These Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, lots of mini chocolate chips and no other refined sugar is perfect to make with the kids!
Reader’s Review
We love these muffins. Made them for breakfast and my kids loved them. They are so soft, fluffy, and delicious. Thank you Olena!!!
Kayla
All I can say about these healthy chocolate chip muffins is to double the recipe. They are light, fluffy, flavorful and loaded with mini chocolate chips.
These healthy muffins are perfect for a healthy snack, dessert or even breakfast!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Kids love them: Kids love anything “muffins” and chocolate chips help a lot!
- Better ingredients: Made with only 1/3 cup maple syrup, whole wheat flour and yogurt for extra protein. Minus hydrogenated oils and refined sugar found in store-bought muffins.
- Simple ingredients: I created this recipe with everyday staples so you can whip up this healthy chocolate chip muffin recipe when the mood strikes.
- Easy recipe: One bowl recipe and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients for Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Yogurt: Regular yogurt or Greek yogurt with any fat content. I used 2% previously and now tested recipe with non-fat yogurt with good results. Some readers have subbed sour cream instead. I also think replacing yogurt with pumpkin puree or mashed banana on 1:1 ratio should be fine.
- Egg: You can sub egg with chia seed egg, flax egg or 1/4 cup applesauce or mashed banana.
- Milk: Any milk works. I used dairy-free unsweetened almond milk.
- Maple syrup: I like to add pure maple syrup because I like its taste. You can use any liquid sweetener like honey, brown rice syrup, or agave.
- Flour: Any whole grain flour like whole wheat flour, spelt flour, white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour should be fine. You could also try to swap with about 3 cups of all-purpose flour.
- Oil: The best choice is mild tasting oil like avocado oil, light olive oil, grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil.
- Chocolate chips: I prefer mini chocolate chips because you get more in every bite and they look super cute. But semi sweet or dark chocolate chips work too.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, line muffin pan with parchment paper liners and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Then add the yogurt, oil, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, baking powder and baking soda.
- Finish the batter: Add flour and gently stir until well incorporated. Muffin batter will be thick. Add chocolate chips and give a few more gentle stirs. Then divide batter between 12 muffin cups of a regular size muffin tin. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips, if you want.
- Bake at 425 F for 7 minutes: A higher baking temperature in the beginning will take care of high muffin tops.
- Reduce heat to 375 F and bake for another 10-11 minutes: Or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. No need to remove muffins from the oven to wait for the temperature to come down. Then remove muffins and let them cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.
Tips for Best Results
Here are my top tips and tricks for the best healthy chocolate chip muffins in the world!
- Spoon and level your flour: This is worth repeating anytime we are baking muffins. Spoon your flour into your measuring cup, rather than scooping, then level off with a knife.
- Do not over mix the batter: Otherwise muffins will be tough and rubbery.
- This silicone muffin tin makes muffins slide out like butter.
- No chocolate chips? If you have a chocolate bar, chop it into chunks.
Variations
- Cinnamon: Just a pinch of cinnamon can add a subtle warmth.
- Nutmeg: Not a fan of cinnamon, use a pinch of nutmeg for a nutty warm taste.
- Sea salt: A pinch of sea salt included in the batter can help bring out the flavor.
- Sugar topping: Sprinkle a small amount of cane sugar, brown sugar or coconut sugar on top of each chocolate chip muffin before baking.
- Orange zest: A small amount of orange zest will give these muffins a nice zing.
How to Store
Store: Store muffins at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. I like to place them in a resealable plastic bag and keep a bit of an opening to prevent condensation build up and complete moisture loss.
Another option to absorb excess moisture build up is to line the bottom of your container with a paper towel, then place another paper towel on top of the muffins.
Freeze: Store in an airtight container or a freezer safe, resealable bag for up to 3 months in the freezer. Muffins will defrost on the counter within 3-4 hours.
Storage Tip
Check out my detailed posts how to store muffins and how to freeze muffins for all my best tips and tricks.
FAQs
You may be able to use 1:1 ratio of all-purpose gluten free flour to replace whole wheat flour. I would also add a splash of milk then. Coconut flour or almond flour will not work. You can also use oat flour by weight, keeping in mind that 1 cup of oat flour weighs 90 grams and 1 cup of wheat flour weighs 120 grams.
Yes, bake mini chocolate chip muffins for 10-12 minutes total. First on high heat for 3-4 minutes, and then reduce heat for remaining time until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes to Try
- Greek yogurt muffins
- Healthy chocolate muffins
- Chocolate veggie muffins
- Healthy banana chocolate chip muffins
- Dubai chocolate muffins
- Healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt, any fat %
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, or any mild tasting oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup any milk, I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/3 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg for 10 seconds. Add yogurt, oil, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk to combine.
- Add flour and gently stir until well incorporated, batter will be thick. Do not over mix otherwise muffins will be tough.
- Add chocolate chips and give a few more gentle stirs. Then, using an ice cream scoop, divide batter between 12 openings.
- Bake for 7 minutes in preheated to 425 degrees F oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (no need to wait for oven to cool off) and bake for another 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, let muffins cool for about 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off completely.
Notes
- Store: Store in a cool dry place for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these with melted coconut oil and regular unbleached flour and organic maple syrup. They are excellent! I will make these again. Thank you!
So happy to hear that! Love the wholesome swaps you made—thanks for sharing!
Hi,
I am concerned about the amount of Saturated fat in this recipe, 4g seems like a lot.
What makes it have that much saturated fat?
Thanks
Chocolate chips.
These look great and I want to make them, however, I have a question I hope you can help answer!
I want to add a little bit of vanilla protein powder, just to give it a little protein boost. I’m not looking to add a bunch, maybe only a few tablespoons even…but don’t want to mess with the texture and I don’t know how to adjust accordingly. Any suggestions?
Hi Ali. Yes, you can add a few tablespoons or even 1/4 cup only of whey protein powder. Plant-based protein powder is very absorbing, so that wouldn’t work. You can also add a few scoops of collagen. Hope this helps.
I love this recipe. It’s easy and very fast to bake it..if it is possible the temperature of oven also in Celsius (..) .
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I didn’t have yogurt so I blended cottage cheese, I’m hoping this ups the protein for my kiddos. I missed the note about adding the baking powder with the wet ingredients. 1 tablespoon seems excessive and these muffins had a bit of a salty taste. I’ll try them again and add the baking powder with the wet ingredients next time. Hopefully that helps.
Hi Elizabeth. Your muffins had a salty taste because you used cottage cheese, it is quite higher in sodium than yogurt. Hope your next try turns out well!
I just made these this afternoon, and they were a hit! My mom really enjoyed them.
I know you said not to use 0% fat yogurt, but I wanted to try it anyway (because I’ve had success swapping 2% for 0% in the past), and it worked out perfectly! I can’t guarantee it will be that way for everyone, but I live on the coast so my environment is moist.
Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback! Yes 0% could work if you live near the water, like you and me, it’s just for some muffins will lack flavor. But for some are OK.:)
Can I use less maple syrup?
If you reduce it, you have to compensate with same amount of similar consistency ingredient. I would try regular yogurt or applesauce.
I just made these and they’re AMAZING!! I did have to modify based on what I had. Here’s what I modified:
1/2c 0% greek yogurt
1/2c light sour cream
Sugar free maple syrup
All purpose flour (3c)
Almond milk – unsweetened vanilla
They were super moist. Given the lack of butter/sugar I was surprised the kids loved them! I made big muffins so cooked at the lower temp for abut 10 or 11 minutes.
Glad everyone enjoyed it!
My 4 year old son staple in his diet at the moment is this muffin recipe. Instead of chocolate chips I use every type of fruit cut up. I use apples, pears, peaches, blueberries, raspberries etc. He loves them! Knowing the muffin is on his tray, he eats the other food as well. Thank you so much for such a great recipe.
I love that and that it helps him eat his other food too!