Double Chocolate Espresso Muffins

These vegan double chocolate espresso muffins are light, fluffy, moist and super chocolatey! Not to mention, they are incredibly easy to make, taking less than 30 minutes and you probably already have all the ingredients you need on hand.

If you like this delicious cake, you might also like my devils chocolate cake or my chocolate fondants.

If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful to me and other readers knowing what you think! And don’t forget to take a picture and tag me @thegourmetlarder or hashtag it #thegourmetlarder on Instagram or Facebook. I love seeing what you’ve been baking! 🙂

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RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS

• EASE: simple and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
• FREE FROM: this recipe is egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free and I have a gluten-free option in the substitutions section of this post.
• GREAT FOR: picnics and enjoying with friends and family visiting. They also make a nice addition to homemade gift boxes!
• TASTE: delicious rich, decadent chocolate muffins with the perfect balance of sweetness.
• TEXTURE: tender, moist and full of gooey chocolate chunks.
• QUANTITY: 12 muffins, (5cm wide base x 4cm high cases)
• TIME: 24 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

Here is what you need to make the best ever double chocolate espresso muffins:

• Plain or all-purpose flour – for adding structure and lightness.

• Cocoa powder – I prefer to use a high-quality dark cocoa powder. It adds a rich chocolate flavour and builds structure.

Cocoa recommendations: Dr. Oetker fine dark cocoa powder or not as dark – Sevenhills wholefoods organic cacao powder

• Bicarbonate of soda / baking soda – is a chemical leavening which reacts with the acid in the cocoa powder prior to baking. Thus, carbon dioxide forms and causes the batter to expand, creating a nice light sponge texture. 

• Baking powder – is a chemical leavening similar to baking soda, except it starts to work once it reaches a certain temperature during baking. This recipe uses both to get the most lift and create a light airy textured muffin.

• Neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable or sunflower oil) – any neutral tasting oil is good, I use sunflower. Alternatively for more flavour, you can replace the oil with the same amount of melted butter.

• Caster or granulated sugar – gives structure and sweetness.

• No-dairy milk (such as almond, oat, rice or soy milk) or regular milk – adds moisture and flavour to the sponge.

• Apple vinegar or lemon juice – when mixed together with the baking soda and cocoa create an acidic reaction, making the muffins light.

• Vanilla extract or paste – adds flavour and enhances the other ingredient flavours.

– Vanilla recommendations: pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste or vanilla pods.

• Espresso coffee – adds a delicious flavour to these muffins.

BEST TYPE OF CHOCOLATE

• Good quality vegan chocolate – use a good quality, as it is one of the stars in this recipe

• Chocolate: There are now quite a few brands making vegan chocolate to choose from, such as these bars – Lindt classic milk chocolate, Ombar 55% coco mylk, Ombar 72% dark chocolate, Happi plain oat milk, Happi white chocolate, Montezuma’s Fitzroy 74% dark cocoa.

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SUBSTITUTIONS

While I am making recommendations for alternative ingredients, I haven’t necessarily tried them. If you try making any adaptions, I would love to know how you get on and share it with the other readers.

SUGAR-FREE AND LOW-CALORIE OPTIONS

• Sugar-free or calorie reduced options: try alternatives such as coconut sugar, honey, natural erythritol, xylitol, stevia or fructooligosaccharide powder instead. There are also sweetener mixes available, that are 70% calorie reduced and low in carb.

• Brown sugar suggestions: Pure Via Baker’s soft brown sugar or Sukrin Gold’s natural brown sugar alternative.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION

• Flour: I have found the best alternative for gluten flour in this recipe is oat flour.

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WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

• Flavoured chocolate – If possible, use good quality chocolate. One that has natural oils added to it, such as orange, raspberry or mint. Lindt have some great options.

• Nuts – try adding 100g / 3/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts or pecans for an awesome nutty taste.

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NUTRITION

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STORAGE AND FREEZING

Keep these muffins in an airtight container or tin for up to 3 days.

Freezing: they freeze beautifully in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Allow to defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature.

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TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

Here is a list of some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.

• Earthenware Mixing Bowl Mason Cash, Cream 29 cm Chip Resistant.

I like the sturdiness of this bowl and its 4 litre capacity means I can use it for mixing just about everything in the kitchen. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.

• Mixing Bowls Set of 5, Stainless Steel Nesting Bowls with Airtight Lids, 3 Grater Attachments, Size 5, 3, 2, 1.5, 0.63 QT

These different size mixing bowls are really useful depending on the amount of food you are preparing. They also have airtight lids that fit snugly to seal and keep food fresh, great for using as dry storage bowls with lids. The plastic lid of the largest bowl has a removable centre, where one of 3 graters can be used for grating cheese or vegetables.

• 3 Plastic Mixing Bowls, Non-Slip Base, Soft Grip Handle, Microwave and Dishwasher Safe, Compact, Stackable, Ideal for baking and cooking, off-white, 1.5 Litre, 2 Litre, 2.5 Litre.

I do own a plastic mixing bowl but I am personally not a big fan of them. These 3 bowls are on the smaller size but good for the odd cake making.

• 12 Muffin Cup Bun Pan/Tin

Perfect for making buns, cupcakes, fairy cakes, muffins and Yorkshire puddings.

• Paper Cases 5cm base x 4cm tall – Pack of 50
• Paper Cases, 5cm base x 3.5cm tall (1.97 inches x 1.38 inches) – Pack 100

These cases are perfect for all your cupcakes, muffins and fairy cakes. They come in two different base sizes and are available in a rainbow of colours.

Please check out my Shop for a curated collection of some of my favourite baking equipment. The Gourmet Larder is an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

TIP: I highly recommend using metric measurements and a digital kitchen scale, rather than cup measurements. If you have ever ended up with dry, dense or crumbly baked goods, it might be because of inaccurate volume measurements, not all measuring cups are made equally. All my recipes on this blog are carefully developed so that you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success, using metric measurements. It is also a lot easier, less messy and you will get far better, consistent results. 🙂
If you are interested in understanding conversions, here you will find the best conversion chart.

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RECIPE TIPS

Good quality chocolate – A star ingredient, which makes all the difference to the finished result. Choose your favourite brand.

Avoid over mixing the batter – Too much mixing leads to tough, dense muffins. Only mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined.

Resting the batter – Is optional. allowing the batter to rest in the fridge for an hour will give you a beautiful rise during the baking.

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take a look at my inspirational recipe collection for more ideas.

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HAPPY BAKING!