Bakery-Style Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins (Vegan)
These Bakery-Style Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins are chocolatey, fudgy, moist and tender with high muffin tops and peanut butter swirls. They’re easy to make in one bowl with vegan, wholesome, egg-free and easily gluten-free ingredients.
If you love a delicious muffin from your local bakery, well it’s time to bake your own, instead. These muffins are much cheaper, more wholesome, naturally vegan and so much better than shop-bought and they require minimal washing up. I worked on these muffins several times to make sure we got the high muffin tops, the plush tender middle and the chocolatey goodness and here you go. These muffins are the perfect tear-apart bake to have with a tea or coffee in the morning or for a mid-afternoon snack. They also travel well, so are great on-the-go snacks.
Why will I love these muffins?
These muffins are amazing:
- Rich, chocolatey, fudgy and spongey
- Light, moreish and wholesome
- Made with good-for-you ingredients
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Quick and easy to make
- Chocolatey and rich with peanut butter
- Great for desserts, snacks and on the go
- Delicious warm from the oven or served cold
- With high muffin tops and tender middles
If you already love the sound of these muffins then skip ahead to the recipe card below, or first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredient list is simple and you can see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section and the full weights in the recipe card.
Here are the ingredients:
- Plant-based milk: you can use any dairy-free milk here like organic soya, oat, almond or coconut (from the carton).
- Apple cider vinegar: this helps to bind these egg-free muffins by curdling the milk to form a buttermilk.
- Thick coconut yoghurt: this adds moisture, richness and healthy fats while keeping the muffins light and spongey. I use the Cocos Organic natural or vanilla yoghurt here.
- Olive oil: for a boost of healthy fats and to keep these moist.
- Runny smooth peanut butter: the best peanut butter is 100% peanuts or with a little salt added, but that’s it. Make sure it’s runny and smooth for the best textured muffins.
- Agave or caster sugar: I love using agave sugar as it’s refined sugar free and still light and white in colour but regular caster sugar will also work.
- Coconut or light brown sugar: this adds more richness as well as sweetness and the key to these muffins is to use both sugars. Make these refined sugar free by using coconut sugar but light brown sugar will also work.
- Plain or gluten-free plain flour: keeps the muffins light, airy and so moist. If make these gluten-free, make sure to use a 1:1 GF blend of flour that you typically bake with.
- Cocoa powder: for the chocolatey richness and flavour. Choose cocoa over cacao here as it’s more acidic and will provide a better rise in the bakes and make sure it’s 100% cocoa.
- Baking powder and salt: for rise and flavour.
- Dark chocolate: use chocolate chips, buttons or chop up your favourite bar of chocolatey so they you have melting chunks of chocolate in each bite and some more on top.
Are they gluten-free and nut-free?
These are easily gluten-free, as long as you use your favourite 1:1 baking blend of GF flour which contains a binder like xanthan gum. To make these nut-free, use tahini or sunflower see butter instead of peanut butter.
How do I make them?
These are easy to make:
- Whisk together all of the wet ingredients: until smooth.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: and whisk again.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks: to mix them together.
- Scoop into the muffin cases: filling almost to the top.
- Spoon over some peanut butter: and swirl through.
- Add on some extra chocolate chips: and bake.
- Bake for 5 minutes at a higher temperature and then at a lower temperature for 16 to 18 minutes: without opening the oven.
- Remove from the tins and cool for 20 minutes: and enjoy warm or allow to cool fully.
Why do I need to change the oven temperature?
The initial higher temperature is a shock to the batter and allows for a quick and sudden rise, to achieve the muffin top and slightly firmer top layer. Then, lowering the temperature allows for the muffins to bake evenly so they are cooked through. Do not open the oven throughout this time as they will deflate quickly.
How long will they last?
These are great for 2-3 days kept in a sealed container, in the fridge overnight, but eaten at room temperature. You can freeze the muffins, wrapped well, for 1 month, and allow to defrost before eating.
What else can I bake?
If you are looking for more muffins and cakes:
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Pumpkin Muffins
- Chocolate Chunk Courgette Muffins
- Nutty Blueberry Breakfast Muffins
- Ferrero Rocher Vegan Flourless Brownies
- Cinnamon Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Bakery-Style Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins (Vegan)
These Bakery-Style Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins are chocolatey, fudgy, moist and tender with high muffin tops and peanut butter swirls. They’re easy to make in one bowl with vegan, wholesome, egg-free and easily gluten-free ingredients.
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 240ml plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 60g thick coconut yoghurt
- 60ml (4 tbsp) olive oil
- 60g (4 tbsp) runny, smooth peanut butter
- 100g agave or caster sugar
- 100g coconut or light brown sugar
- 280g plain or GF plain flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 90g dark chocolate, chopped or in chips
- A pinch of salt
For the Tops:
- 6 tsp runny, smooth peanut butter
- 20g dark chocolate chips
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200Fan/220ºC* and line a muffin tray with 12 cases.
- Whisk together the milk and vinegar and leave for 5 minutes to curdle.
- Make the batter: into a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, olive oil, peanut butter, both the sugars and the milk-vinegar mix. Whisk until smooth. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and add the salt. Whisk to a thick, glossy batter. Fold in the dark chocolate.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffins evenly, filling quite to the top. Add on ½ tsp peanut butter and use a toothpick to make swirls on top and then add on a few chocolate chips.
- To bake: place in the middle of the oven for 5 minutes then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 160Fan/180ºC and bake for a further 16-18 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- To cool: carefully remove from the muffin tray and sprinkle with flaky salt, if you like, and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Eat them warm or allow to cool fully.
- Store in a sealed container for 2-3 days (in the fridge overnight) and enjoy at room temperature. You can freeze the muffins for 1 month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before eating.
Notes
Cooking the muffins for 5 minutes at a high temperature allows for the muffins to rise really quickly, giving the higher tops. Do not open the oven but remember to reduce the temperature so they bake evenly. Alternatively, you can bake them at 160Fan/180*C for the full time, taking nearer 25 minutes in total.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Bakery-Style Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With bakery-muffins of love x
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Macros please
Hello, I don’t provide macros for any of my recipes but feel free to work these out for yourself 🙂 enjoy the recipe!
Hi! Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made them and they look gorgeous. They are super nice and fluffy but I found them a bit less sweet than my liking, I used granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Do you have any advice on how to make them extra sweet and chocolatey? I was thinking to use coconut sugar and add more chocolate chips next time. Any advice would be very appreciated.
I am so happy you love them! I found them sweet enough but that is because they are rich and chocolatey, but you can use coconut sugar for a more caramel-like flavour and feel free to use dairy-free milk chocolate chips inside which would make it more sweet overall! I hope that helps!