This recipe for triple chocolate muffins is your ticket to pure cocoa bliss. These muffins are so chocolatey, they'll make Willy Wonka blush. We add not one, not two, but three types of chocolate; cocoa powder, chocolate chips and the pièce de résistance, a fudgy chocolate frosting. So go ahead, whip up a batch of these delectably moist triple chocolate muffins and enjoy the ultimate chocolate experience.
For more muffins using buttermilk for a moist crumb, try these buttermilk blueberry muffins.
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What's to love about these muffins
- Intensely chocolate flavour
- Very quick and easy to make
- The fudgy chocolate frosting really sets these muffins apart
- Moist and fluffy texture
- They make a great breakfast treat, a mid-day snack or a dessert. They can also be served warm or at room temperature, with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee or on their own.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Cocoa powder - We would highly recommend using a good quality Dutch-processed, 100% unsweetened cocoa powder like Valrhona, Callebaut or Ghirardelli. It really makes a difference to the overall taste.
Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Buttermilk - The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to create carbon dioxide, which helps the dough or batter to rise. This also helps to create a more tender texture in baked goods by breaking down gluten producing a more tender crumb. Please note that sour cream is not an exact replacement for buttermilk.
If you can't find buttermilk where you are, you can easily make your own.
How to make your own buttermilk
Ingredients:
- 250ml milk (whole or 2% milk works best)
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice
Instructions:
- Pour the milk into a measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and stir gently.
- Let the mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes. You should see the milk start to curdle and thicken slightly.
- After 5-10 minutes, stir the mixture again and your homemade buttermilk is ready to use.
Chocolate chips - You can also use 200g of chopped up chocolate chunks instead of using choc chips. Use either milk or dark chocolate (dark chocolate muffins, mm-mmm!). For something a little different, you can also use white chocolate, or a combination of milk and white.
Castor sugar - We will use castor sugar for the fudgy chocolate frosting. If you can't find castor sugar, you can use regular granulated sugar, you might just need to stir it a little longer to make sure the sugar has dissolved properly.
How to make this recipe - Quick summary
To make the muffins
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.
- Combine all the dry ingredients.
- Melt the butter.
- Whisk together the butter, eggs and buttermilk.
- Add the wet to the dry ingredients and gently combine.
- Add the choc chips and stir through.
- Scoop equal amounts of the muffin mixture into the 12 paper cases.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins feel firm.
- Remove the muffins onto a cooling rack whilst you make the frosting
To make the fudgy chocolate frosting
- Add the butter, water and sugar to a small saucepan and place it over a medium-low heat.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Don't let the mixture boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk until you have a smooth, glossy mixture.
- Using a spoon, ladle the fudgy chocolate topping over the slightly cooled muffins.
- Leave the set.
Top tips
- Don't overmix the muffin mixture, stop as soon as you can see no more specs of flour.
- If you want all your muffins to be the exact same size, weigh the muffin mixture out between the 12 cases. As a starting point, they will weigh around the 90-100g mark each.
- Place a piece of foil, cling film or a baking tray underneath the cooling rack. When you ladle over the chocolate frosting, some will drip down and this will catch any spills, making for easier clean up later.
- We like to ladle a spoon of frosting over each muffin and then doing a second round with another spoon of frosting. It gives the first layer some time to set slightly. This will give you a thicker layer of frosting.
Ideas for decoration
- Stick some shards of chocolate into the frosting - do this while the frosting is still warm
- Grate chocolate over
- Dust with cocoa powder
- Put a cherry on top
Storage
The muffins will keep well for up to three days in an airtight container.
You can freeze the muffins for up to 6 months, but do this without the frosting.
FAQ
For this recipe, 564 calories.
It's a 'scoopable' batter, unlike cupcake batter that can be quite runny.
Cupcakes have a lighter, fluffier texture than muffins. They are also more delicate and crumbly due to the higher fat content. Muffins tend to be more solid and is less sweet than cupcakes. Cupcakes are often seen as a dessert or treat, while muffins are generally considered a breakfast food or snack.
Buttermilk is a good addition to a muffin recipe for a moist, tender crumb. Secondly, don't overbake the muffins. If your oven tends to bake very hot, turn down the heat and test the muffins at the minimum recommended baking time.
More chocolate recipes you might enjoy
More easy bake recipes
Bread and butter pudding with hot cross buns
Chocolate chip cookies with condensed milk
Easy blueberry muffins with buttermilk
Coffee cookies with chocolate chunks
Recipe
Triple chocolate muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 310 grams all-purpose flour
- 250 grams soft brown sugar
- 100 grams cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 120 grams butter - melted
- 250 miililitre buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 200 grams chocolate chips
For the chocolate frosting
- 115 grams butter
- 100 grams castor sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 260 grams icing sugar - sifted
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
To make the muffins
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases
- In a large bowl, combine together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt
- Melt the butter in the microwave until fully melted and liquid. Whisk together the melted butter, the three eggs and the buttermilk
- Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and gently fold together just until you can see no more dry specs of flour. Do not overmix
- Add the chocolate chips and fold through
- Scoop equal amounts into the 12 paper cases
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Not all oven are the same, so check at 20 minutes. If the tops feel firm, remove them from the oven
- Remove the muffins onto a cooling rack whilst you get on with the chocolate frosting. Place a piece of foil or plastic wrap underneath the cooling rack to catch any of the chocolate frosting that will drip down
To make the fudgy chocolate frosting
- Add the butter, castor sugar and water to a small saucepan and heat over a medium-low heat. Keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Do not let it boil
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder. Beat together until you have a smooth, glossy consistency
- Using a spoon, ladle the chocolate frosting over the slightly cooled muffins. We like to ladle a spoonful onto each muffin and then do a second round with another tablespoon of frosting on top of the first
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
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