Sugar-Dusted Green Tea Chocolate Chip Muffins {with coconut oil}

I’ve been drinking heaps of tea lately. It used to be a daily essential for me, but there was a cessation of the habit at one stage and as a result, I was left with a large stash of assorted teas sitting abandoned in the pantry. Thankfully, in the last week or so, I’ve gone through that stash pretty quickly. I’ve found that green tea is still my favourite, and while I’ve lost my penchant for oolong and rooibos, I’ve also gained a new love for white tea. Now that we’ve got a new herb garden growing strong and healthy, I’ve been adding lots of fresh mint leaves to my cups of tea (we also have thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, curry and chocolate mint growing in the garden — yes, chocolate mint actually exists).

Sprinkle the tops with some sugar crystals for an extra sweet & crunchy surprise.

Anyway, these are the green tea muffins we made over the weekend (they’re not mint-flavoured, as one might initially mistake them for). Studded with chocolate chips and sprinkled with sugar crystals, they rose beautifully in the oven and turned out surprisingly soft and moist. For a recipe that doesn’t include eggs or butter, this was definitely an impressive result. Fragrant coconut oil replaces the butter in this case, and you can make these muffins entirely vegan by using your favourite non-dairy milk (like almond or soy), and investing in some dairy-free chocolate chips.

Sprinkling large sugar crystals on top of each muffin was an idea that stemmed from my favourite banana bread recipe. I can’t seem to remember where I put that recipe (should probably remember to look for it), but I know that it called for a generous dusting of brown sugar all over the top of the pre-baked loaf. The bread came out with a gorgeously caramalised and tantalisingly crunchy top. The concept worked very well with these matcha-infused muffins. As the muffins themselves weren’t overly sweet or overpowering in flavour, they gave the sugary tops and delicious chocolate morsels a chance to truly shine.

I think the green tea and chocolate chip combination had everyone swooning and clamouring for more. If you haven’t yet had the chance to indulge in any sort of matcha-flavoured sweets or desserts, introducing yourself to these simple mini cakes would be a good way to start. The recipe is straightforward and, with light hands, the preparation and baking process is incredibly easy. If you’re looking to cut down on your chocolate intake, you can replace the chocolate chips with some dried fruit or nuts.

Love using matcha powder in baked goods? Have a look at our other matcha recipes: [one] Chinese Wolfberry (Goji Berry) Matcha Cake, [two] Matcha Mushipan (Green Tea Japanese Steamed Cup Bread), [three] Heavenly Matcha Cookies, [four] Dark Chocolate Swirl Matcha Cheesecake.

Soft and moist little green cakes. Just look at that ooey gooey chocolate mess! Mmm.

Sugar-Dusted Green Tea Chocolate Chip Muffins {with coconut oil}
an eggless & butterless muffin recipe ; yield: ~12 regular muffins.

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons matcha (green tea) powder*
a pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 1/3 cups milk, warm
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup chocolate chips**
2 tablespoons large sugar crystals, for sprinkling

* Maeda-en’s “Culinary Quality” Matcha Green Tea Powder works extremely well in baked goods.
** We used Sweet William’s Dairy Free Chocolate Chips, a delicious alternative to regular chocolate chips. You can also substitute the milk in this recipe with a non-dairy alternative such as almond or soy to make vegan muffins.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cups.
2. In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, matcha powder and sea salt. Mix well, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the sugar, milk, coconut oil and vinegar.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the mixture a few times, then add the chocolate chips and continue to fold lightly until everything just comes together.
5. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into each paper cup. Fill each one to the brim and use the back of your spoon to evenly spread and flatten the tops. Then, generously sprinkle the tops with large sugar crystals.
6. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until they have risen and browned slightly.
7. Remove from oven and let muffins stand in tray for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool.
8. Best eaten slightly warm, while the chocolate chips are still melty and gooey!