Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins โ These chocolate chocolate chip muffins are closer in taste to a rich chocolate cupcake, but have the texture of a muffin. Theyโre soft, moist, dense, and loaded with chocolate!
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
Chocolate for breakfast sounds like a good idea to me some days. Okay, most days. If it sounds like a good idea to you, these chocolate chocolate chip muffins are the only excuse you need.
They probably could have been called cupcakes, but they’re not as light and fluffy as a chocolate cupcake. They’re denser and have a more muffin-like texture. Since I think of muffins as healthier than cupcakes, I called them muffins. Mind games. They work every time.
The beauty of these homemade chocolate chip muffins is that they come together in minutes with just two bowls and a whisk. No need to drag your mixer out for these big, puffy beauties.
They’re ready from start to finish in under a half hour. You can even mix the dry ingredients in a bowl at night, and the next morning it’s as easy as pouring wet over dry, stirring, baking, and you’ll be eating chocolate for breakfast before you know it. That’s my idea of waking up.
These chocolate chocolate chip muffins are made for chocolate lovers. There’s cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and dollops of Nutella on the muffin tops. If there’s a way to make a muffin top better, smearing it with Nutella is how.
I also smeared some with Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter, since everything is better with peanut butter. Don’t make me choose between Nutella and chocolate peanut butter.
And boy, are they ever soft. I used oil rather than butter, which I prefer in most muffins, cupcakes, and cakes because it keeps them extra soft and springy. And buttermilk keeps them fluffy, lighter, and moist.
The outside developed a very slight chewiness and the interior stayed soft, dense enough but still fluffy, and moist. The chocolate chips melted and made them extra chocolaty and rich.
When I served them to my family my husband exclaimed, “Oh Wow! Chocolate cupcakes!” I said, well, I’m calling them muffins and explained my logic. He liked my rationale.
Then, he told me that I need to give them all away. My heart sank for a minute, thinking he didn’t like them. Call me old-fashioned, but the only two people in the world I really care if they like my cooking are my husband and my daughter.
But he said they’re amazingly good and that he was tempted to eat half the batch at once.
Chocolate cravings apparently run in our family.
What’s in Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins?
To make these easy chocolate chip muffins, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Light brown sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Instant espresso granules
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Canola oil
- Brewed coffee
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
To make these easy chocolate chip muffins, simply mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet in another. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.
Spoon the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin tin, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Note that itโs hard to find a โcleanโ patch to test that doesnโt have melted chocolate chips and itโs easy to confuse muffin batter with a gooey melted chocolate chip.
Be careful not to overbake, which is easy to do with chocolate goodies, given the dark color. I baked for 24 minutes and in the future, will probably pull them at about 22 minutes. Watch your muffins, not the clock, when evaluating doneness.
If you happen to overbake, sealing them in a Ziploc overnight while they’re still warm will help them soften up.
Is There a Buttermilk Substitute I Can Use?
If you don’t normally keep buttermilk on hand, you can cheat and make some with vinegar or lemon juice and milk. Or use regular milk and add a hearty dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Will These Muffins Taste Like Coffee?
Not at all. The small amount of espresso granules and brewed coffee simply enhances the rich chocolate flavor of these chocolate chip muffins. They won’t taste like coffee in the slightest.
Can I Omit the Espresso Granules?
If you can’t find instant espresso granules, you can use instant coffee instead. Technically, you may omit the espresso, but I highly recommend adding it in!
Can I Use Different Mix-Ins?
Yes, of course! You can add up to a cup of any mix-ins you’d like. Chopped nuts would taste great in these chocolate chocolate chip muffins as well.
Can I Make These Gluten-Free?
I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I’m not sure how using a gluten-free flour would affect the taste and texture.
Is There an Egg Replacement I Can Use?
I’ve only made these chocolate chocolate chip muffins as written, so I’m not sure how using an egg replacement would affect the taste and texture.
Can I Freeze Muffins?
Yes, you can easily freeze these homemade chocolate chip muffins. Simply let them cool, then seal them in a Ziploc freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat them, reheat them in the microwave or set on your counter to thaw.
How to Reheat Muffins
To reheat these chocolate chocolate chip muffins, I recommend nuking them in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
What to Serve with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
These homemade chocolate chip muffins are rich enough as is, but I like to serve them with different toppings anyways. A few of my favorite toppings for these muffins are:
- Homemade peanut butter
- Cream cheese
- Nutella
- Chocolate frosting
- Brown sugar banana jam
- Jelly
Tips for Making Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
The batter is very fudgy and thicker than your average muffin batter. As you’re combining the wet and dry ingredients, use a rubber spatula and just keep folding and turning the bowl, folding and turning the bowl, making sure to get any dry bits from the bottom โ but don’t overmix the batter. The less you mix and develop the gluten, the softer and more tender the muffins will be.
I didn’t use liners because I didn’t want muffins with ruffled-potato chip marks on them. Instead, I sprayed my pan with floured cooking spray. No issues whatsoever with sticking.
When you’re filling the muffin pan, don’t be scared to fill the wells up to nearly the top, a solid three-quarters full. This is what creates big, bakery-style domed-top muffins. I used a one-quarter cup measure, sprayed with cooking spray, and filled a 12-Cup Muffin Pan perfectly. Spraying your scoop with cooking spray helps this thick, rich, super fudgy batter to slither right off and into the muffin pan.
In the past, I’ve filled muffin cups up nearly the top, only to create splooging-over mushroom tops, rather than muffin tops, and have ruined plenty of muffins. But with this batter, you’re safe to fill them up very full.
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Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ยพ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ยผ cups light brown sugar, packed
- โ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder/granules, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ยพ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- โ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, optional (leftover from the morning brew is fine)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a standard 12-count muffin pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. For cosmetic reasons, I prefer to avoid the ruffled edges that paper liners create.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the the first seven dry ingredients, ending with optional salt.
- Add the chocolate chips and whisk to incorporate; set aside.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 5 wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold to incorporate using a rubber spatula. Donโt stir vigorously or beat; just make sure everything is combined and there are no unblended dry ingredients hiding at the bottom of the bowl or in the folds of the batter. Donโt overmix or muffins will be tough. Batter will be quite thick.
- Using a 1/4 cup-measure thatโs been sprayed with cooking spray (helps batter to slide right out), scoop out quarter-cupfuls of batter into prepared pan. Re-spray measuring cup with cooking spray every third or fourth scoopful of batter, or as necessary. Fill muffin cups up to a solid 3/4-full, nearly filling to the top. This creates domed, high-top muffins. Underfilled cups create flatter muffins, and youโll also end up with extra batter.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (noting that itโs hard to find a โcleanโ patch to test that doesnโt have melted chocolate chips and itโs easy to confuse muffin batter with a gooey melted chocolate chip). Muffins should be domed and springy to the touch; donโt overbake.
- Allow muffins to cool in the pan on top of a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve with peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, Nutella, jam, cream cheese, frosting, or enjoy plain.
Notes
- Tip: If youโve accidentally overbaked your muffins which is easy to do with chocolate, wrapping them while still warm in plasticwrap, and putting them inside a large Ziplock, and sealing it, will help muffins soften over the next day.
- Muffins are best fresh, but well-wrapped, they will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I am SO on board with these chocolicious muffins, Averie! Just gorgeous!
Well now I want chocolate for breakfast!
Oh chocolate muffins, how I love thee. And with Nutella? Good call Averie. Good call!!!
Thanks, Aimee! you have so many cupcakes and muffins recipes. I am always impressed!
The best thing about these is that…since they are absolutely positively undisputedly muffins…they can be eaten for breakfast! Chocolate for breakfast = win.
Chocolate for breakfast for sure!
My husband would die for these!!! so chocolaty….. love the new look for your site
Thanks so much!
Love the nutella on top!!!
I was eating chocolate for breakfast as I read that first line of the post, and I had to smile. Chocolate muffins? Count me in!
I love that you were already eating choc for breakfast as you were reading this!
Chocolate is acceptable any time! I’ll admit to having a square of extra dark with my morning coffee and I have also eaten salad before 10 am…so I don’t follow any rules about what to eat at certain times of the day. Nutella vs choc peanut butter on these?….I couldn’t choose either! Great recipe–I’d have a hard time resisting these too.
Chocolate knows no time zones, that’s for sure :) And the whole eating late/eating this or that after a certain time, etc. I am pretty no-rules with that stuff too!
Gosh, these look soo good!! I love chocolate and seeing these moist muffins with the studs of chocolate chips in them makes me so happy! Now I want chocolate for breakfast.
Well you have those gorgeous orange-choc chip cookies on your site. They’d be a great breakfast, right!
I never have a problem waking up to chocolate for breakfast, Averie. Especially if Nutella (optional, but preferred) is involved! Love that you spread them with it. Also – I never know the line between a muffin and a cupcake. I have a recipe on my blog that I call cupcakes but everyone says they love them for breakfast. I throw up my hands! The oil, the coffee, the buttermilk – these are probably insanely moist, soft, and deep chocolate-y. Love them!
I actually did quite a string of google searches to decide what to call these and where to draw the line…I ultimately decided that if it doesn’t look like a light, fluffy cupcake with a smooth, tight crumb that’s just telltale cupcake, then it’s a muffin. Any sort of crackled/rippled top, or something that’s moister and denser, is a muffin. Cupcakes I think people want to be ‘light and fluffy’ and although I would probably personally call this a cupcake, I think if I called them that and then someone made them, I could be on the receiving end of…but they’re heavy and dense comments. So…muffin was safer.
Can you tell I belabored the decision? :)
I’m not even kidding here, but I JUST (an hour ago!!) made an almost identical batch of muffins for my students! I used peanut flour instead of the cocoa powder and just regular milk, but otherwise, the ratios – down to the baking powder and soda amounts – were the exact same!!
I’m trying to not eat them all before I leave for class in 10 minutes. It isn’t easy.
We are freaking psychic. That’s all I can say! After 4+ yrs, we are in each other’s head. And pantry. And mixing bowl :) You have got to be the most popular teacher ever!
Wow, I love chocolate and these are calling me. What a great idea to use Nutella as the topping. I want to try the chocolate peanut butter recipe. I made almond butter for the first time this weekend. It was out of necessity, Trader Joe’s was out, but I discovered it is fairly easy and came out delicious.
And peanut butter, IMO, comes out better than AB b/c peanuts are softer than almonds, so it always just gets creamier, smoother, and better :)
You’re playing the fine line between cupcake and muffin… and I like it. ;) Love how these look dense, yet fluffy! I’d say my favorite muffin is blueberry, but it’s been way too long since I’ve made any!
I figure muffin sounds better, right! :)
Mmm – don’t make me choose between Nutella and chocolate peanut butter either Averie – I think I might have to go for a bit of both. I love that these are so easy to mix up – perfect for the long weekend!
Long weekend cannot get here fast enough!
I’ve been searching the internet for a reliable chocolate-loaded muffin recipe like the ones you get from the bakery and have had a surprisingly difficult time finding it–I was so excited to see this pop up on my feed! I will definitely be serving these at the next breakfast potluck. Can’t wait!
I had been searching for one, too! And you are right; there is very little in the way of big, bakery, puffy muffins. At least from what I could find. So I started combining things and playing around and came up with these. LMK if you try them!
Don’t really have a favorite…I have to say I don’t like chocolate for breakfast only because I just don’t like eating breakfast, haha. Any other time of day though!
Ahh, well, then they’d make a great anytime snack :)
Fo’ sho! Snack, dinner, nosh…