
EASE- No need to cream butter and sugars!
TEXTURE- Super fluffy with crunchy bakery style tops. My raspberry banana muffins have the same texture!
Equipment
You have to use a microplane zester for the orange zest, it produces the finest zest making it easy to melt into the sugar.
A muffin pan for perfectly sized chocolate chip orange muffins.
Muffin liners will make your life easier.
Ingredients
- Butter- you need butter for flavor, texture, and moisture
- Orange- this is the key flavor in these muffins, you need a microplane to zest the oranges. I do not recommend using a cheese grater. If you love these flavors, check out my cannoli bars!
- Chocolate Chips- dark chocolate is the best chocolate to use in this recipe, its not too sweet and pairs well with orange
- Turbinado sugar- I love using raw sugar for topping pastries, it is course and doesn't melt in the oven. It adds an amazing crunch you can't get with granulated sugar
- Milk- you can really use any milk you like, if you have buttermilk on hand I recommend that being your number one choice
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Chocolate, milk chocolate would be delicious if you don't like dark chocolate.
- Serving these orange chocolate chip muffins with salted butter is so divine!
- If you do not have muffin liners, you can thoroughly spray the muffin pan with non stick baking spray.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions. These are just suggestions.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 430°F. Line a muffin pan with 8 muffin liners. Whisk together the dry ingredient.
Step 1: Using a microplane, zest the oranges. Whisk the orange zest and sugar until it resembles wet sand, you want to release the oils. You can also use your fingers to rub the sugar and zest together.
Step 2: Add the melted butter and wet ingredients. Whisk until fully combined. Add in the dry ingredients, stir with a rubber spatula or big spoon until combined
Step 3: Add the chocolate chips, the batter will be thick.
Step 4: Divide the batter between the 8 muffin cups, it will look like a lot of batter for one cup, it’s not. Top with a little more sugar (I like turbinado raw sugar) to just coat the top Place in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature down to 400F. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 22-26 minutes
Hint: Spray the top of the muffin pan so the muffin tops don't stick.
Pro tips
- make sure you use the zest of 2 oranges, you really want that orange flavor to shine. Make sure you add the zest to the sugar first and beat vigorously or use your hands to rub the sugar and zest together until it resembles wet sand, you don't want that precious zest to go to waste
- make sure your oven temperature is at 430F to start with, don't forget to turn it down to 400F right after placing the muffins in the oven. The high temp to start is the key to achieving that perfect crown
- this recipe only makes 8 muffins, it will look like too much batter but you want the liners to be completely full. Don't forget to add granulated sugar or raw turbinado sugar on top, it makes a huge difference in texture
FAQ
What is the key to achieving large crowns?
Baking powder and starting with a high oven temperature and then reducing it to a lower temperature. Once the batter hits a high temp, they rise really quick, you have to turn the temp down or else they will burn before they bake all the way through.
Do I have to use muffin liners?
I highly recommend it, its easy cleanup and keeps the muffins moist.
How do I avoid my orange chocolate muffins from being dense?
Do not over work the gluten! Stir the flour in and do not over mix, just until the flour is absorbed.
Storage
Refrigerator
Never refrigerate muffins, refrigerating baked goods dries them out.
Freezer
I like to freeze the orange chocolate chip muffins the same day they were made in a freezer bag, they will be good up to 2 months.
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📖 Recipe
Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan
- Muffin liners
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Microplane zester
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (225 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (145 grams) sugar, plus more for tops
- zest of 2 oranges
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (100 grams) milk any milk will work
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (200 grams) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430F°. Line a muffin pan with 8 muffin liners.Whisk together the dry ingredients
- Using a microplane, zest the oranges. Whisk the orange zest and sugar until it resembles wet sand, you want to release the oils. You can also use your fingers to rub the sugar and zest together. Add the melted butter and wet ingredients. Whisk until fully combined
- Add in the dry ingredients, stir with a rubber spatula or big spoon until combined, add the chocolate chips, the batter will be thick
- Divide the batter between the 8 muffin cups, it will look like a lot of batter for one cup, it’s not. Top with a little more sugar (I like turbinado raw sugar) to just coat the top
- Place in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature down to 400F. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 22-26 minutes
Hannah says
The best muffins I’ve ever made!!
Kathy says
I've made other chocolate chip muffin recipes - I love the chocolate /orange combo - and these are the best I've ever made! The smushing of the sugar and orange zest makes a huge difference in bringing out the orange flavor.
Amanda says
That is so nice of you to say! Releasing the oils is such a game changer! Thank you 🙂
Sam says
These were sooo amazing!!
Amanda says
Yay! thank you!
Mary says
The orange flavor really shined and I love how high they rose in the oven.
Amanda says
Love hearing that! thank you!
Sally says
These are absolutely perfect! I can’t wait to make them again.
Amanda says
Aw thank you so much Sally!
Lisa S. says
These were absolutely incredible, and such an easy recipe to work with. I shared them with friends and neighbors, and everyone kept raving about how delicious they were.
Amanda says
I love hearing that!!! Thank you so much Lisa!!
Tori says
These turned out great even though I completely forgot the vanilla extract haha. I had two questions, what does the vanilla extract do in this recipe and would I get a stronger orange flavor if I replaced it with orange extract? Also why the temperature change? I'm learning to bake so I want to know why things work the way they work 🙂
Amanda says
Hi Tori! I'm so glad they turned out great!! Vanilla extract is almost in everything baking related! It just brings out more flavor and complements everything really well. It's okay if you forgot it because the dominant flavor is orange! Yes, you would get a stronger flavor with orange extract, but the zest of 2 oranges gives a lot of orange flavor and extracts can be really over powering and sometimes have a fake flavor. The temperature change is for the domed tops- they rise really quick at a hot temp creating a muffin top and then you turn the temp down so the rest of the muffin can bake without burning! I'm so glad you're getting into baking!
Tori says
Ah thank you! This is very helpful!
Sarah says
These came together easily and taste delicious! I’m wondering if I could make them as mini muffins also? Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda says
Hi Sarah, I'm so glad to hear it! I've never made mini muffins but I'm sure they would be okay, I don't think I would start with such a high oven temperature, I'd bake at 350F for much less time, I don't think they'll have the same muffin top look. I would use mini chocolate chips 🙂 Thank you for leaving a review!