Chocolate Orange Blossom Muffins With Orange Blossom Water.

These chocolate orange blossom muffins boast a deep chocolate flavor and the perfect spongy texture. These muffins are infused with orange blossom water and orange zest. They will surprise your taste buds with their unique and delightful taste. If you’re a muffin lover, you won’t want to miss trying these!

Inspired by Terry’s classic chocolate orange flavor, these muffins blend rich cocoa with the slightly floral taste of orange blossom water. I discovered this aromatic ingredient while shopping for rose water, so I knew I had to experiment with it in the kitchen. The result is a muffin that’s fragrant with a deep orange flavor.

One of the best things about orange blossom water is that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated after opening, making it a convenient addition to your pantry. This is a relief for those of us with fridges already crowded with sauces and jams—an inevitable part of family life.

If you love chocolate muffins, be sure to try our milk chocolate muffins. That’s right, milk chocolate! The flavor is insane. 

Why You Will Love These Chocolate Orange Muffins

Unique Flavor Combination: The blend of rich cocoa and fragrant orange blossom water, combined with the zest of a whole orange, creates a delightful and unique flavor profile that is reminiscent of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, which are out at Christmastime. 

Moist and Tender Texture: Made with ingredients like vegetable oil, sour cream, and milk, these muffins are incredibly moist and tender, offering a perfect bite every time.

Chocolate Indulgence: The addition of semi-sweet chocolate chips provides bursts of chocolatey goodness in every bite, making these muffins a true indulgence for chocolate lovers.

Let’s Get Started Making These Delicious Muffins

This easy muffin recipe uses relatively simple ingredients to yield flavorful results. Let’s start by mixing oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl—it’s quick and easy, unlike the traditional butter creaming method. Once creamy, add the eggs and blend together until smooth.

This recipe uses sour cream for moistness, balanced with milk for added moisture. Go ahead and add them now, mixing until they are well combined. 

Add the measured dry ingredients directly to the wet ingredients, skipping the two-bowl method often recommended. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you mix. Be careful not to overmix, which can toughen the batter and create air pockets.

Now, for the secret ingredient: orange blossom water, combined with the fresh orange zest for deeper orange flavor, and a generous amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips. The semi-sweet chips complement the muffin’s sweetness. Still, you can adjust to taste—opt for sweeter or darker chocolate or omit the chips for a citrus-forward flavor.

Fill your non-stick pan generously—there is no need for liners. Oil the muffins first to ensure they don’t stick. I use non-stick cooking spray for speedy convenience. Preheat your oven to 425°F for an initial burst of heat that helps the muffins rise. After 5 minutes of baking, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 15–18 minutes until done.

To test if the chocolate orange blossom muffins are done baking, insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin. The chocolate muffins are ready if the toothpick comes out clean. Avoid overbaking, as this can lead to dryness. Another method is gently pressing the tops—they should spring back when touched lightly, indicating they are fully baked and ready to enjoy.

Once fully baked, remove the muffins from the tin immediately so they don’t continue to cook, and cool on a wire rack. These fragrant chocolate orange blossom muffins are best enjoyed warm, their aroma filling the kitchen with irresistible allure. Perfect for a well-deserved tea break, they are a delicious treat blending citrus and chocolate in every bite! Bake up a batch and enjoy these orange muffins today!

Ingredients:

Vegetable Oil: Provides added moisture and richness to the muffins without creaming, ensuring a tender texture.

White Sugar: Sweetens the muffins and contributes to their soft texture by interacting with the other ingredients during baking.

Eggs Act as a binding agent, adding structure and contributing to the muffins’ moistness and texture. I used large eggs for this recipe. 

Milk: Adds additional moisture to the batter, enhancing the tenderness of the muffins. I used regular 2% milk, but you can also use whole milk if you have one over the other. 

Sour Cream: Increases moisture content significantly, resulting in a moist and tender crumb when combined with the other liquid ingredients.

Orange Blossom Water: This infuses the muffins with a delicate floral flavor that complements the chocolate and orange zest, adding a unique aromatic dimension.

All Purpose Flour: Provides structure and stability to the muffins, ensuring they rise properly during baking.

Cocoa Powder: Adds the chocolate flavor to the muffins, making them intensely chocolatey.

Baking Powder: This leavening agent helps the muffins rise and become fluffy.

Baking Soda: Also a leavening agent that reacts with acidic ingredients like sour cream and orange zest to further lift and lighten the muffins.

Salt: Enhances the chocolate orange flavors and balances the sweetness of the muffins.

Orange Zest: Adds bright citrus flavor and aroma to the muffins, complementing the chocolate and orange blossom water.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: These chips provide bursts of chocolatey goodness throughout the muffins, melting slightly during baking to create pockets of chocolate flavor.

Substitutions And Add-Ins For These  Chocolate Orange Muffins:

Vegetable Oil: Melted butter, coconut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil, such as canola oil, can be substituted for this.

White Sugar: Swap for brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a sugar substitute like stevia (adjust quantities based on sweetness preference).

Eggs: Can be substituted with flaxseed meal (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water per egg, let sit to thicken), applesauce (1/4 cup per egg), or mashed banana (1/4 cup per egg).

Milk: Opt for dairy-free milk (almond, soy, or oat milk) or buttermilk for added tang.

Sour Cream: Replace with plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk for a tangy flavor or a dairy-free alternative like coconut milk yogurt.

Orange Blossom Water: Substitute with orange extract (use half the amount) or orange juice concentrate (use sparingly for flavor). Another idea to get the deep orange flavor in your chocolate muffins is to use a splash of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier.

All-Purpose Flour: Swap with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor, a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version, or almond flour for a grain-free option (adjust liquid and leavening as needed).

Cocoa Powder: Carob powder can offer a caffeine-free alternative.

Baking Powder: Opt for double-acting baking powder or baking soda (use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per teaspoon of baking powder).

Baking Soda: Use baking powder (3 times the amount of baking powder as baking soda) or omit if using self-raising flour.

Salt: Omit or reduce for dietary preferences, but note that salt enhances flavors and helps balance sweetness.

Orange Zest: For a different citrus flavor, substitute lemon zest or lime zest. If this is your first time hearing the term zest, it simply means you are grating finely the orange peel. Be careful not to grate deeply into the bitter white portion, though.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Try using dark chocolate chunks or chips, milk chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate chunks, depending on your preference for sweetness and intensity of chocolate flavor.

Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For This Easy Recipe.

​Tip #1: Watch your timer! Leaving muffins in at 425F for more than five minutes is risky. So you want to be as precise as possible. Don’t panic, though. If you go over, they are still going to bake.

​Tip #2: Up The Orange Flavor. To enhance the citrus flavor in these chocolate orange blossom muffins, gently rub the orange zest with a small amount of sugar before adding it to the batter. This technique helps release the essential oils from the zest, intensifying the orange aroma and taste throughout the muffins. NOTE: This is optional if you prefer an intense orange flavor.

​Tip #3: Prepare Pans. Using Pam cooking spray in those non-stick pans, your muffins will slide right out! If you don’t have non-stick and are out of liners, I recommend you grease and lightly flour the tin. It’s a messy process, but it will be worth it. Just knock excess out so you don’t get a floury exterior on your muffins.

​These chocolate orange blossom muffins are perfect for any occasion, whether enjoyed at home with a cup of coffee or packed as a portable snack for school or work. Their individual servings make them convenient to grab on busy mornings, offering a delightful combination of chocolate richness and refreshing citrus notes that everyone will love. Pack them in lunchboxes or enjoy them as a midday treat to brighten your day!

Store these chocolate orange blossom muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for longer freshness. To enjoy them warm, reheat briefly in the microwave or oven before serving.

For more extended storage, these chocolate orange blossom muffins can be frozen. Wrap the cooled muffins in saran wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. They will keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature or gently reheat in the oven or microwave until warm.

Have you enjoyed baking these chocolate orange blossom muffins? Share your experience by leaving a rating and comment below! Your feedback helps others discover and enjoy this delicious recipe as much as you did. Whether you added a personal twist or followed it to the letter, we’d love to hear how these muffins brightened your day.