Last Updated on 5 September, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
These double chocolate orange muffins combine cocoa and dark chocolate chips with enough fresh orange to cut through the richness. Oil and sour cream keep the crumb soft and moist, while finely grated orange zest provides a brighter citrus flavour than juice could manage alone. They are easy enough for lunchboxes and afternoon tea, but a warm muffin with melting chocolate chips also makes a very respectable dessert. If chocolate and orange are regular partners in your kitchen, try my macadamia, white chocolate and orange cookies next, or my chocolate orange cake, or browse through my other easy baking recipes.
What puts the Double in Double Chocolate?
The chocolate flavour comes from two sources: unsweetened cocoa powder in the batter and a generous amount of chocolate chips folded through it. The cocoa flavours the entire muffin, while the chips create pockets of melted chocolate goodness.
Dark chocolate chips balance the sweetness of the batter and work particularly well with orange. Milk chocolate can be used instead, although the finished muffins will taste sweeter. A combination of the two is also perfectly reasonable when several half-empty packets are taking up valuable pantry space.
Ingredients for Double Chocolate Orange Muffins
- Plain flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Salt
- White sugar
- Egg
- Mild-flavoured vegetable oil
- Fresh orange juice
- Vanilla extract
- Finely grated orange zest
- Sour cream
- Dark chocolate chips
Use unsweetened baking cocoa rather than drinking chocolate, which contains added sugar and won’t provide the same depth of flavour.
Choose a neutral oil such as vegetable, canola or sunflower oil. Strongly flavoured olive oil can compete with the chocolate and orange.
Full-fat sour cream gives the best texture, although natural or Greek yoghurt can be substituted if necessary. Finely grate only the coloured outer layer of the orange skin and leave the bitter white pith behind.
How to Make Chocolate Orange Muffins
Step one – Prepare the oven and tin. Preheat the oven to 190°C conventional or 170°C fan forced. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases or lightly grease each hole.
Step two – Combine the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar, then whisk everything together so the raising agents and cocoa are evenly distributed.
Step three – Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, orange juice, vanilla and orange zest. Add the sour cream and whisk gently until mostly smooth.
Step four – Bring the batter together. Stir the chocolate chips through the dry ingredients, reserving a small handful for the tops if you like. Pour in the wet mixture and fold gently until no large pockets of dry flour remain. The batter will be fairly thick and doesn’t need to look completely smooth. Overmixing can leave the muffins heavy and chewy.
Step five – Fill the muffin tin. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cases. Scatter over the reserved chocolate chips, if you kept some aside.
Step six – Bake and cool. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. A skewer should come out without wet batter, although melted chocolate on it is hardly a baking emergency. Leave the chocolate and orange muffins in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
More Easy Muffin Recipes
All my muffin recipes are easy and delicious, so try some of these for your next bake.
- Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Fluffy Blueberry Lemon Muffins
- Banana Muffins
- Orange White Chocolate Muffins
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Carrot and Ginger Muffins
Double Choc Orange Muffins FAQ
Can I use bottled orange juice instead of fresh?
You can, but you also need fresh orange rind. So may it is more of a ‘topping up’ use, if you don’t have enough juice from the orange.
Why do my chocolate orange muffins sometimes come out dense?
It’s usually from overmixing. Stir until the batter is just combined and stop the moment the flour disappears to keep them fluffy.
Can I swap the dark chocolate chips for something else?
Of course. Milk chocolate makes them sweeter, white chocolate makes them richer and adds a creamy contrast, and chopped chocolate bars work too.
Do the chocolate orange muffins freeze well?
They freeze brilliantly. Pop them into an airtight container once cooled, and thaw at room temperature when you need a grab-and-go treat.
Do I need paper cases?
Not strictly. You can lightly grease the tin if you prefer a rustic edge, but paper cases make clean up blissfully easy and removes the likelihood of the muffins sticking to the tin.
Do I have to use sour cream?
You can replace it with Greek yoghurt. The sour cream gives moisture and softness, so it’s worth including if you can – but Greek or plain yoghurt are good substitutes.
Tips for soft, well-risen muffins
- Bring the egg and sour cream closer to room temperature so they combine more evenly with the other ingredients.
- Sift the cocoa powder because it has a remarkable ability to form small, stubborn lumps.
- Fold the batter only until the dry flour disappears. A few small lumps are better than an overmixed batter.
- Divide the batter evenly so the muffins finish baking at roughly the same time.
- Begin checking at around 14 minutes, particularly if your oven runs hot.
- Test a spot away from a visible chocolate chip when using a skewer.
- Let the muffins rest briefly in the tin, but move them to a rack after 10 minutes so their bases don’t become damp.
Feedback and More: Have you given the double choc orange muffins recipe a go? I’d love to know how it was. Select a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Cheers, Elby!
There are more delicious and easy bakery favourites, a guide to muffins and homemade biscuit recipes worth exploring on the site – something for every occasion.
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Double Chocolate Orange Muffins
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 280 grams plain flour - approx. 1 3/4 cups
- 25 grams cocoa powder - unsweetened, approx. 1/4 cup
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarb soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 150 grams white sugar - approx. 3/4 cup
Wet Ingredients
- 1 egg - large, at room temperature
- 120 ml vegetable oil - mild flavour
- 120 ml orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp orange rind
Extras
- 80 grams sour cream
- 200 grams dark chocolate chips - can substitute for milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C | 170°C fan forced and line (or lightly grease) a 12-hole muffin tin.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Then add the sour cream and stir just enough to combine with the wet ingredients.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the flour mix and then pour in the wet ingredients. Fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cases in the tin and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until they spring back from a light touch. You can also test with a skewer, but keep in mind that it won’t come out clean if it hits a chocolate chip. Rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
