Tender and sweet, these Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins make a special breakfast treat or a great after school snack. Add in mini chocolate chips to intensify the chocolate flavor!
Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins
We are a muffin loving family. I really do make them at least 2 times a month for breakfast. Sometimes once a week. I love them because they are easy and they are something my whole family will eat, and I love that the kids can eat what is leftover as an afterschool snack.
While we usually go for our favorite Brown Sugar Muffins, I like to change things up every once in awhile. Especially for my chocolate loving middle child. These Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins not only have cocoa throughout the muffin, but they also have mini chocolate chips to give them an extra chocolate punch.
Whether making them for breakfast or as an afterschool snack, these Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins will be a hit!
How to Make Oatmeal Muffins
This Oatmeal Muffin recipe does take a little more time than our typical muffins, but mostly because the oats have to sit in buttermilk to give them a chance to soften. But they really are quite easy!
- Start by mixing the oats and the buttermilk in a small bowl and let them sit for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. You can spray the muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line them with cupcake liners.
- Combine the butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl and beat them together until the mixture is fluffy. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add some of the flour mixture (about 1/3) to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add half of the buttermilk/oat mixture and stir to combine. Add in another portion of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining buttermilk/oat mixture, then the remaining flour mixture.
- Once the batter is combined, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full with the batter. Bake them for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
More Easy Muffin Recipes
Cinnamon Muffins
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Raspberry Muffins with White Chocolate Chips
Easy Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins
Brown Sugar Muffins
Carrot Muffins
Tools Used to Make these Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins
- I have both a 12-cup muffin pan and a 24-cup muffin pan. This recipe makes 16 muffins, so if you have a 12-cup standard pan, you’ll either need 2 or you’ll need to wait for the first pan to cool down before you are able to use it again.
- I also like to use a scoop to add the batter to the muffin cups. It makes things a lot less messy.
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Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Total Time: 46 minutes
- Yield: 16 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tender and sweet, these Cocoa Oatmeal Muffins make a special breakfast treat or a great after school snack. Add in mini chocolate chips to intensify the chocolate flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the oats and buttermilk and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease 16 muffin tins or line with cupcake wrappers.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with the oats mixture. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
- Fill prepared cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 163
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 23 mg
Keywords: oatmeal muffins
Holly says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. it’s so good! I didn’t have quick cooking rolled oats, just old fashioned oats. I let them sit a few minutes longer and that worked great. I made everything else as written & loved it. On 1/2 of the muffins, I did sprinkle some almond slivers & extra mini chocolate chips before putting in the oven. Those were really good too. Wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Libby Mullens says
Has anyone tried subsituting oil for the butter?
Jacque says
I make a cake similar to these, so wanted to try. They are very yummy!! I followed your recipe exactly with the exception adding just a little more cocoa..Since like things chocolatey. Will definitely be making again thank you!
★★★★★
Julie says
These were delish perfect for a lunchtime treat, I reduced the sugar by a 1/3 and included chocolate chips. My daughter said they were the best ever!
★★★★★
Amanda says
I used gf dry ingredients, cacao, made buttermilk with oat milk and white vinegar, vegan butter, enjoy life chocolate chips and used golden coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. Great recipe! My partner loves chocolate and these passed his test!
★★★★★
Lisa says
I made these this morning. I took the advice of some of the other people who had tried the recipe already. I doubled the amount of cocoa powder (1/2 cup) and I also doubled the sugar. (1 cup – I actually did half white sugar and half brown sugar) plus 1 tsp vanilla..
And they turned out awesome. Thank you 😀
Dalila says
This recipe is a keeper and definitely will be making this again and again. I ended up with 12 muffins but mine are tall and have lovely classic dome muffin top. These tastes really good and I highly encourage anybody who read this to make this recipe asap. Next time I’m making this, I will try to use fewer bowls.
★★★★★
JH says
Hello! I just came across your recipe and am wondering if it has to be buttermilk or can it be just whole milk or almond milk? Trying to find a recipe using what I’ve already got.
Deborah says
I haven’t tried it with almond milk or whole milk. I’m guessing they would be fine, but not as moist. You can always make your own buttermilk substitute by combining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to the regular milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then continue with the recipe as written.
Sunshine baker says
After reading the comments upped the cocoa powder to 1/2 cup and used 1 cup packed brown sugar and added 1 Tbs of cappuccino powder. I used 1 cup of a mixture of semisweet and milk chocolate chips. I think 3/4 cup brown sugar would have been fine. My only complaint is that the oats are a bit crunchy in the muffins. I baked them at 350 for 16 min.
Cathycooks says
I will be trying this recipe soon, however, if your oats are crunchy, perhaps you didn’t let them soak enough in the liquid before you incorporated them? I’m going to try oat flour to reduce the carbs.
★★★★★
Jim Morton says
LOVED this. Trying to lose some weight & this fits RIGHT in with my eating habits & new goals. Thanks!
Charles Connel says
Made the muffins this morning and came out very good. I substituted gluten free flour as a family member has a gluten intolerance. Easy to make and definitely will make them again. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Zil says
I just made them and theyre absolutely delicious 😋 i added another teaspoon of cocoa powder though coz i like it dark.
Twas perfect! Thank you for the recipe
★★★★★
Ana Luisa says
Hi ! I just made these, and would like to say that they are quite good, just enough sweetness and chocolate flavour, but I ragard these more of a cupcake than a muffin. Mine did not have the migh dome, and were too tender and crumbly. Nothing wrong, I just wanted more of a muffin . Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Ana Luisa says
mmm….That should read “regard” instead of ragard, and “high” instead of migh. 😉
★★★★
Divya says
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Me and my kids spent time together and baked these muffins. We all loved the muffins.
★★★★★
Paige says
These were so good and reminded me of chocolate cupcakes. I accidentally skipped the chocolate chips and they turned out great without them .
★★★★★
Melissa L Adams says
I made these for a breakfast this morning! i am amazed at how easy and delicious they are! Thank you for a real keeper!!! THEY ARE SO LIGHT!😁
★★★★★
sophie says
Made these today!
I ended up making 6 of the 12 muffins into donuts!
Thank you.
Deborah says
Good to hear they translate well to donuts! Thanks!
eatme_delicious says
Too bad you weren't happy with how these turned out – they look great though! I try out tons of muffin recipes and especially when I'm trying to make them healthier, I definitely have some flops.
Simply Life says
YUM! Those muffins definitely sound and look perfect!
Also, thanks so much for answering my question -that's REALLY helpful to know about where you found your header! Did you buy your own domain through blogger?
grace says
how about some chocolate buttercream or ganache? would that be so wrong? 🙂
teresa says
sorry they didn't turn out the way you'd like, but they sure look delish!
Kim says
I can definitely see how the name Cocoa Oatmeal muffins drew you in. I definitely think adding chocolate chips would be a great touch!
Joanne says
I think that if you're making a chocolate muffin, you deserve a chocolate muffin. Not one that pales in comparison! Next try will be better!
Julie says
That is a shame they didn't turn out great. I'm sure with a chocolate and sugar boost, not to mention a huge slab of butter, they'd be awesome 🙂
Barbara says
The muffins look good- sorry they weren't exactly what you expected. A little more chocolate never hurt anything. 🙂
Pam says
They look delicious even if they aren't what you expected! There's not a lot of sugar and cocoa in them so adding more would work, I'd think. They really look perfect though!
Taylor says
It's a bummer these didn't turn out as good as you hoped….you can't go wrong with trying more sugar and chocolate 🙂
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
Great muffins! They look perfect!
Cheers,
Rosa