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These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins are light, tender, and loaded with chocolate chips! And while they taste like a decadent treat, these oatmeal muffins are loaded with whole grains and lower in sugar than most muffins.
Reasons to Love Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Filled with Wholesome Ingredients. Packed with whole grains and fiber, sweetened naturally with honey, and kissed with applesauce to cut down on the added oil, it is hard to believe these Oatmeal Chocolate Muffins are actually good for you!
- Incredibly Satisfying. With warms pools of chocolate and chewy oats, these muffins deliver the flavor of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in muffin form! What is not to love?!
- Parent-Approved. If you are looking for a kid-friendly snack that isn't loaded with refined flour and sugars, these muffins fit the bill!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Oats: Use either old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats, NOT steel-cut oats.
- Milk: Use any variety of milk or unflavored non-dairy milk you like.
- Flour: To keep the muffins tender, yet 100% whole grain, I recommend using whole white wheat flour. Feel free to use all-purpose flour if desired.
- To Sweeten: Maple syrup or honey is best. Both naturally sweeten the oatmeal muffins while adding moisture to the batter.
- Applesauce: Adding applesauce to the muffin batter helps to naturally sweeten the muffins while reducing the amount of oil needed.
- Oil or Butter: Canola oil, melted coconut oil, or melted butter all work well in this muffin recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: You can't have oatmeal chocolate chip muffins without chocolate chips! Use regular or mini chocolate chips. Semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips are all equally delicious.
How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Soak Oats. Combine the oats and milk in a medium mixing bowl and let sit while the oven preheats. Soaking the oats in milk helps them incorporate into the batter, resulting in the fluffiest, softest muffin.
- Combine dry ingredients with chocolate chips. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chocolate chips and toss to coat them in a bit of the flour.
Kristen's Tip
Coating the chocolate chips with a bit of flour will help keep them suspended throughout the muffin, allowing each bite of the muffin to be full of chocolate instead of sinking the bottom of the muffins.
- Combine Batter. After soaking the oats, mix in the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract into the oats. Then fold that mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Be cautious to not overmix the batter, or you may end up with dense, tough muffins.
- Portion muffins. I find it is best to use an ice cream scoop to keep muffins even in size and the process mess-free. If desired, top with additional chocolate chips and rolled oats--my kids say this is a must!
- Bake. Bake the chocolate chip muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. I recommend checking on them after 23 minutes, as ovens can vary.
Recipe Modifications
- Egg-Free: In place of the egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the batter.
- Dairy-Free: Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips and non-dairy milk.
- Gluten-Free: Be sure your oats are certified gluten-free and use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Storage Tips
I highly recommend making a double batch of these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins. They freeze well and are a snack no one will complain about enjoying more than once.
- Storage: Because these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins are made with whole grains and no preservatives, they are best stored in the refrigerator, not a room temperature. They will last 1 week in airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze: Place the muffins on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30-60 minutes until frozen solid. Once the muffins are frozen solid, place them in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to heat before serving. This process helps prevent the muffins from sticking together when frozen.
More Favorite Muffin Recipes
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Made with whole grains and naturally sweetened, these oatmeal chocolate chip muffins are light, tender, and studded with chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats, plus 1-2 teaspoons for topping if desired
- ⅔ cup milk, non-dairy or regular milk
- 1 cup whole white wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping if desired
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup maple syrup, or honey
- ⅓ cup canola oil, or melted and cooled coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners or grease well.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup rolled oats with ⅔ cup milk and let sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup whole white wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon until well combined and no lumps remain. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips to evenly coat with the flour.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup maple syrup, ⅓ cup canola oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the soaked oats and applesauce mixture to the flour mixture and fold the batter together until the flour is fully moistened. Be careful to not overmix to keep your muffins light and fluffy.
- Fill each muffin cup ⅔ of the way full with the muffin batter. Sprinkle with additional oats and chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove them from the muffin tin to cool fully.
Equipment
Notes
Dairy-Free Modification: Use dairy-free chocolate chips and non-dairy milk.
Egg-Free: In place of the egg, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the batter. (You can even add it right to the oat/milk mixture.)
Gluten-Free: Be sure your oats are certified gluten-free and use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Chocolate Chips: Use mini or regular semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips.
Storage: Store the muffins for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 219mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! This recipe sounds great! Do you happen to know if cassava flour could be subbed for the whole wheat flour? Thanks!
Hi Emily! The cassava flour absorbs more liquid than the whole wheat flour and can change texture as it bakes, so I don't recommend it for this recipe. If you need this to be gluten-free, I suggest using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour mixture.
We've made this recipe several times now. When making our last batch I had some brown bananas and subbed those in for apple sauce. Great, versatile recipe; thanks so much for sharing!
I love hearing you are enjoying this recipe (and thanks for sharing it works with bananas!)
I was curious to see if the texture was going to be different, and I didnt see that much of an issue! thank you for sharing this recipe
I am happy to hear you gave these muffins a try and enjoyed them Amy!
Love these! Such a great healthier muffin recipe. Chocolate chips? yes, please! So yummy.
My kids love these muffins so much. I just took a second batch out of the oven!
I LOVE hearing your kids enjoyed these so much! I hope you all continue to make this recipe many times.