Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
I wanted to thank Natural Delights Medjool Dates® for sponsoring this Double Chocolate Chip Muffins post! As always, all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.
These fudgy and ultra-chocolatey Double Chocolate Chip Muffins are made with Natural Delights Medjool dates, instead of sugar, making them a healthier option and refined sugar free!
Natural Delights Medjool Dates
Natural Delights Medjool Dates are a type of date that is perfect for baking! They are an incredibly versatile ingredient in cooking and baking, and are available year round!
In this recipe, the Natural Medjool Dates are used in place of sugar to provide sweetness! Medjool dates are able to replace refined sugars with a form of sweetness that comes with the added benefit of fibre and a ton of vitamins and minerals!
Learn more about Natural Delights Medjool Dates here.
How to make the Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
1.Blend the Medjool dates and buttermilk: Add the buttermilk and medjool dates to a high-powered blender, then blend until very smooth. This will be about 1-2 minutes of blending.
2. Combine dry ingredients: Mix together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix together the blended dates and buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl, then fold together with a spatula. Fold until it is fully combined, but make sure not to overmix!
5. Fold in chocolate chips: Add the chocolate chips, then lightly fold them into the batter.
6. Bake: Add the batter to a lined muffin tin, filling each cavity up almost to the top, then bake in the oven!
What you’ll need to make these Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
Medjool Dates: These provide sweetness to the muffins.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk provides the acidic component to activate the baking soda. It also provides hydration and fat to the muffins, making them tender and soft.
Dutch Cocoa: Dutch cocoa is a less acidic type of cocoa powder; I find it tastes more chocolatey than traditional cocoa.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These are the leavening ingredients. I find using both creates taller muffin tops!
Vanilla: Vanilla adds flavour.
Salt: Salt enhances the other flavours in the muffins.
Oil: Oil provides fat for the muffins, making them tender, moist, and soft.
Flour: Provides structure. I used all-purpose flour for these!
Chocolate Chips: Can’t forget the best part!
How to get Tall Muffin Tops
DO NOT OVERMIX
As most bakers know, mixing any batter that contains flour leads to the development of gluten. Gluten in flour is activated by the presence of water, and strengthened by physical agitation. Overmixing a batter basically causes these gluten strands to strengthen, which can lead to a tough, gummy batter. But it can also lead to its rise being inhibited. Strong gluten development will essentially hold down the muffin batter and not allow it to freely rise up in the oven.
BAKE AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE
By placing the double chocolate chip muffins in a super hot oven, the muffins rapidly rise up, creating a taller muffin top! However, they only bake at this high temperature for a few minutes, because if we baked the muffins at this temperature the entire time, the bottoms and tops would likely burn before the insides were properly cooked – therefore the oven temperature is reduced to prevent burning and uneven baking.
Only do 6 muffins per pan
I like to baking the muffins using 2 pans, that way each pan only has 6 muffins in it. The muffins will be in a checker formation (one in the first row, 2 in the next row, one in the next, and 2 in the final row). This formation allows better heat circulation, leading to fluffier taller muffins! Check out my reel on instagram for a visual of the formation!
Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- 340 g (12oz) Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates
- 2 cups (480g) Full-Fat Buttermilk
- 2 cups (240g) All Purpose Flour
- 2/3 cup (70g) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup (250g) Chocolate Chips
Equipment
- Blender
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a cupcake tin with 12 liners, or two cupcake tins with 6 liners in each. Meanwhile, add the buttermilk and medjool dates to a high-powered blender, then blend until very smooth, about 1-2 minutes of blending. Set aside.
- In a medium to large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the blended dates and buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl, then fold together with a spatula. Fold until it is fully combined, but do not overmix! Add the chocolate chips, then lightly fold them into the batter.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the cupcake liners, then place into the oven. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Amazing! My dates were a little dry, so I steeped them in a 1/2 cup of boiling water and only used 1-1/2 cups of buttermilk. So delicious.
Thank you!