Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe) (2024)

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By Helen Schofield

on Oct 10, 2022

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These Greek yogurt choc chip muffins are light and fluffy every time, packed full of protein and with only a little added sugar. They also happen to be REALLY quick and easy to make – ready in only 30 minutes.

Perfect for lunch boxes, afternoon snacks and last minute guests, you NEED these healthy chocolate chip muffins in your life!

Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe) (2)

Healthier chocolate chip muffins
Why you’ll love them
About the ingredients
How to make them
Helen’s top tips
Variations
Recipe FAQ
More favorite baking recipes
Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe) Recipe

Healthier chocolate chip muffins

We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with muffins in our house. Mr. Scrummy generally doesn’t like them, unless they happen to be these Greek yogurt blueberry muffins.

I certainly do like them, especially if they involve chocolate in any way, shape or form. However, I find café muffins mostly too sickly sweet.

My solution to this very serious problem (!) is to make these lower sugar light and fluffy Greek yogurt choc chip muffins at home. In my not-so-humble opinion, these are the best chocolate chip muffins ever (tongue slightly in cheek here, but they really are good muffins).

Why you’ll love them

Yes, Helen! You’ve discovered a healthy chocolate chip muffins recipe. Tell me all about it…

They’re light and fluffy with a lightly crispy top. Just like my blueberry muffins before them, these Greek yogurt choc chip muffins always seem to turn out well!

They are indeed healthier choc chip muffins than average. They’re protein-packed (hello Greek yogurt), and low in sugar with just 1⁄3 cup.

Ridiculously easy to make and hard to mess up. They’re made with oil, so there’s no creaming of butter and sugar. Just mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Perfect recipe for making with the kids!

Beautifully moist and tender since the oil and yogurt both add moisture.

Made with simple ingredients. You might already have everything in your pantry.

Chocolate chips in every bite! 😉

If this is going to call itself a chocolate chip muffin, it’s going to have plenty of chocolate chips in it.

5* Review

“Thank you SOOOO much for this recipe Helen! These turned out amazing and my husband and kids said they’re the best choc chip muffins they’ve ever had!” (Angie)

About the ingredients

Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe) (3)

As already mentioned, one of the great things about these choc chip muffins (that are on the healthier side!) is that you only need simple baking ingredients. I confess that I’ve not always been very accurate with the ingredient amounts, but they always turn out well.

Here’s what you need to know:

All-purpose/Plain flour: Nothing fancy here. Feel free to replace some of the white flour with white whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat (wholemeal) flour or gluten free flour. It works! You ‘may’ need to add a little extra milk with these alternative flours.

Baking powder and baking soda: You’ll add a whole tablespoon of baking powder since you’re using 2.5 cups of flour. Plus just a half teaspoon of baking soda.

Sugar: Just plain white sugar. 1⁄3 cup is enough for me since there are plenty of chocolate chips in the recipe for the perfect amount of sweetness. Feel free to increase the amount to ½ cup if you have a sweeter tooth.

Eggs: 2 large.

Oil: I usually use either canola oil, or a mixture of canola and light olive oil. Any vegetable oil, melted coconut oil or even melted butter would work, too.

Greek yogurt: A whole cup packs the protein into these muffins (protein muffins!). For the best results, always use authentic Greek yogurt which is just strained yogurt made of milk and yogurt cultures. Reduced fat (such as the blue Chobani) or full fat are both fine. Avoid the ‘Greek style’ yogurts that contain a lot of cream.

Milk: Just a little, to thin the batter to the right consistency.

Salt: Just half a teaspoon to bring out the other flavors.

Vanilla extract: Not essential, but just a teaspoon is nice.

Chocolate chips: I like dark, but milk is fine, too. I add a whole 1.5 cups for chocolate in every bite, but reduce this amount if you like. Feel free to use chocolate chunks instead of chips!

How to make them

The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin tin(s) with paper liners. I also try to remember to spray the liners lightly with oil to stop them sticking.

Step 2: Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl – flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the little bit of sugar.

Step 3: Stir together the wet ingredients – so eggs, oil, vanilla, yogurt, milk and vanilla if you like.

Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe) (4)

Step 4: Briefly mix the wet ingredients into the dry (no overmixing!), and fold in the choc chips!

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Step 5: Fill the liners with the muffin batter. You’ll get 12 to 18 muffins depending on the size. Sometimes I make small muffins, other times huge bakery style ones. Both work really well!

Step 6: Bake until nicely browned! The baking time can vary. You’ll need between 17 to 25 minutes, again depending on the size. Check with a skewer in the middle. When it comes out clean, the delicious yogurt muffins are ready!

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Helen’s top tips

To get perfect choc chip muffins every time!

Once you’ve added the wet ingredients to the dry, don’t overmix. A few lumps are fine! This will make sure you get light and fluffy muffins every time.

If your batter doesn’t drop nicely into your muffin cases and looks too thick and lumpy, just add a drizzle more milk to thin it out a bit.

Lightly fold your chocolate chips in. Again, don’t overmix and risk heavy, chewy muffins.

These muffins do tend to stick to the muffin cases a bit when still warm. If you wait until the muffins are completely cool they’ll peel out of the cases really easily. If you want to eat them warm, just reheat for 15 seconds in the microwave! (no longer – you’ll ruin them!)

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Variations

For even healthier chocolate muffins, reduce the chocolate chips to just ½ to 1 cup. Replace the rest with some fresh or frozen fruit – raspberries, blackberries or chopped pear (nice and sweet!) comes to mind.

Replace some of the chocolate chips with chopped nuts and/or dried fruit such as sultanas or cranberries.

I use almost exactly the same recipe for these Greek yogurt choc chip muffins as for my low sugar Greek yogurt blueberry muffins (they get rave reviews!). Except I add a little more sugar to the blueberry muffins to compensate for the lack of chocolate.

Got overripe bananas? Try this Greek yogurt banana muffin recipe as well. With caramel chips, but also a healthier, low sugar (and oil) recipe.

Recipe FAQ

How do you store these?

These yogurt muffins will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for around 3 days, or in the fridge for around 5 days.

Can you freeze yogurt muffins?

Yes! You can freeze these Greek yogurt chocolate chip muffins in Ziploc bags for up to 3 months. Then defrost and reheat for 20-30 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in the oven to get that freshly baked vibe again.

How can I make these dairy free?

Try making them with coconut Greek style yogurt. Check that it’s made with coconut milk and isn’t just coconut flavored yogurt. Remember to also replace the milk with a non-dairy milk such as almond, oat or soy.

Can I make mini chocolate chip muffins instead?

Yes, of course! Bake for just 10 to 13 minutes or until well risen and browned and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Check after 10 minutes and then if necessary every minute after that (a few minutes too long could ruin them).

Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe) (8)

More favorite baking recipes

Another reminder to try these equally delicious Greek yogurt blueberry muffins too (the best blueberry muffins ever). These Greek yogurt banana muffins are pretty good, too!

These soft-centred triple chocolate muffins certainly aren’t healthy, but sometimes when you’re going to eat dessert you’re going to do it properly!

These gingerbread muffins with salted caramel icing are perfect for any special occasion, especially birthday or engagement parties, baby showers, and Christmas parties.

Here’s another go-to breakfast treat for you: delicious ooey, gooey 1-hour cinnamon scrolls. Try them once and they’ll become another favorite baking recipe!

Also check out this list of 25 low sugar cakes (that still taste great!).

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON BY LEAVING A COMMENT AND RATING BELOW… AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL MY NEW RECIPES BY EMAIL!

4.92 from 69 votes

Greek Yogurt Choc Chip Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe)

By: Helen Schofield

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

▢ 2.5 cups plain flour
▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ⅓ cup sugar, I find this enough but some people might like to add a little more, say ½ cup sugar

Wet ingredients

▢ 2 eggs, lightly whisked
▢ ⅔ cup oil, I usually use canola oil, or a mixture of canola and olive oil, but any is fine
▢ 1 cup Greek yogurt, I use authentic full fat strained Greek yogurt
▢ ¼ cup milk, Actually, ¼ to ½ cup.
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Other

▢ 1.5 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 355F/180C and line a muffin pan with muffin liners. Spray lightly with oil.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2.5 cups plain flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup sugar
Combine the wet ingredients in a jug or smaller bowl.
2 eggs, ⅔ cup oil, 1 cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined (a few lumps are fine. Don’t overmix). Add a little more milk if necessary (the mixture will be quite thick but it shouldn't be dry).
Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
1.5 cups chocolate chips
Spoon the batter into the muffin cases (you can fill almost to the top) and bake for 17 to 25 minutes. After 17 minutes keep checking every couple of minutes. A skewer pushed into the centre of the muffin should come out without raw batter on it, and the muffins should be nicely golden brown.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before eating so that the muffin cases don’t stick. Reheat for 15 seconds in the microwave after peeling off the muffin case if you’d like to enjoy a muffin warm!

Video

Notes

Batter consistency: Your batter should be a soft dropping consistency so you can put it into your muffin cases easily. If it seems too thick, just add a tiny bit more milk.

Baking time: The baking time can vary a bit depending on what brand of yogurt you use and/or how big your muffin cases are.

Just check every couple of minutes after 17 minutes until your muffins are nicely browned and a skewer pushed into the centre of a muffin comes out fairly clean (there might be a bit of chocolate on the skewer but there shouldn’t be any raw batter).

I’ve found cooking time to be as little as 17 minutes and as long as 25 minutes depending on the size of my muffins.

Storing and freezing: These muffins will keep quite well for a few days in an airtight container, but they also freeze well. Simply freeze in Ziploc bags or a plastic/glass container with a lid for up to 3 months. Defrost and then reheat for 15-20 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a warm oven.

Blueberry/Banana versions: You can easily make Greek yogurt blueberry muffins instead with this same recipe! Simply add a tiny bit more sugar to the batter (if you like – say 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup) and replace the choc chips with 1.5 cups of blueberries.

Or make half chocolate, half blueberry muffins! Both are delicious and always turn out well.

If you have overripe bananas, you may also wish to try these Greek yogurt banana muffins (with caramel chips!).

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 169mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 102mg, Iron: 1.7mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Helen Schofield

Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY!

FAQs

Why add Greek yogurt to muffins? ›

Soft, fluffy, and full of chocolatey flavor, these muffins will have you reaching for seconds (and thirds!). Greek yogurt adds extra protein and helps keep these moist for several days, making these a perfect start to your day.

See Details ›

Are chocolate muffins good for you? ›

Eating double chocolate muffins is as good as going to the gym (proof: the antioxidants in cocoa trigger the walls of your blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. This means better delivery of oxygen and nutrients to every cell).

What makes blueberry muffins healthy? ›

Healthy Blueberry Muffin Recipe Ingredients

The whole wheat flour adds more fiber and nutrients than the all-purpose would on its own, but using part all-purpose helps ensure that the muffins come out light and fluffy, not dense. Almond flour – It gives the blueberry muffins a delicious moist texture.

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Can you substitute vanilla Greek yogurt for plain? ›

Flavored yogurts such as lemon or vanilla can be substituted for plain in recipes where the flavors won't clash.

Is it better to bake with yogurt or Greek yogurt? ›

You have to be careful with swapping Greek yogurt and regular. In some applications, the thinner consistency of regular yogurt doesn't impact the recipe at all. With baking, if a recipe specifically calls for Greek yogurt, the added moisture from using regular yogurt instead might make the dough or batter too wet.

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Is milk or yogurt better in muffins? ›

If you replace yogurt with skim milk, you'll be doing several things that might affect the flavor and texture of your muffins. Yogurt adds both fat and acid to the recipe. Fat tenderizes baked goods by interfering with gluten development. The acid in yogurt reacts with baking soda for a better rise.

Read On ›

Is it OK to eat a chocolate muffin everyday? ›

Now muffins aren't all bad. These things are only unhealthy if eaten on a regular basis. If every so often you want a muffin for breakfast or a snack, that's no big deal. When you grab a bakery muffin for breakfast daily, that's when you increase your risk for unwanted weight gain and other health issues.

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Why are bakery muffins so much better? ›

The best bakery-style crumb muffins start with cake flour

Cake flour is more finely ground and has less protein, which leaves the muffins with a fine, light crumb and soft texture. Using cake flour is an easy way to avoid heavy, dense muffins even if you end up stirring just a bit too much.

View Details ›

Are muffins better for you than bread? ›

English muffins tend to be a little healthier than bread since English muffins have less carbohydrates, fats, and sugar than bread. While bread does contain slightly more fat when compared to English muffins, both options have 1 gram or less of total fat.

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Are muffins better for you than cupcakes? ›

Cupcake recipes generally contain much higher levels of sugar and fat. This makes cupcakes sweeter, and juicier with finer crumbs. Muffins usually have fruit, nuts, and other ingredients mixed into the batter to compensate. Because of this, muffins are usually considered healthier than cupcakes.

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Are muffins better for you than donuts? ›

When it comes to calories, carbs, and sugar, there's a clear winner: doughnuts. The fried rings have 155 fewer calories, half the carbs, and 21 fewer grams of sugar than muffins. Muffins don't lose out completely, though: They have 1 g more protein than doughnuts—and half the saturated fat.

Are blueberry muffins full of sugar? ›

If you buy a blueberry muffin at a coffee shop, you'll likely be buying a muffin that weighs 5 ounces, contains 450 calories, and is made with refined flour and lots of added sugar (see for yourself).

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What does Greek yogurt do in baking? ›

Its creaminess helps keep baked goods moist. Its tanginess imparts a crave-worthy, old-fashioned flavor. Its acidity helps activate baking soda, which can make baked goods fluffy and light. It can step in for sour cream, mayonnaise or crème fraîche, bringin the same tangy with less guilt.

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Why do people add yogurt to muffins? ›

It helps keep the muffins light and moist while adding a healthy dose of protein, fat, and calcium! These muffins are special in that yogurt is THE main ingredient. You don't need any extra fruits or other add-ins as they are so delicious as is. But of course you can add whatever you fancy to these versatile muffins.

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What does adding Greek yogurt do? ›

Greek yogurt is a thick, creamy yogurt that can add flavor and texture to foods. Other benefits of Greek yogurt include boosting bone health, building muscle mass, and lowering the risk of certain health conditions.