Name: Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoons orange zest; 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 120g (½ cup) whole milk, room temperature; 60g (¼ cup) orange juice fresh; 60g (¼ cup) sour cream or greek yogurt, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract; 160g dark chocolate chips

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These orange chocolate chip muffins combine the bright scent of fresh orange with pockets of melty dark chocolate. They’re soft, moist, and bursting with flavor.

Close-up of a chocolate chip muffin, partially eaten, revealing a moist interior with visible chocolate chips. The muffin rests on a piece of brown parchment paper.

I add lots of orange zest to the batter, which is what gives it the brilliant flavor. It gets rubbed into the sugar before the rest of the ingredients are added. This little step is a great way to release the orange oils and enhance the taste. Once the batter has been mixed I chill it in the fridge for an hour before baking. This lets the flour fully hydrate, which creates a more tender crumb. The batter also thickens a bit which makes it easier to scoop into the muffin liners.

Taller muffins

I bake these muffins at a higher temperature for the first 5 minutes, which helps create a taller muffin. The initial heat gives the batter an extra lift before lowering the temperature to bake them through.

Close-up of a freshly baked chocolate chip muffin with a golden-brown top, sitting on crumpled parchment paper. The muffin has visible chocolate chips scattered throughout. The background is softly blurred.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need! You can find the amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

All-purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder. The base of the muffins
Fresh oranges. The zest and the juice
Semi-sweet chocolate. Dark chocolate pairs best with orange.
Butter. Salted or unsalted.
Sour cream. Brings extra fat and moisture to the muffins. Sub with Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.
Whole milk. Loosens the batter.
Vanilla and salt – Enhances flavor.
Large eggs. For structure and texture.

Instructions

Rub orange zest into the sugar to release the oils. Then whisk in the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, milk, orange juice and vanilla.

Two images side by side. The left image shows hands mixing orange zest and flour in a bowl. The right image shows a hand using a spatula to fold chocolate chunks into a batter. In the background, there are oranges and flour.

Fold through the dry ingredients and chocolate.
Chill the batter in the fridge for an hour.Scoop into muffin tins.

A close-up shows a bowl with cookie dough mixture being stirred on the left. On the right, a hand uses a scoop to place dough into paper-lined muffin tins. An orange is visible in the background. The words Basi and Bite are overlaid on both images.

Bake at a higher temperature for 5 minutes, then reduce and bake until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Variations

Swap the sem-sweet chocolate for milk chocolate for a sweeter muffin. Or, skip the chocolate and add in dried cranberries instead.
Add a handful of chopped nuts, like pecans or almonds, for extra texture.
Pile on a streusel crumb topping.

A freshly baked orange chocolate chip muffin wrapped in brown paper sits in a muffin tray. The muffin has a golden brown top with visible chocolate chips, highlighting its moist and delicious texture.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer freshness, store them in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat briefly in the microwave or oven to bring back the fluffy texture and melt the chocolate.

Freezing:

Allow the muffins to cool completely before freezing, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw the muffins at room temperature or microwave them for 20-30 seconds. You can also warm them in a 180°C (350°F) oven for about 10 minutes.

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Yield: 12