Chocolate Coconut Muffins: Moist, Rich & Tropical

Muffins are a great recipe for any baker to master. These muffins take a classic chocolate chip recipe and add a little tropical flare with the addition of coconut extract and coconut flakes. The sweet, nutty coconut pairs wonderfully with the slightly bitter dark chocolate chips.

The keys to any great muffins are not overmixing the batter and adding plenty of leavening agents so they'll rise nicely. In this recipe, the eggs and sugar are beaten until fluffy to incorporate more air into the batter and both baking soda and powder are added into the dry mix to give the muffins more lift.

When combining the wet and dry mixtures, be sure to gently fold them together just until they're combined, stirring too hard or overmixing can cause the muffins to be dense.

For baking, these muffins start off at higher temperature (425F or 215C) to quickly activate the leavening agents, they're then finished at a lower temperature to evenly cook the muffins through, resulting in moist, tender muffins laced with tasty chocolate and coconut.

Looking for another chocolate dessert to pair this with? Check out this recipe for Chocolate Explosion Cake.

Chocolate-Coconut Muffins

These classic chocolate chip muffins get a delicious tropical infusion with the addition of coconut.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (12.5 ounces or 315 grams)
• teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cups unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• cup butter (melted (8 tablespoons or 1 stick))

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Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425F (215C). Spray the bottoms and sides of 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil. Alternatively, you could also line the muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
• Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir the coconut flakes and the chocolate chips into the flour mixture.
• Combine the eggs, sugar, coconut extract and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer or another large bowl. Beat with the whisk attachment on the stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, over high speed for 2-3 minutes or until the eggs and sugar are pale yellow and have doubled in volume. Slowly pour the buttermilk, then the melted butter into the bowl while continuing to beat. Beat until all the liquid is incorporated.
• Begin to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry mix into the bowl with the wet mixture while gently folding with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to incorporate too quickly. Fold just until the ingredients are fully combined. The batter should be slightly thick and a little bit lumpy.
• Divide the batter evenly between the 12 greased muffin cups. The muffin cups should be about of the way full.
• Bake the muffins at 425F (215C) for five minutes on the center rack in the oven. Then reduce the heat to 350F (175C) and bake for 12-14 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. The high heat baking in the beginning allows the muffins to rise quickly then finish baking at a lower temperature.
• Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before removing from the muffin pan. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-6 days.

Substitutions:

1 cup buttermilk: 1 cup milk, heavy cream, or non-dairy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 cup white sugar: 1 cup brown sugar

1 cup dark chocolate chips: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or mini chocolate chips

To make these gluten free, sub 2 cups all-purpose flour for 2 cups gluten free flour or cup coconut flour + 1 extra egg