There’s a specific moment in late autumn when I start craving chocolate and orange together. Something about the combination feels right for the colder months, like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange but in baked form, warm from the oven with a crackly top. These muffins scratched that itch the first time I made them, and they’ve been in rotation ever since.
What I love about this recipe is how the fresh orange pieces are actually folded into the batter rather than relying on zest alone. You get little pockets of bright citrus flavor scattered throughout, which cuts into the richness of the chocolate in a way that just zest never quite achieves. The buttermilk keeps everything tender, and using brown sugar instead of white adds a subtle molasses warmth that works really well alongside the bittersweet chocolate.
Don’t worry if the batter looks lumpy before it goes into the tin. That’s intentional, and overmixing is what leads to dense, tough muffins. They’re good warm, even better at room temperature once the flavors have settled, and they keep well for a couple of days if they last that long.
Melt the Chocolate and Mix the Wet Ingredients
Melt the butter with the chopped chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla essence, then stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Add the zest of one orange.
Fold in the Dry Ingredients and Orange Pieces
Sift the flour with the baking soda and fold gently into the wet mixture. Peel the orange, chop into small pieces, and fold through the batter. Do not overmix, lumps of flour are fine and help keep the muffins light.
Fill and Bake
Grease or line 16 muffin cups and fill each with the batter. Bake in the center of a 375°F oven for 25 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
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Chocolate Orange Muffins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Makes 16 muffins
Description
Rich chocolate muffins studded with fresh orange pieces, not just zest, plus buttermilk and brown sugar for a tender, deeply moist crumb.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter
- 3 oz (75 g) chocolate
- 5/8 cup (120 g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 1/2 cups (275 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 orange
Instructions
- Melt butter with chopped chocolate on low heat.
- Grease (or line with paper wraps) muffin cups.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 Celsius).
- Combine flour with baking soda and sift. In a separate bowl, mix one egg with buttermilk, brown sugar and vanilla essence. Add melted chocolate and butter and zest of one orange. Add sifted flour with baking soda. Peel orange and chop into little pieces, add to the batter. Don’t overmix it. Lumps of flour are perfectly fine.
- Pour the batter into muffin cups and bake in the center of your oven for 25 min.
Notes
- Fold in the orange pieces and dry ingredients just until combined — a lumpy batter is normal, and overmixing is what makes muffins dense.
- Use fresh orange pieces, not just zest, for real pockets of citrus in every bite.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before moving them, or they can stick and tear.
- They keep at room temperature in a sealed container for a couple of days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dark chocolate instead of the recipe’s chocolate?
Yes. Dark chocolate pairs especially well with orange. Use 70% or higher for a more intense chocolate flavor. Reduce the brown sugar slightly if using very dark chocolate to keep the sweetness balanced.
Why use buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to provide extra lift and contributes a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the chocolate and brown sugar. If you do not have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Can I make these as a loaf instead of muffins?
Yes. Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Check at the 45-minute mark to avoid over-baking.
