Double Dark Chocolate Espresso Muffins

You love chocolate. You love coffee. You love muffins. These amazing, gooey Double Dark Chocolate Espresso Muffins merge all three of those things into one delicious bite! You’ll swoon, I promise!

If you’ve been following my posts for a while you know that I love to add coffee (espresso powder) to my chocolate cakes and cupcakes. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate. Well, that’s kind of where the idea for this amazing muffin began. But y’all. . .did it ever morph from there!

Wake up! It’s time for Coffee. . .and Chocolate!

Coffee and chocolate have two very important things in common. They’re both packed with flavor and they’re both loaded with caffeine. So, as you might imagine, merging these two amazing flavors will give you a unique experience you won’t find just anywhere else!

Are they healthy muffins? Um, no. Thanks for asking. They’re loaded with sugar, chocolate chips, and flour, as well as a jolt of caffeine. That makes them a delicious breakfast.

But don’t let that stop you from eating them at other times of the day! These will be a terrific pick-me-up mid-day when you’re feeling that afternoon slump. One of these yummy muffins and you’ll be good to go!

Nestles Espresso Chocolate Chips.. .Yes, Please!

A couple of months back I bought a bag of Nestles’ Espresso Chocolate Chips. They sounded good at the time but I never found just the right recipe to add them to.

Until now.

When I stumbled across this recipe for double chocolate muffins, I had an idea: Add espresso powder to the milk, and use those espresso chips in place of the (recommended) chocolate chips in the recipe.

And that’s exactly what I did. I merged those two flavors and the outcome was, without a doubt, one of the best things I’ve ever whipped up! And when I say “whipped up” I want you to know that I whipped them up in one bowl. I didn’t even use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment like I usually do.

Are you ready to see how I made these muffins so that you can make some, too? Perfect! Here’s what you’ll need!

Double Dark Chocolate Espresso Muffins Ingredients

• all purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• room temp eggs
• milk
• instant espresso powder (dissolved in milk)
• Vegetable oil (or melted butter)
• sour cream
• vanilla extract
• Nestles Espresso Chocolate Chips 

How to Make These Amazing Espresso Muffins

As I said above, these come together so easily! The only time I’ve ever whipped up a recipe this fast was my Easy Brownies. I dare say, these are even easier (and tastier)!

First, combine all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a whisk or a large wooden spoon (or rubber spatula) to combine all of the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

Then, add all of your wet ingredients except the sour cream to the dry mix. Stir until fully incorporated. (Note: If you opt for melted butter instead of oil you can use salted or unsalted butter. It’s your choice.)

Now it’s time to add your sour cream. It will make the batter luscious!

If you’re adding pure vanilla extract, this is the time to do so.

Finally, stir in the whole bag of espresso chocolate chips. (Hey, one can never have too much chocolate, right?)

This batch will make 18 regular muffins so pull out two muffin tins and spray them with vegetable spray. (Hint: you can use a jumbo muffin pan if you like. You’ll get a dozen that way.)

Scoop your batter into your tray’s muffin cups. Don’t add too much. (I filled mine about halfway up, maybe a little more.) You can use muffin liners but I wanted more of a muffin experience, so I opted not to use paper liners this time.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 minutes. (Your time might vary by a minute or two.) For best results, bake them one tray at a time in the middle of the oven. Be careful not to over bake.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

These muffins are equal parts chocolate and coffee and can I just say that warm-from-the-oven is the best way to eat them! I love all the texture in the muffin tops. All of that goodness comes peeking through! And they have an amazing flavor!

I had one and passed the rest off to a group of teachers. Hey, if anyone needs to stay awake, they do!

How to Store These Muffins

These amazing chocolate muffins don’t need to be refrigerated, but you should keep them in an airtight container. They will be fresh for 2-3 days. If you do choose to refrigerate them they will last longer (5-7 days). You can wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to two months.

Variations on This Muffin Recipe

I haven’t tried this recipe in an 8×8 pan but I suspect it would bake up fine that way. You could easily turn them into brownie squares. You could also bake them in a mini muffin tin for some espresso brownie bites. You could also substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar if you like.

If you love chocolate but you’re not a fan of coffee, you can replace the espresso chips with any of the following:

• semi-sweet chocolate chips
• milk chocolate chips
• chocolate chunks (instead of chips)
• white chocolate chips
• peanut butter chips
• caramel chips
• mint chocolate chips

Other Coffee Recipes

If coffee is an intricate part of your day you’ll love my other coffee creations including: Triple Chocolate Coffee Cake, Maple Walnut Coffee Cake and plenty more! Just search “coffee” in the search bar above!

If you’re a muffin fan take a look at my 23 Marvelous Muffin Recipes for 2023 list!

If you’re looking for other great chocolate recipes, my friend Debby over at Southern Home Express has a host of goodies, including a brand new recipe for Microwave Scotcheroos. They look amazing.

And while you’re out perusing the web, you might be interested in checking out this week’s offerings over at Full Plate Thursday. Lots of great bakers participate in this weekly recipe share. Talk about terrific options!

Let me know your thoughts about these scrumptious espresso muffins. If you’re a coffee lover you’re going to flip over them!

I can’t wait to see what you think! And while you’re at it, leave a comment with your favorite kind of coffee.

Thanks for visiting. Happy baking!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.