Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
Not only are these chocolate chip oat muffins moist, fluffy, and packed with chocolate chips, but they’re also very easy to make. Perfect for an on-the-go snack or mid-day treat!
What are Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins?
These muffins are a twist on some of my other favorite muffin recipes here on the blog. They’re almost a mix between these bakery-style chocolate chip muffins and this recipe for the best pumpkin muffin recipe. I wanted these muffins to encapsulate aspects of both recipes – the obvious sky-high domes from the chocolate chip muffins, and the moist, tender crumb from the pumpkin muffins.
These chocolate chip oatmeal muffins keep a really steady balance of moisture, sweetness from the chocolate chips, and spice from the addition of cinnamon (which I love to add to almost all of my muffin recipes). I also think the cinnamon helps bring out more of the oat flavor – because without it oats can be quite plain. The cinnamon just helps the oats to taste more like themselves, in my opinion.
I also love that these oatmeal chocolate chip muffins lend themselves to the texture of the oats all the way through the muffin. It’s not just the oats sprinkled on top right before baking, we actually soak some quick oats with milk beforehand and incorporate them into the batter.
Why this recipe works
These chocolate chip oat muffins strike the perfect balance between wholesome and indulgent, making them a crowd-pleaser for any time of day. I don’t know about you, but any time I eat oatmeal, the bowl looks so small, but by the end you realize how truly filling oats can be. That’s one of the reasons I love these muffins so much: they’re filling enough for a quick breakfast on the go, but indulgent enough to eat them as a dessert at the end of the day.
The oats add heartiness and texture, while the chocolate chips provide just the right amount of sweetness. With simple ingredients and a quick prep time, this recipe ensures you can enjoy warm, freshly baked chocolate chip oat muffins without hassle, and in only a few minutes time.
Some equipment you may need for Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins…
- Muffin tin: this is a need, and probably one of the most-used items in my kitchen. I bake a lot of muffins & cupcakes, so I put mine to good use. I love this one because the light color prevents the tops of the chocolate chip oat muffins from burning.
- Cupcake liners: I almost always bake my cupcakes and muffins in liners. This is definitely not something you need to do, but I just think they look more “put together,” and it makes them easier to store, in my opinion!
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography and baking in general.
Quick oats vs old-fashioned oats
You’ll read down below in our ingredients list that this recipe calls for quick cooking oats, not old-fahioned oats. There is a substantial difference between the two, and getting them mixed up will cause a different result in the recipe!
Quick oats are rolled thinner and steamed longer than old-fashioned oats, resulting in a finer texture that cooks faster. Old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats, are thicker and less processed, giving them a chewier texture and making them ideal for recipes requiring more structure.
For these muffins we want the quick oats to absorb some of the milk before we begin with the rest of the recipe, and old-fashioned oats will not be able to accomplish this as quickly!
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
- All-purpose flour – I always use King Arthur flours in my baking recipes, and I suggest you do the same for consistency’s sake!
- Baking powder – this will be one of our leavening agents for these muffins
- Ground cinnamon – I think this really amplifies the oat flavor in these chocolate chip oatmeal muffins
- Baking soda – using both baking powder and baking soda for these muffins!
- Kosher salt – I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt and I suggest you do the same!
- Quick-cooking oats – not to be confused with old-fashioned oats. These quick oats will soak up the milk much quicker than old-fashioned, yielding a more moist muffin.
- Whole milk – this can always be substitute with something else like 2% milk if you don’t have whole milk on hand.
- Sour cream – the addition of the fat from the sour cream lends a more moist texture in these chocolate chip oat muffins.
- Vegetable oil – this will be our main source of fat for these muffins, and I opted for oil rather than butter because of the level of moisture it brings!
- Light brown sugar – something about the combination of brown sugar and oats is just what I wanted in these muffins.
- Large eggs – holds everything together
- Pure vanilla extract – Just make sure you’re using pure extract. Now is not the time for the artificial things!
- Semisweet chocolate chips – you can use the regular size of the miniature chips, both will be just fine.
Possible ingredient substitutions for chocolate chip oat muffins
Another kind of milk
With 2 toddlers currently in the house, we go through a lot of whole milk, and we always have some on hand. But if you don’t have any or you’d rather use a different kind of milk (2% milk, oat milk, etc.), feel free to substitute a 1:1 ratio of your choice.
Butter
Though I wouldn’t necessarily suggest it, you can substitute butter for vegetable oil in a 1:1 ratio. The oil adds far more moisture than the butter will, but the butter will add a better flavor. I guess you just pick what you’d rather have in your muffin!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
Step 1 – soak the quick oats in milk
Before we begin the recipe, we want to soak the quick oats in the milk for about 10 minutes. Even just these few minutes will give the oats time to soften so that they will incorporate better into the rest of the batter.
Step 2 – add the remaining wet ingredients
Next, we’ll whisk the sour cream, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the oats and milk mixture.
Step 3 – Fold in the dry ingredients
I always switch to a rubber spatula at this point to avoid overmixing. If you overmix your muffin batter, you could end up with very dry chocolate chip oatmeal muffins!
Step 4 – Don’t forget the chocolate chips
If chocolate chips aren’t your jam, feel free to leave them out. You can also swap for an even amount of something like walnuts, pecans, or even miniature chocolate chips.
Step 5 – Portion the batter into muffin cups and bake
Here’s where I love to get consistent muffin sizes! I always use a large ice cream or cookie scoop to make sure all of my muffins come out the same size. If I just eyeball it, they all look different after I bake them. This is the same tip I use for all of my cupcake recipes and even cookie recipes.
These chocolate chip oat muffins will bake for about 5 minutes at 425°F, then for another 20 minutes or so at 350°F.
Kitchen Tips for Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
I only have one for this recipe: Don’t overmix the batter!
Muffins are something that will go from moist and tender to dry and crumbly very quickly, so you’ll want to mix the dry ingredients until they are just folded into the batter. Anything more will change the outcome of your muffin!
Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins FAQs
How to store chocolate chip oat muffins?
I store these muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. I like to make my muffins over the weekend, that way we all have a quick snack or on-the-go breakfast ready for the whole week!
Can they be made ahead?
Yes, you can make these chocolate chip oat muffins ahead of time. If you’re planning to serve them all at once, I wouldn’t go longer than 3 days in advance.
Can they be frozen?
You can easily freeze these chocolate chip oat muffins by wrapping them tightly and individually in plastic wrap, then placing in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you go to eat one, just let it thaw out at room temperature completely before eating it, and they will still be delicious!
If you make these pumpkin muffins be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see them!!! If you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, you can reach out to me at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com and I’d be happy to chat with you, or leave a comment below and I will get back to you!
Love,
Sarah
“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.” -Malachi 4:2-
Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup (148g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Combine the oats and milk in a large bowl and let rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Whisk the sour cream, oil, and brown sugar into the bowl with the oat mixture until smooth.
- Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing only until just combined. Be careful not to overmix here! Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the muffin batter between prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3-full. Sprinkle with additional oats and chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake 5 minutes at 425°F, lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 18-22 minutes, or until the centers are set and spring back slightly when touched gently.
- Allow the muffins to cool completely in the pans before transferring to a wire rack. Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Hi Sarah – these were delicious. Would you consider these healthy muffins?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan!! It depends on what you consider to be “healthy.” They do contain lots of oats, which means lots of good fiber and B-vitamins – so for that reason, yes they are healthy! But they do contain refined sugars and chocolate, obviously, so the calories will be a bit higher. I hope that helps!