Chocolate Chip Okara Muffins

Why You Will Love This Recipe

You will love this recipe for chocolate chip okara muffins because:

• These okara muffins have a delicious chocolate flavor with a hint of cinnamon.
• Made with a combination of sweet chocolate chips and warming cinnamon, these muffins are hard to resist.
• They can be prepared in advance and warmed in the microwave oven, making them fast and convenient for when you need something quick. 
• Use the recipe as a base and make it your own by mixing in other ingredients like - using different flavored chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, and more.

What is Okara?

Okara is the leftover pulp from making soy milk or tofu, known as a Japanese term.

It is packed with fiber, calcium, protein, and other minerals, making it a healthy ingredient for various dishes.

While fresh okara is commonly found in Japan, Korea, and China, it is not as easily available elsewhere unless you make soy milk or tofu at home.

If you are curious about using okara, check out our helpful article on "What To Do With Soya Bean Pulp," where we discuss how to cook, store, dry, and even turn it into a powder.

For more insights into okara, you can also read our post "What Is Okara?"

Can You Eat Uncooked Okara?

To know if okara is safe to eat, it is important to know where it comes from: if it was made from cooked or uncooked soybeans.

You can figure this out by understanding how it was used when making soy milk.

There are two methods of making soymilk:

• One method is to grind soaked uncooked beans, squeeze the milk from the pulp, then heat the pulp free milk for safety. The raw okara from this method requires cooking for dishes like salads but can be used in recipes that involve cooking, to ensure safety.
• The other method is to cook soaked beans in water, then grind and extract the milk from the pulp. Okara from this method is already cooked and safe for use, especially in cold dishes.

If there is any uncertainty about how it was made, it is best to cook the okara to ensure safety.

If you are using powdered okara, it has already been cooked and is safe to use in cooking.

Ingredients

Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Fresh okara - you will need about ½ cup soy pulp. When making soy milk, squeeze out as much milk from the soy pulp as possible. The soy pulp needs to look dry and not overly moist. 

Flour - use plain all-purpose flour.

Baking powder and baking soda - these rising agents will make the muffins rise nice and tall as they bake.

Cinnamon powder - you only need a little to give these muffins a great flavor.

Sugar - use white granulated sugar for the muffin batter and the crumble topping.

Egg - we use large eggs with an average weight of 56 grams (2 ounces).

Milk - use your preferred milk, dairy, or plant milk like soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.

Oil - use a mild-tasting oil like vegetable or canola oil.

Sour cream - if you don't have sour cream, you could use plain yogurt or cream.

Vanilla extract - for added flavor, we used two teaspoons of vanilla, but you can use a little more or less depending on how much you like the taste of vanilla.

Chocolate chips - you can use white, milk, or dark chocolate chips. For this recipe, we used milk chocolate chips.

Equipment

Muffin tin

For this recipe, we used a 6-count muffin tin where each muffin hole has a ½ cup capacity.

Muffin liners

If you can, try and use muffin liners that are non-stick because the muffins tend to stick to the regular ones making it difficult to remove.

If you can not buy them, make parchment liners with baking paper as we do.

These liners are quick to make and look nice around muffins and cupcakes like our gluten-free chocolate okara cakes.

These liners also have high sides, which helps make the muffins rise nice and tall during baking.

And because the liners are tall, you can fill the muffin holes to the top of the tin and not worry about the batter and crumble topping spilling everywhere during baking.

Instructions

Step 1 - Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the sugar and cinnamon powder.

Step 2 - In another large bowl or mixing jug, add the egg, okara, and milk and beat until well combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and mix well.

Step 3 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined, don’t overmix the batter because the muffins will turn out tough. 

Step 4 - Spoon the batter into the liners filling them level to the top of the muffin tin, and drop a few chocolate chips on top of each muffin.

Bake the muffins for 15 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Tips

Muffin liners

If you can, try and get muffin liners that are non-stick because the muffins tend to stick the regular ones making it difficult to remove without leaving them intact.

If you can not buy them, make parchment liners with baking paper as we do.

Don't over-mix the muffin batter

Avoid over-mixing the batter because the muffins can turn out tough. 

The wet and dry ingredients should be gently together until they combine, you may have some dry bits and lumps in the batter and this is okay.

Serving Size

One chocolate chip okara muffin is a serving size.

Calories Per Serve

There are 285 calories in one of these muffins with a crumble topping, 15 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein.

Serving Suggestions

Chocolate chip okara mufffins are a tasty tread on their own or pair with something else like:

• A cold glass of milk.
• A cup of tea or coffee.
• Serve them warm as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream or custard.
• Serve them for a breakfast or brunch buffet with other baked goods and fruit.
• These make a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
• Or make them as Christmas gifts for family and friends or for sharing at Thanksgiving or Easter.

Variations

Use a different type of chocolate - chop up blocks of flavored chocolate like mint or strawberry to give it a different flavor.

Add some crunch by mixing in a handful of chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.

Add a different topping instead of chocolate chips you could sprinkle on demerara sugar or a crumbly streusel topping.

Vary the spice in addition to cinnamon powder add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger for a warming fall twist.

Storage

Refrigeration – In cool climates, the muffins are okay to stay at room temperature overnight in an air-tight container.

Or you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. 

Freezing – these muffins freeze very well. Individually wrap, or bulk freeze in zip-lock bags or freezer-safe containers. 

When you need them, remove as many as you need from the freezer and thaw. 

Thaw them slowly on the kitchen bench for several hours, or do a quick defrost in the microwave oven.

Reheating

If you like your muffins warm, warm them in the microwave oven for about 15-20 seconds or until you get them warmed to your liking.

More Okara Recipes

If you like this recipe for chocolate chip okara muffins you might also like these recipes:

• Vanilla okara pound cake
• Okara banana bread
• Gluten-free okara chocolate cake
• Chocolate chip okara pancakes