I’m a quick bread aficionado. I really would live on muffins if they provided enough vitamins and minerals to keep my brain functioning well enough to allow me to make more muffins. So here’s one of my favorite quick bread recipes: cappuccino chocolate chip muffins.
These muffins are so delicious that in the summer of 2010, I literally made them once a week, only stopping when it became too hot to bake. When my mother drove to visit me in upstate New York that summer, I offered her one with a hot cup of coffee. She loved it. In fact, the memory stuck with her so favorably that when my grandparents visited the East Coast, she asked me to make a batch to share with them at breakfast.
First, some context: my grandparents are farmers from western Iowa. In their local church cookbooks, most dishes contain more animal products than the average omnivore could wrap their brain around. Vegetables are simply not eaten without the addition of cream, butter, cheese, mayonnaise, or all four at once. To hear my grandparents tell it, “green salad” is an amalgamation of lime-flavored gelatin, whipped cream, cream cheese and celery. And so it came to be that my unsuspecting grandparents were sitting in my parents’ backyard on a beautiful summer day, merrily scarfing down some coffee chocolate chip muffins when my mother made the announcement.
Those muffins they were eating?
They were vegan.
Eyes lowered. The sound of the gears cranking in their brains was almost palpable. Those harmless looking goodies — with chocolate chips, no less! — were made without animal products. And they tasted good. Crap.
Panic set in. My grandmother muttered something about not being able to believe what sweet things passed for “breakfast” these days. Sorry, grandma; I’m not gonna buy that excuse from someone who regularly serves fried dough slathered with butter and coated in a layer of cinnamon sugar as the first meal of the day. She ate another muffin anyway, and I bet she liked it. My grandfather, always the stoic, just nodded and reached for two more. The tension relieved, even my skeptical diabetic father snuck seconds.
I always make these muffins bakery-style in a jumbo muffin tin, and prefer them chilled, so the crumbs are a touch dry and the chips give a satisfying crunch, just like the ones I used to get from the coffee shop near my arts high school on lazy spring afternoons.
- 1 c unsweetened vegan milk
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1½ Tbsp instant coffee crystals
- ½ c oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 c flour
- ½ c sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ c chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Lightly grease a jumbo muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together vegan milk and vinegar.
- Whisk in coffee crystals until dissolved.
- Add oil and vanilla and set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add wet mixture to dry and combine until just moistened.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Divide evenly into prepared pan and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
28 comments
Jojo says:
Jul 24, 2012
Your muffins look delicious, I love the chocolate / coffee combo.
claryn says:
Jul 29, 2012
Thanks Jojo! So do I.
Erin says:
Jul 24, 2012
Do you stir in the chips at the end?
claryn says:
Jul 29, 2012
Yes! The recipe’s updated now. Thanks for noticing my omission 🙂
kathleen says:
Jul 27, 2012
I made these this morning and they were pretty amazing. Thanks for the recipe!!
claryn says:
Jul 29, 2012
Glad you liked them, Kathleen!
Carmen ❤ says:
Jul 30, 2012
I will be making this as soon as humanly possible. So much yum.
H says:
Aug 15, 2012
I just made them and ate two already…You can’t even tell they’re vegan! I’ve really missed the taste of a good “puffy” muffin. Best vegan muffin I’ve ever had.
claryn says:
Aug 15, 2012
There really is just something so perfect about the crumb of these. Thanks for the vote of approval!
Annette says:
Sep 6, 2012
Vegan Nubbie…when you say “vegan milk” I assume you mean soy, almond etc??
claryn says:
Sep 9, 2012
Yep — or oatmeal, or hazelnut, or rice, or whatever. Any kind you have on hand will do!
Michelle says:
Oct 14, 2012
Making them now. Adding a little flax to sneak into my kids. Love it thanks!
Applesauce Muffins | Hell Yeah It's Vegan! says:
Oct 19, 2012
[…] I posted the recipe for cappuccino chocolate chip muffins this summer, I mentioned having been a touch skeptical about my grandma’s aversion to […]
Samantha says:
Dec 29, 2012
Just popped a batch of these in the oven, but I added a bit of cinnamon because the batter tasted a little plain, and I had to use cacao nibs because my healthfood store ran out of vegan chips…. updates to follow! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Maya says:
Jan 5, 2013
Do you need to use white vinegar or balsamic or does it not matter?
claryn says:
Jan 6, 2013
It doesn’t really matter what kind of vinegar you use, but balsamic does have a strong flavor, so if you have white, apple cider, or another mild vinegar, that would be best!
Lori says:
May 22, 2013
Hey they sound great, can you use espresso powder instead of instant coffee?
claryn says:
Jun 1, 2013
Assuming you’re talking about instant espresso powder, sure! You might want to use a touch less, though, if you’re worried about the coffee flavor being overpowering.
rubar says:
Aug 6, 2013
I just discovered your site and am very grateful. I am ‘the innkeeper’ at a new bed & breakfast and we will have vegan guests in the near future. Thanks to you, they will dine well …
Renee.swisher@hotmail.com says:
Sep 12, 2013
No baking soda? Also do you think I can sub half flour with whole wheat flour??
I am anxious to try everything on this page !!! 🙂
claryn says:
Sep 12, 2013
No baking soda! And I’m sure they’d turn out if you used whole wheat flour, but I don’t know how they’d taste. If you try it, let us know! 🙂
Sharon says:
Sep 22, 2013
I made these today and they are awesome! I follow and love your blog! Your Vegan Recipes are the best!
indigomoon says:
Dec 30, 2013
Is there no cocoa in this?
claryn says:
Dec 31, 2013
Correct.
Ally H. says:
May 13, 2014
Mmmm, these are good :). I made them with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour & freshly ground coffee. Yum- thanks!
claryn says:
May 31, 2014
Awesome. Glad you liked them, Ally!
Marla says:
Feb 5, 2017
On my third batch. So yummy and easy! Love that I don’t have to do a flax “egg” or tofu or anything. A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top is nice if you want, but just as good without.
Robyn says:
Mar 16, 2017
They need sugar. The only sweetness is from the choc. chips.