You will LOVE these easy and absolutely delicious dark chocolate almond chia muffins, loaded with dark chocolate, almonds, chia seeds, and sea salt!

It’s always fun when a friend gives me a recipe to try, one they really enjoy. What a great way to find NEW recipes, and get an “insider tip” from someone saying “you’ve got to try this!”. Such is the case with this AMAZING recipe for Dark Chocolate Almond Chia Muffins! I was at a Bible Study last week, and our teaching leader (my friend Fran) gave me a sticky note with the name of this recipe written on it, plus the name of the source.

The dark chocolate almond chia muffins sounded good, so less than 24 hours later, I was making these delicious muffins in my little ol’ kitchen. Let me tell you, folks… they are FABULOUS! How can you go wrong with dark chocolate, almonds, chia seeds, etc.? I’d never used chia seeds (an ancient grain) in a recipe prior to this, but did a bit of research and found out how nutritious/filling they are when added to food.

I am thrilled my friend Fran was kind enough to share this recipe with me, and I’m impressed by how ridiculously tasty these muffins are! From start to finish, it only took about 30 minutes to make a dozen. Here’s what you do:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Dark Chocolate Almond Chia Muffins

First, preheat your oven to 400° F. While the oven is preheating, put paper liners into a standard sized 12 cup muffin tin. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

Add chia seeds to the dry ingredients (see those little bitty black seeds? So many nutritional benefits to adding these to foods). Also add 1/2 cup of the chopped almonds (reserving the rest for later), and dark chocolate chips to the flour mixture. Stir to combine.

Make The “Wet Ingredients”

In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, melted butter (important – make sure melted butter has cooled to room temp. before adding, or you will get scrambled eggs!), egg, and almond extract. Add these wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Mix them together, only until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter.

Evenly distribute the chocolate almond chia muffins batter between the 12 muffin cups. Top each of the muffins with 1½ – 2 teaspoons of the reserved chopped almonds.

Sprinkle With Sea Salt And Then Bake

Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of coarse sea salt (trust me, this is GOOD). Bake the dark chocolate almond chia muffins at 400° F. for 18 minutes, or until the muffins spring back slightly when lightly pressed in the center.

Let the baked chocolate almond chia muffins cool down (still in the pan), after removing them from oven.

Time To Enjoy A Muffin!

The dark chocolate almond chia muffins taste wonderful, served warm or at room temperature. Be sure to store them in an airtight container. They can also be frozen, if wrapped well and stored in a plastic freezer bag.

Here’s an inside peek at one of the chocolate almond chia muffins. You can see the dark chocolate chips and hints of chopped almonds inside. When warmed slightly, the chocolate chips get nice and “gooey”, which is a code word for “oh my goodness!”.

So, just as my friend passed this recipe to me, I now pass it on to you, friends. May you receive as much enjoyment out of these muffins as we did. Then… pass it on! Have a great day.

Looking For More MUFFIN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious muffin recipes, including:

• Almond Poppyseed Muffins
• Apple Raisin Muffins
• Blueberry Lemon Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Muffins

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
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Recipe Source: Heather Meldrom at  http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/dark-chocolate-almond-chia-muffins

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Dark Chocolate Almond Chia Muffins

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

18 mins

Total Time

33 mins

 

You will LOVE these easy and absolutely delicious dark chocolate almond chia muffins, loaded with dark chocolate, almonds, chia seeds, and sea salt!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate almond chia muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories Per Serving: 383 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (table salt)
• 5 teaspoons chia seeds (found with grains (ie. rice, quinoa) in most grocery stores)
• 2/3 cup chopped almonds (divided)
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup (one and a half cubes) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp.
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Coarse sea salt , for sprinkling onto muffins before baking

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Insert paper liners into a 12 cup standard sized muffin tin.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and table salt together in a large bowl. Add chia seeds, 1/2 cup of almonds (reserve the rest for garnish), and chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, melted butter (at room temp!!!), egg, and almond extract. Once combined, add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir only until ingredients are fully combined (do not over-mix).
4. Distribute batter equally between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the reserved chopped almonds. Sprinkle each muffin with a pinch of coarse sea salt.
5. Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed in the center. Remove pan from oven, but let muffins cool in the pan. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Dark Chocolate Almond Chia Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 383 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 46mg15%

Sodium 374mg16%

Potassium 246mg7%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 405IU8%

Calcium 102mg10%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Cranberry Orange Muffins are easy to make, loaded with orange zest and juice, and drizzled with a sweet citrus glaze! They’re a delicious breakfast treat, especially during the holidays!
Do you enjoy the flavor combination of cranberries and oranges? I sure do! I’ve been making cranberry orange muffins for almost 40 years now with the same recipe.

Recently I found a new recipe, tried it… and loved these delicious muffins even more than my trusty old recipe!

The cranberry orange muffins are really easy to make, and I think you will love them, too!

They are loaded with cranberries and the flavor of orange in the cupcakes AND the glaze make them “practically perfect in every way” (to quote good old Mary Poppins)! Here’s how to make them.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Cranberry Orange Muffins

The first thing you will need to do is beat the butter until creamy. Add the granulated and brown sugars, and beat them using an electric mixer until they are well combined.

Add eggs, plain yogurt, and vanilla to the mixture. Beat these until the batter is creamy and well combined.

Add in the finely grated zest from 2 oranges. Wow, the orange zest sure smells good!.

Mix The Dry Ingredients

In a large separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, and then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Stir the milk and orange juice into the batter. Mix them well. The batter will be fairly thick after they have been added.

Add fresh or frozen cranberries to the batter. Be sure to set enough aside (24) to put on TOP of the muffin batter for garnish later.

Fold the cranberries in gently, to combine them with the thick batter.

Fill the Muffin Cups

Spoon batter into a sprayed and paper lined muffin pan, filling them almost up to the top.

Please ignore my really old and dingy muffin pan. It works great, but looks horrible (Dear Santa… what would I like for Christmas?).

TIP:**Spray the paper muffin cup holders with non-stick spray (an old secret I learned from a friend whose hubby was a professional baker).

Put a couple cranberries on top of each of the cranberry orange muffins for garnish before baking.

Bake The Cranberry Orange Muffins

Bake the cranberry orange muffins in a preheated 425 degree oven for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 18-20 minutes (or until done/light golden color).

Remove from oven, once done. Let the cranberry orange muffins cool for a minute or two, then remove them from the pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Prepare The Icing For The Muffins

While the cranberry orange muffins are cooling off a bit, make the orange glaze by mixing orange juice and powdered sugar together in a bowl.

Glaze The Cooled Muffins 

TIP: Put a sheet of aluminum foil under the rack, to help catch any drips while glazing the muffins.

Once muffins have cooled off, it’s time to glaze them. Drizzle the glaze over the top of each muffin, going side to side.

Turn the rack one quarter turn and drizzle the muffins again, going the opposite direction (side to side, then top to bottom).

Time To Enjoy A Cranberry Orange Muffin!

Let the glaze firm up, and then these absolutely yummy cranberry orange muffins are ready to enjoy!

Hope you will give these delicious muffins a try. They are really packed with lots of wonderful citrus flavor!

I hope you have the opportunity to try these cranberry orange muffins. They’re fabulous, and I’m confident you (and those you love) will enjoy them.  

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon for more great family-friendly recipes. Have a great day, and may God bless you in all you do!

Looking For More MUFFIN Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious muffin recipes to check out, including:

• Banana Crumb Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Blueberry Lemon Muffins
• Apple Raisin Muffins
• Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Recipe Source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/11/06/cranberry-orange-muffins/

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Cranberry Orange Muffins

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Cranberry Orange Muffins are easy to make, loaded with orange zest and juice, and drizzled with a sweet citrus glaze! They're a delicious breakfast treat!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories Per Serving: 255 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For the muffins:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature/soft)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light or brown sugar , packed
• 2 large eggs (room temp. is best)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• zest from 2 oranges
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, do not thaw!)

For citrus drizzle:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons orange juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Line a 12 count muffin pan with paper liners. Spray each liner with non-stick spray. If not using liners, spray pan with non-stick spray. Set muffin pan aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a medium sized bowl using a handheld mixer), beat soft butter until smooth (on high speed), for about one minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and continue beating for approximately 1-2 minutes, until fully combined. Add eggs, yogurt, and the vanilla extract; beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed. Add the orange zest and combine. Remove bowl and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. Add the orange juice and the milk; stir until fairly smooth (you might have some little lumps (that's okay).
5. Fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries (saving 24 to garnish muffins with), only until mixed in. Do not overmix.
6. Distribute the batter into the muffin cups (they will almost be filled to the top). Add a couple of cranberries to the top of each muffin.
7. Bake muffins at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then reduce heat in oven to 350 degrees, and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes, until done and golden in color. Remove pan from oven. After muffins have cooled a couple minutes, remove them to a wire rack (with aluminum foil or wax paper underneath to completely cool.
8. While muffins are cooking or cooling, make the citrus drizzle by mixing orange juice and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. Decoratively drizzle the glaze over warm muffins. Let muffin drizzle cool and firm up before serving! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you wrap the muffins really well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, you should be able to freeze them for up to 2 months.

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 255 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 48mg16%

Sodium 207mg9%

Potassium 101mg3%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 310IU6%

Vitamin C 7.9mg10%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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