Description
These ultra-chocolate muffins are fudgy, moist, and studded with melty chips — a quick, chocolate-forward breakfast that gets a subtle lift from real espresso.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (Dutch-process preferred)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso, cooled slightly
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature (stir with a fork before using)
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit
- ¾ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips, divided (mini or regular)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two 12-cup muffin pans with liners. If possible, leave an empty cup between batter-filled cups so the muffins have room to rise.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the espresso, vanilla, sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until smooth. Slowly stream in the cooled melted butter while whisking to incorporate.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and fold gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until the batter comes together — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overwork the batter.
- Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving about 3–4 tablespoons for the tops. Use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup to the rim for tall domes.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven reduce the heat to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 10–12 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Right after you remove the pans from the oven, press the reserved chocolate chips into the hot muffin tops so they melt into glossy pockets as the muffins cool.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5–10 minutes in a draft-free spot, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if you like before serving.
Notes
- Notes & swaps
- Strong brewed coffee can replace the espresso if needed.
- To make a quick buttermilk substitute: stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup regular milk and let sit 5 minutes.
- For best domes, bake 6 muffins per pan (use two pans if your oven fits them).
- Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature; they freeze well.
- Tip: handle the batter gently — the lightest fold gives the most tender crumb. Enjoy warm, with a glass of milk or your favorite coffee.