These Healthy Chocolate Muffins have set a new standard against which all future chocolate muffin recipes will be measured. They are 100% whole wheat, low fat, naturally sweetened, and—despite what you are thinking after reading that suspiciously nutritious sentence—they are so moist, rich, and brownie-like, we’ve been eating them for dessert.
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5 Star Review
“Great recipe! I’ve tried other healthy recipes and the texture has been off. This one has great flavor and is very moist. Will definitely keep this one!”
— Lisa —
These easy chocolate muffins are healthy enough to feel good eating for breakfast before 8 a.m. (same with Chocolate Oatmeal!), yet taste indulgent enough to satisfy your sweet tooth at 8 p.m.
I’ve been sneaking bites while I warm up my lunch (does that make them an appetizer too?), followed by more bites with my afternoon coffee (clearly, they are snack worthy as well).
Even Ben who (and this is one of the great mysteries of our time) usually passes on muffins with chocolate chips has been snitching these healthy muffins.
These chocolate muffins’ appeal is not limited to adults; they can be readily considered healthy chocolate muffins for toddlers too.
My friend brought her to two-and four-year-old girls over for a visit, and they gobbled theirs up before I’d even poured the milk. When it comes to wholesome recipes, toddler approval is the highest approval of them all.
What I needed was an easy, no fuss, end-of-days healthy chocolate muffin recipe that I could whip up on demand. I think you know where this story leads…
To the consummate, best-ever, healthy chocolate muffin recipe! You can bake these easy muffins anytime a craving strikes.
Let me tell you from experience—once you taste these moist chocolate muffins, the craving strikes all the time.
How to Make the Best Healthy Chocolate Muffins
If you bake healthy muffins regularly, my hunch is you have all of the ingredients you need to bake these chocolate muffins in your pantry right now. Here are the highlights.
Key Ingredients
White Whole Wheat Flour. My absolute favorite for healthy baking recipes. While whole wheat flour is 100% whole wheat, meaning these muffins are richer in fiber and nutrients than they would be with white, all-purpose flour, and it has a mild flavor, meaning you (and any picky eaters to whom you serve them) won’t notice the swap.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. For a rich chocolate flavor reminiscent of your favorite brownie.
Greek Yogurt. My trick to making these muffins moist, without the need for extra fat. Greek yogurt also adds protein.
Chocolate Chips. Because why have a regular chocolate muffin when you can have a DOUBLE chocolate muffin with chocolate chips added?
Honey (or Pure Maple Syrup). These muffins are 100% naturally sweetened and made without sugar (the white, more refined kind). Because honey is a liquid sweetener, it adds moisture to the muffins also.
Pure Vanilla Extract. A must have in any muffin.
Instant Espresso Powder. I add this ingredient almost anytime I’m making a recipe with chocolate. It doesn’t make the muffins taste like coffee; rather, it enhances the intensity of the chocolate flavor (try it sometime; you’ll be amazed!). Instant espresso powder is available at most grocery stores and online here. If you prefer, you can leave it out.
Cinnamon. A pinch gives the muffins a subtle warmth.
The Directions
Coat your muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, and stir in the chocolate chips.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until the dry ingredients disappear. Don’t over mix!
Fill each muffin cup almost to the top, then bake at 325°F for 18 to 22 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan first, and finish cooling on a wire rack. Then, it’s time to ENJOY the chocolaty goodness!
Vegan Healthy Chocolate Muffins. **Not yet tested, but I think the following would work. If you try it, please report back.** Replace the eggs with flax eggs, use a coconut milk-based yogurt for the Greek yogurt, use maple syrup for the sweetener, and a non-dairy milk for the milk. Be sure your chocolate chips are dairy free also.
Healthy Chocolate Muffins with Applesauce. If you prefer, you could try replacing the Greek yogurt with the same amount of unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree. (I haven’t tried but imagine this will work; again, please report back if you do!)
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Muffins. Swap one-fourth of the amount of white whole wheat flour with the same amount of oat flour.
Serving Healthy Chocolate Muffins
While these muffins are delicious straight from the oven, here are a couple ideas for how to serve them:
Toppings. A dollop of nut butter or Greek yogurt is scrumptious and extra filling.
Fruit. A side of fresh fruit with these muffins makes a sunny, well-rounded breakfast.
To Store. Let the muffins cool completely before placing them in a storage container. Next, line the bottom of an airtight storage container with a paper towel and place the muffins in a single layer on the paper towel. Then, top your muffins with another paper towel to absorb the excess moisture, and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To Freeze. Individually wrap the muffins in plastic, then place them in a ziptop bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature or rewarm gently in the microwave.
These Healthy Chocolate Muffins are so moist, rich and fudgy, you'll never believe they are good for you! Made with whole grains, yogurt and no added sugar.
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a standard 12 cup muffins tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: white whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the chocolate chips.
In a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the eggs, yogurt, honey, milk, oil, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Gently stir by hand, just until the dry ingredients disappear.
With a muffin scoop or similar, fill the muffin cups 2/3 of the way to the top with batter. If desired, sprinkle on some extra chocolate chips. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out without any wet batter clinging to it. Place the pan on a wire rack. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them from the pan and place them on the rack to finish cooling completely (don’t leave the muffins in the pan or they will start to steam and become a little soggy). Enjoy!
Notes
TO STORE: Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack before placing them in a storage container. Next, line the bottom of an airtight storage container with a paper towel and place the muffins in a single layer on the paper towel. Then, top your muffins with another paper towel to absorb the excess moisture, and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: Individually wrap the muffins in plastic, then place them in a ziptop bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature or rewarm gently in the microwave.
Hi, I’m Erin Clarke, cookbook author and the home cook behind Well Plated. I’ve helped millions of people cook healthier meals that actually taste amazing and sold over 190,000 books! I’m here to help you save time, dirty fewer dishes, and feel great about what you’re eating, without overthinking it. Welcome!
We LOVE this recipe! It’s become a regular for us. I use whole spelt flour, non-dairy yogurt, olive oil and maple syrup as substitutes. Turns out great!
A fun tip if you have kids: Bake the entire recipe in a round cake pan (8 or 9 inch), but leave out the chocolate chips during baking. When it’s done, remove from the oven and top with the chocolate chips and smooth them around the top of the cake when melted, like frosting. It then seems like gooey, chocolate cake is for breakfast! 😉
We absolutely loved the muffins! They were awesome and I will make them again.
I used whole milk as that was what I had on hand. Substituted applesauce for canola oil. And used 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 maple syrup.
The batter did seem a bit runny so I added 3 additional tablespoons of flour. We live at 7000 ft elevation so that could be why. I did not make any of the other typical adjustments for elevation.
I made 18 smaller muffins instead of the 12 that the recipe suggested. Used silicon baking cups.
Also to freeze, after they were completely cool I put the muffins on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer. When completely frozen (about 6-hours), I put the muffins in a ziplock bag then back in to the freezer.
I love your Well Plated Cookbook. My husband calls it my coffee table cookbook because I never put it away. So many excellent recipes. Thank you!
Great recipe! I’ve tried other healthy recipes and the texture has been off. This one has great flavor and is very moist. Will definitely keep this one!
Delicious! I added 4 tbsp chia seeds + more milk and coco powder. Also swapped choco chips with chopped nuts and a tiny bit of oats. Going to be making these weekly! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
These are awesome! Made a few tweaks. I used wholemeal self raising flour, baking powder, whole milk, full fat greek yoghurt and used coconut oil. Such a great recipe. Cooked in 20 minutes. Probably the best muffins cupcake (whatever you want to call them) I’ve ever made. Both me and hubby very pleased. Thanks for this recipe!
I always substitute half the amount of flour with oats for more fibre. And I used 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I added a whole grated apple for added sweetness. It worked beautifully. would make this recipe again.
Honey, especially high quality honey, has many health benefits. Honey is rich in antioxidants which can reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure & triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also a much better alternative than refined sugar. Yes honey is high sugar and calories, but in moderation for a healthier sweet treat, why not? Chocolate also has health benefits, dark chocolate even more so. So you could use dark chocolate chips instead.
Hi Christine! Because these muffins are very moist, a lower temperature with a longer bake time ensures even cooking. They are also naturally sweetened, and natural sweeteners like honey caramelize very quickly in the oven, so I used a lower temperature to keep the muffins from becoming too dark. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
We LOVE this recipe! It’s become a regular for us. I use whole spelt flour, non-dairy yogurt, olive oil and maple syrup as substitutes. Turns out great!
A fun tip if you have kids: Bake the entire recipe in a round cake pan (8 or 9 inch), but leave out the chocolate chips during baking. When it’s done, remove from the oven and top with the chocolate chips and smooth them around the top of the cake when melted, like frosting. It then seems like gooey, chocolate cake is for breakfast! 😉
We absolutely loved the muffins! They were awesome and I will make them again.
I used whole milk as that was what I had on hand. Substituted applesauce for canola oil. And used 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 maple syrup.
The batter did seem a bit runny so I added 3 additional tablespoons of flour. We live at 7000 ft elevation so that could be why. I did not make any of the other typical adjustments for elevation.
I made 18 smaller muffins instead of the 12 that the recipe suggested. Used silicon baking cups.
Also to freeze, after they were completely cool I put the muffins on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer. When completely frozen (about 6-hours), I put the muffins in a ziplock bag then back in to the freezer.
I love your Well Plated Cookbook. My husband calls it my coffee table cookbook because I never put it away. So many excellent recipes. Thank you!
Great recipe! I’ve tried other healthy recipes and the texture has been off. This one has great flavor and is very moist. Will definitely keep this one!
Delicious! I added 4 tbsp chia seeds + more milk and coco powder. Also swapped choco chips with chopped nuts and a tiny bit of oats. Going to be making these weekly! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
These are awesome! Made a few tweaks. I used wholemeal self raising flour, baking powder, whole milk, full fat greek yoghurt and used coconut oil. Such a great recipe. Cooked in 20 minutes. Probably the best muffins cupcake (whatever you want to call them) I’ve ever made. Both me and hubby very pleased. Thanks for this recipe!
I always substitute half the amount of flour with oats for more fibre. And I used 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I added a whole grated apple for added sweetness. It worked beautifully. would make this recipe again.
Honey, especially high quality honey, has many health benefits. Honey is rich in antioxidants which can reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure & triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also a much better alternative than refined sugar. Yes honey is high sugar and calories, but in moderation for a healthier sweet treat, why not? Chocolate also has health benefits, dark chocolate even more so. So you could use dark chocolate chips instead.
Hi Christine! Because these muffins are very moist, a lower temperature with a longer bake time ensures even cooking. They are also naturally sweetened, and natural sweeteners like honey caramelize very quickly in the oven, so I used a lower temperature to keep the muffins from becoming too dark. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
We LOVE this recipe! It’s become a regular for us. I use whole spelt flour, non-dairy yogurt, olive oil and maple syrup as substitutes. Turns out great!
A fun tip if you have kids: Bake the entire recipe in a round cake pan (8 or 9 inch), but leave out the chocolate chips during baking. When it’s done, remove from the oven and top with the chocolate chips and smooth them around the top of the cake when melted, like frosting. It then seems like gooey, chocolate cake is for breakfast! 😉
Yay! So glad the substitutions work for you J! Thanks for the tip!
Delicious and moist, I used applesauce instead of yogurt and they came out great!
Hi Erin—would this recipe work in a loaf pan?
We absolutely loved the muffins! They were awesome and I will make them again.
I used whole milk as that was what I had on hand. Substituted applesauce for canola oil. And used 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 maple syrup.
The batter did seem a bit runny so I added 3 additional tablespoons of flour. We live at 7000 ft elevation so that could be why. I did not make any of the other typical adjustments for elevation.
I made 18 smaller muffins instead of the 12 that the recipe suggested. Used silicon baking cups.
Also to freeze, after they were completely cool I put the muffins on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer. When completely frozen (about 6-hours), I put the muffins in a ziplock bag then back in to the freezer.
I love your Well Plated Cookbook. My husband calls it my coffee table cookbook because I never put it away. So many excellent recipes. Thank you!
Great recipe! I’ve tried other healthy recipes and the texture has been off. This one has great flavor and is very moist. Will definitely keep this one!
Delicious! I added 4 tbsp chia seeds + more milk and coco powder. Also swapped choco chips with chopped nuts and a tiny bit of oats. Going to be making these weekly! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
These are awesome! Made a few tweaks. I used wholemeal self raising flour, baking powder, whole milk, full fat greek yoghurt and used coconut oil. Such a great recipe. Cooked in 20 minutes. Probably the best muffins cupcake (whatever you want to call them) I’ve ever made. Both me and hubby very pleased. Thanks for this recipe!
Glad the substitutions are working for you, Rebecca! Thank you!
I always substitute half the amount of flour with oats for more fibre. And I used 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I added a whole grated apple for added sweetness. It worked beautifully. would make this recipe again.
Honey, especially high quality honey, has many health benefits. Honey is rich in antioxidants which can reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure & triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also a much better alternative than refined sugar. Yes honey is high sugar and calories, but in moderation for a healthier sweet treat, why not? Chocolate also has health benefits, dark chocolate even more so. So you could use dark chocolate chips instead.
Hi Christine! Because these muffins are very moist, a lower temperature with a longer bake time ensures even cooking. They are also naturally sweetened, and natural sweeteners like honey caramelize very quickly in the oven, so I used a lower temperature to keep the muffins from becoming too dark. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!