These Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins are soft and moist, loaded with gooey chocolate chips. Made with Greek yogurt and whole grains, this easy recipe is perfect for nourishing breakfasts and snacks.
I've always been a peculiar - better said picky - guy. I absolutely love chocolate, but somehow chocolate desserts are not my thing. Ever since the early days of childhood, I've always preferred simple cakes and pastries, but loaded with chocolate chips. If brownies or death by chocolate cakes have never been my favorite, I simple can't resist chocolate chip cookies, cookie dough and choc chip muffins. Especially the latter: chocolate chip muffins, these are my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E.
The best were the ones my dad used to get when I was a small kid. Every single Saturday. Oh Dear...They were so soft, moist and delicious that my brother and I would hide the packages from each other to avoid sharing.
Last weekend we were grocery shopping when I stumbled across that exact same muffin package. Needless to say, it ended up in our trolley. Dessert for the night was secured. But just for that night, because, bite after bite, my girlfriend and I eat them all.
Tempted to get some more, I eventually decided to make my own yogurt chocolate chip muffins at home. But this time healthy, with cleaner ingredients and more nutrients. Here's how this recipe was born. The most delicious healthy dessert that you can bake.
The BEST chocolate chip muffin recipe, healthy
These are seriously the very best chocolate chip muffins ever. They are so soft, moist and rich that you'll never guess they are also good for you. My recipe only uses a handful of clean ingredients, such as Greek yogurt, eggs and maple syrup. The best part is that it's so quick and easy. These healthy muffins with chocolate chips come together in a bowl in under 30 minutes. You're gonna love them, your kids are gonna love them, your family is gonna love them, your friends are gonna love them. Honestly, this is a sign to go and make chocolate chip cupcakes ASAP.
Why is this muffin recipe healthy?
- It's made with whole grains and maple syrup, instead of refined flour and white sugar.
- It uses Greek yogurt, which gives moisture and softness without excessive amounts of oil. What's more, it adds high quality protein to homemade chocolate chip muffins.
- It's lower in fats, as it only requires 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and no butter.
- It's lower in calories, each muffin provides approximately 153 calories.
Ingredients for chocolate chip muffins
This easy chocolate chip muffin recipe calls for just a couple of simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. Read further for all details, tips and substitutes.
- Wholewheat flour. Unrefined flour makes chocolate chip muffins healthy. I used wholewheat flour, but you can also replace with spelt flour, all purpose flour, or (gluten free) pastry flour. Oat flour works, but it won't give your desserts the best texture.
- Eggs. In this recipe, large eggs give choc chip cupcakes a better texture and a richer flavor. As a vegan alternative you can use flaxseed eggs.
- Greek yogurt. The yogurt makes healthy muffins softer without excessive quantities of oil or butter. For more protein and fewer calories I used nonfat Greek yogurt, but you can replace with regular Greek yogurt or with any other yogurt of your choice (preferably thick). Also nondairy.
- Maple syrup. This is going to sweeten chocolate chip muffins healthily, without refined sugar. Maple syrup can be replaced with honey, agave syrup, date syrup or coconut syrup.
- Vegetable oil. For the best result, use a neutral vegetable oil. Great options are canola oil, avocado oil and coconut oil. Replace with melted butter if you desire.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but you are free to pick any other type of milk. My recommendations are semi-skimmed milk, soy milk and oat milk.
- Baking powder. Acting as leaving agent, baking powder ensures your healthy muffins rise and get soft.
- Vanilla extract. A teaspoon vanilla extract gives the dessert plenty of flavor.
- Salt. Salt is added to balance sweetness and enhance flavors.
- Chocolate chips. I like using a mix of mini chocolate chips and regular chocolate chips, extra dark chocolate in both cases. But any type of chocolate, such as milk chocolate chips, will also work.
How to make chocolate chip muffins healthy
Step 1. In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt with eggs, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir well until you get a smooth mixture.
Step 2. Add into the wet ingredients wholewheat flour and baking powder. Stir all ingredients together while pouring in the milk, but make sure you do not overmix the batter. Lastly, mix in your chocolate chips of choice.
Step 3. Fill ⅔ of each muffin liner with batter, sprinkle with more chocolate chips and bake in hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure you do not overbake them; they are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove your chocolate chip muffins from the oven and let cool over a baking rack at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Storage information
After baking, allow the muffins to cool and place any leftover in an airtight food container or ziplock bag. Refrigerate for a maximum of 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to serve them, remove from the fridge or freezer and reheat for a couple of minutes in hot oven.
Tips for bakery-style chocolate chip muffins
I used a mix of mini chocolate chips and regular chocolate drops. Whenever baking, I love - and recommend - this combination. On the one hand, mini chocolate chips disperse all the good chocolate flavor inside cupcakes. On the other, regular drops have more texture (and look nicer).
To make healthy muffins with fewer calories and more protein, I opted for nonfat Greek yogurt. You can replace with any other type of yogurt, but my recommendation is to prefer those with a thick texture that is very similar to Greek yogurt.
This is an easy chocolate chip muffin recipe, healthy. That's why I decided to keep it pretty basic, with just a teaspoon vanilla extract to give flavor. But you can also mix in some ground cinnamon or nutmeg, in case you crave a spicy taste. Feel free to experiment with extra mix-ins, such as pieces of pecans or walnuts.
Serve healthy chocolate chip muffins when they are still warm, with your morning coffee or tea. Consider pairing them with a nice bowl of yogurt and fresh fruit to jumpstart your day with energy and taste
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Replace the eggs with 2 flaxseed eggs, substitute Greek yogurt with plant based alternatives, and use dairy-free milk. It's very simple!
There are mainly two things that will keep healthy muffins moist. First, not overmixing batter, as this procedure would incorporate too much air into the mixture. Second, not overbaking, as cupcakes easily get dry.
My recipe uses whole grains, natural sweeteners and less oil to make a dessert that is healthier than the original. Nevertheless, quantity is key. If enjoyed consciously without exceeding, any chocolate chip muffin can be part of a healthy diet.
Each choc chip muffin provides approximately 153 calories. Remember that this is an approximation only, as precise nutritional values will depend on many factors such as muffin size and ingredients used. In case of doubts, I suggest calculating the nutritional values by yourself.
More healthy muffin recipes
- Greek yogurt protein muffins
- Apple cinnamon muffins
- Chocolate banana muffins recipe
- Flourless muffins
- Banana oatmeal muffins
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 180 grams (⅔ cup) Greek yogurt
- 120 ml (⅓ cup 1 tbsp) maple syrup or honey
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil replace with preferred oil or melted butter
- 220 grams (1 ¾ cup) whole-wheat flour replace with all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅙ tsp salt
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) milk of choice see notes
- 50 grams (¼ cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt with eggs, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir well until you get a smooth mixture.
- Add into the wet mixture wholewheat flour and baking powder. Stir the ingredients together while pouring in the milk. Do not overmix batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Fill ⅔ of each muffin liner with batter, sprinkle with more chocolate chips on top and bake in hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure you do not overbake the muffins; they are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove chocolate chip muffins from the oven and let cool over a baking rack for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are based on third-party calculations and should be considered approximations. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. We do not overtake any responsibility.
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Liza Ho de Lee
Good recipe and delicious!
Matteo
Hey my dear Liza,
thank you so so much for your kind comment. So glad you liked!!
Have a great day,
Matteo
Charlotte
Super good! I used this recipe for a class project and the class loved them. Thank you!
Matteo
Hey dear Charlotte,
thanks a lot for your kind feedback!! I'm so glad to hear that you all liked my healthy muffins with chocolate chips. It truly made my day 😉
Have a great weekend,
Matteo