Go Back

Double Chocolate Espresso Muffins

Double chocolate espresso muffins with a mocha color, domed tops, and chocolate chips folded through for a rich, tender crumb. Baked using a two-step oven heat—425F first for height, then 350F to finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp espresso powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
sweet and wet ingredients
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 cup dark chocolate chips
topping
  • 0.25 tsp espresso powder for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and dry mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a 12-cup muffin tin. Set it aside so the batter can go in right away.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt until evenly combined. The mixture should look uniformly dark.
Mix wet ingredients and combine
  1. Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, cooled strong brewed coffee, and vanilla until smooth. Keep whisking until no egg streaks remain.
  2. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour.
  3. Fold in dark chocolate chips. The batter should be thick and speckled.
Fill, top, and bake for tall domes
  1. Fill each muffin cup to the very top. This helps create tall, domed tops.
  2. Sprinkle espresso powder for topping over each muffin. Add it evenly across the surface.
  3. Bake at 425F for 5 minutes until the tops rise noticeably. You should see domes begin to set.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake 13 to 15 more minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean and the centers spring back.
  5. Cool the muffins in the tin briefly after baking so they hold their shape. Transfer them to a rack to cool further.

Notes

For the best domes, keep the batter thick and only mix until just combined—overmixing can flatten the tops. Store muffins in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight before reheating). For a lower-sugar option, reduce granulated sugar to 3/4 cup and brown sugar to 1/3 cup while keeping the rest the same.