How good do these chocolate orange muffins look?! Moist, sweet, chocolatey and fragrant — they could be the ultimate chocolate muffin recipe.
Hello friends — how are you? This past weekend the little food blog turned ten years old. In blog years that’s practically a great-grandmother!
I wanted to celebrate with something impressive — a giant showstopper cake. But two things got in the way: I was short on time, and I’m not the world’s best showstopper baker. So instead I dug through the Hedgecombers archives and remade one of my favourite recipes from the past decade.
These chocolate orange muffins won out.
The recipe first appeared in 2013, but the photos were, frankly, terrible. This is the same reliable recipe with much prettier pictures and a few helpful notes to make baking easier.
If you want to make these extra indulgent, try topping them with the chocolate orange buttercream I shared previously — it’s decadence personified.
Chocolate Orange Muffins
Back in 2013…
These chocolate orange muffins are a sweet, fragrant treat that work brilliantly for packed lunches or an after-school snack. They’re moist, chocolatey and carry a lovely citrus lift from fresh orange zest and juice. They also freeze well for busy days — see the freezing tips below.
Recently Jonny and I both decided to clean up our diets — surprisingly, it’s the first time we’ve had the same motivation at once. His decision followed a routine health check, and mine came after a few months of niggling health issues that made me realise I need to change some habits.
Even though these muffins contain sugar and white flour — ingredients I plan to cut back on day-to-day — I make them with care and then freeze portions so they’re a treat rather than something I graze on all day.
Can I freeze homemade muffins?
Yes. Let the muffins cool completely, then freeze them individually in airtight bags. Removing as much air as possible before sealing helps preserve texture and flavour. Frozen muffins are convenient for lunchboxes and make portion control easier.
I recommend using them within a month for the best flavour, though they can be fine up to three months. If they show signs of freezer burn or an off texture, discard them.
Using unsweetened cocoa powder rather than melted chocolate gives you control over how much sugar goes into the recipe, which is useful if you’re trying to moderate sweetness.
Chocolate Orange Muffins
Here’s the simple recipe. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out — leave a comment or tag me on social media as @hedgecomber.
Dessert
American
Chocolate Orange Muffins
-
2
oranges,
– zest and juice -
250
ml
orange juice
– you may not need all of this, see below -
1
egg,
– beaten well -
90
ml
vegetable oil -
250
g
plain flour -
2
tsp
baking powder -
1/2
tsp
salt -
1/2
tsp
bicarbonate of soda -
5
tbsp
unsweetened cocoa powder -
100
g
sugar
-
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F / Gas 5. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone cases. Note: muffin cases are larger than cupcake cases, so if you use a cupcake tray this mix may make more than 12 and will need slightly less baking time.
-
Put the orange zest and juice in a jug, then add enough milk, water or extra orange juice to reach 250ml.
-
Stir in the beaten egg and the oil until combined.
-
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder. Add the sugar and mix.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together quickly and gently until just combined.
-
Spoon the batter into the prepared cases and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
-
Allow the muffins to cool completely before storing or freezing.
Calories from Fat 72
Need more baking inspiration? Try other citrus bakes, explore muffin recipes, or experiment with flapjacks for a different treat.
Jane x