These secret ingredient Triple Chocolate Muffins are fluffy, moist, and filled with 3 different types of chocolate.
Secret Ingredient Triple Chocolate Muffins
Your mornings just got so much better friends. If you’re a muffin lover like me I am so so happy to introduce you to the most decadent excuse for having chocolate for breakfast… Triple Chocolate Muffins.
Not only will your kitchen smell like chocolate for a few days, you’ll be dancing your through the ~not 1,~ ~not 2,~ but THREE types of chocolate piled into these muffins. And psssst. I’m gonna let you in on a little secret… these muffins also have a secret ingredient. Keep reading to find out what it is and why it’s included in this recipe!
What are Chocolate Muffins?
These really need no explanation, IMO. You guys know all too well that I love to keep a batch of muffins on hand at all times. They’re great for quick breakfasts, and you just never know when company may drop in for some fresh baked goods. In our neighborhood, that’s a given!
These aren’t too similar to my other muffin recipes on the site: there’s a few more ingredients, and a couple random ones as well. But what they all have in common is that they’re great options for you to bake TODAY!
Here are a few of my other fav muffin recipes:
Equipment you may need…
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
- Wooden spoon: I only use wooden spoons and rubber spatulas when I’m baking, and I love these!
- Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
- Muffin tin: I always recommend using light-colored bakeware as darker colors have more of a tendency to cause browning on the edges. I love this brand for all of their cookware!
- Cupcake liners: I love buying baking supplies in bulk, that way I feel like I’m never running out!
- 2 oz scoop: this scoops the perfect amount of batter into each muffin cup. I love my muffins to be perfectly uniform, and for that to happen you need to have the same amount of batter in each one!
Ingredients for Triple Chocolate Muffins
- All-purpose flour – all of my recipes are tested using King Arthur flours, so I recommend you use the same!
- Dutch-process cocoa powder – just a type of cocoa powder. If you don’t see “Dutch-process” on the label, check the ingredients list on the back of the packaging for “alkali.”
- Baking powder
- Baking soda – reacts with the sour cream to create extra sky-high tops.
- Instant espresso powder – I loooove the combination of coffee and chocolate. Even just a little bit of this espresso powder takes the chocolate flavor to a new level.
- Kosher salt – I use Diamond crystal kosher salt always.
- Chocolate chips – of course. I used plain old Nestle chocolate chips for this recipe, but feel free to use whichever brand you prefer.
- Vegetable oil – for added mositure
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Bittersweet chocolate
- Large eggs
- Sour cream
- Heavy cream – kind of an odd ingredient to add to muffins, but the texture and moisture it brings to the table is why we’re throwing it in there!
- Pure pumpkin – Behold, our secret ingredient!! I’ve added pumpkin for extra moist muffins 🙂
- Miniature chocolate chips (optional)
More on our secret ingredient…
I’ve gone around and around with chocolate muffins recipes. Aside from the ones you buy out of a vending machine that have all these crazy ingredients on the back, I’ve never been able to find (or create) a muffin that has the same levels of moisture.. until now 🙂
So, without further adieu, I’d like to introduce you guys to our secret ingredient… drumroll please… PUMPKIN. You read that right. I know these aren’t “pumpkin muffins,” but if there’s one thing I know about pumpkin it’s that moisture follows it everywhere it goes. It’s part of the reason I love fall baking so much, because pumpkin typically shows up, and with it: moisture.
The best part? Because it’s combined with so many (3, to be exact) types of chocolate in these triple chocolate muffins, there’s really no pumpkin flavor that comes through. Besides, when you’re baking with pumpkin (like these Pumpkin Cupcakes), you’re typically adding spices and other fall flavors that help bring out that pumpkin flavor.
So what’s the result??? MOIST CHOCOLATE MUFFINS EVERY TIME.
Kitchen Tips for Secret Ingredient Triple Chocolate Muffins
- Don’t forget our secret ingredient… Pumpkin may seem like an unconventional ingredient for chocolate muffins, but I’m telling you: it adds sooo much moisture. This is exactly what every muffin needs, IMO. I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of dry muffins.. but who knows lol.
- Bake these at a high temperature to start. You’ll notice in the method below that I’m having you start baking these muffins at 425°F, which is a slightly high temperature for muffins. We only bake them here for 5 minutes, and then lower the temperature back down. That initial kick of heat at the beginning just helps to activate the baking powder and start our muffins off rising high to the top. Lowering the temperature then enables the muffins to continue baking all the way through to the center without burning the tops.
- Don’t forget the chocolate chips. I’ve called for 2 different types of chocolate chips in this recipe. I love having huge puddles of chocolate in every bite (coming from the regular-sized chocolate chips), but I also love seeing small little chocolate chips on the tops. You can absolutely just use regular chips throughout, but the mini is just for me 🙂
- Let the muffin batter sit at room temperature before baking. This seems like kind of a weird tip, but trust me: if you want your muffin tops to be perfectly domed, the batter needs to sit for a little while. Basically, the batter goes through somewhat of a “proofing” process when it sits at room temperature. The flour has time to moisten, causing more gluten to form, resulting in more structure – which all ends in perfectly domed muffin tops
How to store…
Once they’ve cooled completely, these muffins can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I just take one out of the container, pop it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, and enjoy 🙂
These muffins also freeze great! Just take them out a few hours before you want to serve them and thaw them either in the refrigerator or straight on the counter.
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I love keeping these muffins on hand around our house, and I hope you all love them as much as I do! They will forever have me coming back for more… happily.
Feel free to always reach out to me via email (sarah@sarahsdayoff.com), through my Instagram DMs (@sarahsday0ff), or by leaving a comment on one of these posts. I’m happy to answer any questions I can!
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” -Romans 8:11-
Triple Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 (4-oz) bar bittersweet chocolate melted
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Break chocolate bar into pieces and melt in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval, until smooth; set aside.
- In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.
- Combine oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted chocolate in a bowl, whisking until smooth.
- Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Whisk in sour cream, heavy cream, and pumpkin.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into the dry. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir until the flour has just combined (a few streaks of flour may remain - this is OK. It's better to not over mix the batter).
- Fold in the chocolate chips (not the miniature ones) until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each muffin cup 3/4-full with batter. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with miniature chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, lower the temperature to 375°F and bake an additional 14 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
- Cool muffins completely in pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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