Crunchy-Top Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins.
But wait. First let’s talk about how I apologized to my dishwasher last night. Seriously. I did.
No, I was not being facetious. I didn’t even realize I was asking my kitchen appliance for forgiveness until I opened the door mid-cycle (hello spa day) and cried “oh sorry. this will just be a second,” and retrieved a spatula that I needed RIGHT THIS MINUTE.
SO yeah. Now I am carrying on conversations with inordinate, nonhuman objects in my home. Wait. Did that make sense? I don’t even know if that’s the right word. But none of it makes sense because I talked to my dishwasher 12 hours ago. Like it was a person. And I am not joking in the least. It felt… normal?
And no I wasn’t drunk.
But I would have liked to be. In fact I’d like to be drunk right now because I’m feeling a weeee bit insecure sharing what I’m, uh… really like.
Beer me a muffin please!
Nowwwww let’s make muffins.
Are you one of those weird people that doesn’t really like chocolate with citrus? I am. That’s why I’m allowed to say that. And, you know… call you weird. Because I’ve always thought the chocolate-citrus (especially orange) combo was pukey. Oh yes! That’s a new word. Write it down.
Oh but you probably shouldn’t use it in relation to something food-like that you are trying to sell delicious appeal for to your invisible internet friends.
I’ve just never been a fan of chococitrus things. But I’ve decided that needs to change, so I made these extra delicious and fluffy muffins. Sort of like how my 24/7 brown butter mindset needs to change and how the dent in my couch cushion from me, um… sitting on it…. needs to change and how my I-don’t-clean-up-after-myself-because-I-think-I’m-special syndrome needs to change. Like yesterday.
Wait again. I’m asking a lot of myself today. I’m just going to go eat a muffin. Or at least the crunchy top.
Crunchy-Top Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins
[adapted from my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie muffins]
makes 12 muffins
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk (any kind will work)
1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
zest of two oranges
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, tossed in a bit of flour
crunchy topping
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons softened butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners. Mix the topping ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt and sugar to remove all lumps. Measure out milk, then to the measuring cup add in orange juice, vanilla and egg, mixing to combine. Add to dry ingredients, mixing until just combined, then add in melted butter and orange zest, stirring until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.
Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter equally into liners. Top each with brown sugar topping, then bake for 15-18 minutes, or until muffins are set. Serve with butter! Duh.
Cupcakes for breakfast!
148 Comments on “Crunchy-Top Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins.”
My husband doesn’t like orange and chocolate at all. It’s SOOO GOOD! These look amazing… especially with all that melty butter on top!
looks so yummy!!!!!!! love orange muffins…
I’m scared to open the dishwasher halfway through its cycle for fear that water and soap will spew all over the kitchen floor. By the way, I’m definitely craving muffins now!
I used to be too. Now I do it all the time and yes… get water everywhere.
Adding oranges to the shopping list, so I can make these today! Curious, what does whole wheat pastry flour do to the recipe, and could I sub regular whole wheat, or all white? Thanks!
I definitely would use regular whole wheat – it is will be too dry and gritty. You can use all purpose or even a 50/50 mix of regular whole wheat and all purpose!
Thanks!
Oops I meant definitely WOULDN’T use all whole wheat – sorry about that!
I knew what you meant ;). We speak a similar language.
I use Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pasrty flour as a half substitution in lots of nbaking recipes and it works great. You get a hit of the whole wheat goodness but the product texture remains as light as if usung just white flour
Cupcakes are totally acceptable for breakfast when they use fruit. Always.
I was never a fan of chocolate and citrus together either…until I tried one of my moms best friends orange chocolate chip cake…I aws forever transformed
These look soooo goooooddddd
I used to be weirdly indignant about mixing chocolate and fruit. The term “abomination” was even used. But when I hit my late twenties… suddenly things like chocolate-covered orange peel became attractive to me. Maybe our tastebuds have dog years – they age 5 for every 1 normal year perhaps…? Next year I’m sure I’ll be sucking on the hard candies like nobody’s business.
Anyway, cant wait to try this recipe – going to get some oranges tonight!
Haha, is it sad that I talk to things in my kitchen all the time? It probably is, but since I spend all day with them(like my kids) I guess I better talk to them. Lol! I actually love the orange chocolate combo and always have. As always, I love the whole wheat in these. They look delicious :D
I think the word you were looking for was “inanimate”! You’re too funny… And these look delicious!
OMG you’re right!! Seriously, I spent forever last night trying to figure out the word I was looking for and I could NOT think of it for the life of me, even after trying to google the definition! Hahaha… thank you.
haha…i was looking to see if anyone helped you out with your word….i was going to if nobody else did!! I have brain lapses like that all the time!
Me too, Amanda!! I’m an elementary teacher and, try as I might (tongue biting and clenching of fists included) I always feel the need to correct vocab. ;-) Jessica, the grasping for words syndrome is very familiar.
mmm crunchy tops!!
I just had to post about your butternut sweet potato lasagna. I’ve made it several times now, and everyone who eats it positively raves and goes on and on about it’s amazingness (look – I made up a word). Last night I made it for a small diner party and the woman next to me, turns and says, “This is the best home cooked mean I’ve ever had. Seriously. The best. In my entire life.” She had a look of bliss on her face, and I understood that look, because it’s on my face the whole time I’m eating that lasagna as well.
I’ve tried bunches of your recipes, and enjoyed every one, and tell all my friends about this great site. Thank you for feeding me, my husband (his favorite dish is the crock pot BBQ beer chicken), and all our guests.
Thank you so much Kristania! That means so much to me… so glad everyone loves it!
I totally need to stuff my face with these! Because maybe that will keep me from talking to my oven. That’s my appliance friend. I always tell her, “please, just bake nicely, please, please”. She doesn’t always listen.
Crunchy top muffin sounds awesome! If it doesn’t rain today, I’m sending the husband to pick some oranges from our tree tonight! And, I feel so much better that I’m not the only one talking to pots and pans and such.
Love the butter melting on the top of the muffin! That used to be my favorite way to eat a hot muffin from the oven, topped with a pat of butter. Yum. The chocolate orange combo with a crunchy top sounds divine!
I’ve been searching for the last half hour for a recipe to bring to work tomorrow for breakfast. A colleague has just adopted the most adorable little boy, and we’re celebrating with a morning party! But after staring at Pinterest so long my eyes were starting to glaze over, I decided “forget this! I’m going to cruise by my old favorites instead” and there you were. This is the perfect recipe. I absolutely love your Oatmeal Muffins, so I know this one is going to be a keeper too. Thank you so much!
oh ma gawd oh ma gawd oh ma gawd. OM NOM NOM!! I WILL be making these. Like yesterday. Thank you for being awesome and sharing this stuff.
The best part about this is the crunchy top – delish!!!
The crunchy top is ALWAYS the BEST part!!
I’ve always loved chococitrusy things. Do they still make those chocolate orange things that you could split into slices? I remember getting those around Christmastime. Good times. Thanks for this — I love the crunchy tops! Definitely the best part of any muffin, by far.
I actually have all the ingredients for these! I might just make them tonight :) Perfect since I have two sad oranges that are in desperate need of being used before they rot.
Ok I am soooo glad to hear that I am not the only one who thought people who liked chocolate and orange together was crazy! That is until recently when I tried a chocolate and orange shake and was shocked at how good it actually was. So now the new ‘chococitrus’ loving me can’t wait to try these muffins. BTW these pictures are absolutely gorgeous!
Okay, what about your post for the chocolate dipped clementines? Citrus and chocolate extrodinare! Not even remotely pukey. I make them all the time and shoot you a little ” thank you” each time I do.
I can’t wait to make these muffins. They look so yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Oh you are right! That was the beginning of me enjoying orange and chocolate together. :)
Oohh, these sound amazing!!!
I have loved the chocolate orange combination since I was little! I love the orange milano cookies! These look delicious!
These look so delicious. Chocoranges… not my thing but I’d give these a try.
I have to “speak” to my cook-top sometimes. Will this burner light? Will that burner light before the flames are so big that my eyebrows will be singed? Ugh…..
At least there are wonderful cupcakes to soothe the angst!
Jess! I talk to MYSELF the whole time… which isnt really any better than the dishwasher….
I do it so badly whenever Im out and about, that if anyone says they ‘saw me’ unexpectedly I totally FREEZE.
Once my BFF spotted me from the bus – me walking along having a full on conversation, or perhaps enacting an imaginary situation with myself – apparently I looked so 100% crazy she nearly peed herself just recounting the story!
xox
I go through muffin recipes like there’s no tomorrow, so definitely will be trying these! Anything with orange zest is a winner in my book!
I do love orange and chocolate, and I can’t wait to try these.
Omgoooshhhh! I can’t believe you’re not a fan of choco+orange! haha, I have always thought that it’s one of the most delicious combos in the world….and I’ve been loving Lindt’s dark choco+orange :D This looks so amazing, I’m definitely pinning it. yayy!
I love crunchy top muffins! It’s like a muffin and crisp all up in each others business. These look fabulous.
Ummm….am I the only one to notice……????whereismyTuesdayThingspost?!?!?!?!? Waaaaah! Oh. Wait. I’ll just eat these muffins instead. All better.
Hahaha it’s been up! On the Crumbs page. :)
Phew! I was majorly stressed out there for a few minutes. THANK YOU for replying quickly. I now owe you my life, in addition to my muffin top. ;)
I’ve never made anything with citrus and chocolate. I’m ready to experiment!
These look delicious! What a great flavor combo, in cupcake form!
oh my goodness, i just need to tell you that you’re my favorite. you are hilar. (i’m into abbrevs…don’t judge me.) and most always the new post i’m most excited about reading when i open google reader. just wanted to thank you for being so…um…you!
Amanda, you better watch “Happy Endings” tonight (if you don’t already) – Penny has MAJOR abbrv meltdown!
I love the looks of crunchy top muffins. They just make muffins look so inviting. Delicious recipe that I can’t wait to try! I have all the ingredients!
MMMM wow. Love me some crunchy top anything! Don’t worry, I talk to my car, other drivers with my window up, the toilet when it won’t flush, the computer. Pretty much anything.
Wow!! THese look so delish, especially with that melted butter on top!! YUM! :D
Hey guys, why doesn’t someone post how they actually came out rather than saying how you want to make them? just a thought….
I agree! Allisons (or “Alisons”) must think alike! I love all the comments, but would like to see feedback on what worked, or didn’t or what sort of changes people made to the recipes.
Guys people almost always do post feedback on my recipes, but this is brand new (as in I posted it this morning) so it hasn’t been made as much as others. If you look at past recipes you will see a bunch of feedback! I’m sure the feedback will grow as days go by.
So…I made these and they were AWESOME. However, I keep having this issue when I bake muffins…they are so squishy that they stick to the muffin liners. WHyyyyy????? :(
Hmmm did you let them cool completely?? I let mine cool almost completely on the outside (still a little warm inside so butter melts), then I remove the wrappers?
Hey Colleed, just a question, how long did you end up baking yours? Mine did the same thing… Still yummy though!
I baked them for about 17 minutes I think……. They were better today after I let them cool so perhaps that was the issue! Still yummy though!
Ok, I made these tonight (also made your Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet for lunch, yum!), and I had the same problem as Colleen. They looked undercooked, so I ended up baking them for about 25 mins. They were still a bit undercooked inside and completely stuck to the paper. Still very delicious, mind you, but didn’t look like your gorgeous pics! What do you think the problem was?
Did you make any other changes or use any different flours?? It could just be the oven temp! I usually let my muffins cool completely before peeling the wrapper off though too!
I think that was it, I was probably too impatient and wanted to try them right away. As for the flour, I did substitute the 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour with half cup of whole wheat regular flour and half cup of regular flour. I think I saw another post where you said that was ok…maybe I was wrong?
Yep that sub is fine! I find that when my muffins have chocolate chips (or something somewhat sticky in them) that if I don’t let them cool either they tend to stick. Which is pretty tough considering I want to demolish them the minute they come out of the oven.
Ok, great. We’ll see how the rest go. Thanks so much! I just found your blog a few days ago and I am totally hooked! I also made the angel food cupcakes and they were incredible.
Thank you so much! That really means so much to me.
You are amazing!! My daughter, Allison, has us all hooked on your blog. I can’t wait to start cooking some of your creations. Thanks for the inspiration.
Miriam
Hey all, I found those non-stick silicone type muffin liners work pretty well – nothing sticks to them and you can wash them and use again right away. And they come in pretty colors too!
Haha, I definitely fit in the weird invisible internet friend category for lots of other reasons, but I do love orange and chocolate together…so these sound amazing!
~Emily~
I LOVE orange and chocolate!! In fact every Christmas I look forward to one of those Terry’s orange chocolates that you WHACK to eat! They’re awesome, just like these cupcakes!
okay, okay, okay…great recipe and all, but the real question after clicking to your “instagram” page is: what color hair do you have now???? I see dark and dreamy on instagram and blond and bubbly here and on FB…you owe us the truth lady…which are you??? I need a good visual when I’m having MY outloud commentary conversations with you :)
I’m always looking for crunchy muffins – the tops are the best part!
Yeah, I’m not into the orange chocolate thing either. I find it very strange.
oh, good grief – there is nothing more barftastic than chocolate and citrus. ick – like those choco covered oranged made to look like oranges? wrapped in foil, that you’re supposed to ‘peel’? BARF!
well, i really don’t like my chocolate with many fruits. strawberries covered in it i’m ok with, and i can handle some raspberries with it every once in a while. but, not much else.
I love orange chocolate! These look lovely!
My two favorite flavors from my sistah-from-another-mistah – heaven. Now just imagine how BEAUTIFUL it would be with BLOOD ORANGE instead….hmmmm? I thought so.