Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins

Name: Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Breakfast
Ingredients: ⅔ cup cocoa powder; 2 cups flour; 1 ¼ cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup buttermilk; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoon vanilla; 1 bottle red food coloring; ½ cup melted butter; 1 cup chocolate chips

December 15, 2019 by Tanya Schroeder · 36 Comments · Last updated: November 8, 2021

Breakfast

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These classically flavored red velvet chocolate chip muffins are made with lots of chocolate flavor!

A simple treat to start off the morning!

Red velvet cupcakes with chocolate chips (or muffins if you prefer) are delectable fluffy muffins packed with flavor. If you love chocolate then you’re going to love these muffins. Every muffin is moist, soft, and so yummy you can’t help but want another. With these muffins you’ll feel like you’re eating a dessert for breakfast, and what can sound better than that?

What Are Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins?

A red velvet chocolate chip muffin is nothing more than a chocolate muffin that has been colored with red food coloring. The muffins are soft, tender, and have an extra fudgy taste that makes you feel like you are eating dessert instead of a breakfast item! Serve these yummy muffins up for holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day when the color red is prominent and festive. Or, enjoy the muffins throughout the year for a rich and indulgent treat.

Ingredients

Cocoa powder– You will need Dutch-process cocoa powder for this recipe.
Flour – All-purpose flour is fine. You can swap out white whole wheat flour for all or some of the all-purpose flour.
Brown sugar – Light brown sugar is fine.
Buttermilk – This will help keep your muffins nice and moist. A good substitution for buttermilk is to place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for vinegar in a measuring cup, top with milk. Let this rest for a few minutes.
Eggs – Large eggs
Vanilla Extract
Red food coloring – Liquid food coloring is fine. You will use an entire 1-ounce bottle.
Butter – Unsalted and melted
Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet is fine. You can also use chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate, mint pieces, or even white chocolate chips.
Muffin pan and cupcake wrappers – I used a 12 cup muffin pan, but you could easily make mini muffins.

For the exact measurements needed, please see the recipe card below.

How To Make These Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with muffin liners and set it aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and food coloring.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir in melted butter. Stir the batter just until combined. It is important to avoid overmixing the batter!
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter between the muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool completely before serving.

Recipe Tips

As far as the color goes, I used a whole small bottle of red food coloring. Feel free to play around with this, starting with less and adding more to suit your tastes. The extra food coloring will not affect the flavor, however, the recipe requires so much because the cocoa powder is so intense, the color does not change that easily.
I have seen people color food naturally with beet juice, I cannot speak to this as I have never tried it. If you have experience with this, I would love to hear about it!

Substitutes

Cocoa powder. If desired you can use Hershey baking cocoa powder instead of the dutch process. Dutch-processed cocoa really helps to achieve better color, but you can use any cocoa powder you have on hand
Milk. You can replace the buttermilk with skim milk or any other regular milk (even dairy-free). Simply take 1 cup of your desired milk and add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let rest for 5 minutes and then use the amount directed in the recipe card. You will have some leftovers.
Butter. These chocolate chip muffins with butter are delicious and do have a fair amount of melted butter (1/2 cup) which, combined with the buttermilk should give the batter enough liquid to produce a fluffy, tender muffin. If you want to use vegetable oil, then use 1/3 a cup in place of the butter listed in the recipe.

FAQs

How Long Are Red Velvet Muffins Good For?

These muffins/cupcakes can last up to three days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I do not recommend keeping them stored in the fridge unless absolutely necessary as it won’t extend the shelf life longer and it could dry out the muffins with the cold air.

Can I Freeze Red Velvet Muffins

Yes, these muffins can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you want a muffin, simply grab one out and eat it, simply place the muffin on the counter for a few minutes (about 15-30) and wait for it to come to room temp or be thawed enough to bite into.

What Makes Red Velvet Cake Different From Chocolate?

Red velvet has a chocolate cake base but is modified to include red food coloring and acids, giving it a more unique flavor profile. Usually, buttermilk and vinegar are the two ingredients most known for giving red velvet the tangy flavor it’s known for.

Love muffins? Try these Hazelnut Banana Nut Muffins, Caramel Macchiato Chocolate Muffins, or these Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins!

If it’s more red velvet you want, check out: Red Velvet Flourless Cake, Red Velvet Cheesecake Gelato, Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake, Red Velvet Crepes, Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies, and Red Velvet Cookie Cups.

Yield: 12