Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Muffins

We all love butter for the way it makes virtually any dish more flavorful and decadent. Take your favorite loaf of sourdough or your best pan sauce, and it’s hard to imagine how a pat of butter won’t make it even better. For bakers, butter is more than a finishing touch. It is the key to tender, flaky crusts and delicate cake crumb.

Since I crave the goodness of butter, trust me when I say that you will not miss it in this muffin recipe. While many bakers turn to oils as a healthier alternative, I turn to olive oil for flavor. Not just any olive oil will do, unless you like your muffins as robust as your salad dressing. Pick an extra virgin variety that is smooth and buttery. Milder versions meld well with the sweeter ingredients in this recipe but still come through just enough for people to ask about the secret ingredient that makes these so delicious.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup whole milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup mini chocolate chips

With olive oil and chocolate being an incredible dessert combination, combining them in a muffin gives this recipe a decadent twist. Since I love walking the line between breakfast and dessert (and I have eaten these muffins for both), I load up my batter with chocolate chips. If you prefer less chocolate, try a half-cup instead.

Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees and placing 8 liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Let any cold ingredients come to room temperature. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and sugar until pale yellow and creamy, about 3 minutes. Continue whisking while slowing adding the olive oil until fully combined. Next add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture, and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, filling them to the top. Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from pan to cooling rack.