These chocolate orange muffins are one of the lightest muffins I’ve ever made and are a refreshing burst of holiday deliciousness.
We could sit here and spend our time together wondering if this is a technical glitch, but let’s just agree that these are the lightest, fluffiest muffins we’ve ever had.
The orange-flavored frosting is filled with chocolate chips, with a ribbon of chocolate-infused frosting running throughout the muffins, so everything tastes like orange, with a hint of chocolate and an incredibly soft and moist texture.
Despite their fair share of calories, these muffins are a refreshing break from rich, heavy holiday treats. With “orange” and “muffin” in the title, I was convinced that they could be considered health food.
Chocolate Orange Swirl Muffins
Makes: 12 muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (106 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup canola oil or melted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zelt one medium orange, about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plain or small
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (for dark, nonstick pans) or 350 degrees for muffin pans. Line pans with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, cream, orange juice, vanilla, and orange zest - Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until moist. Don’t overmix! You may also see some small specks; as long as the mixture is evenly melted without overmixing, you should be fine.
- On two plates, divide the batter in half. Place cocoa powder in one of the bowls and fold in chocolate chips in half. Place remaining chocolate chips on the other “white” layer.
- Pour cookies into prepared muffin cups, alternating orange and chocolate chips. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350 or 17-18 minutes at 325 until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let muffins cool in pans for five minutes. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
