I’m not much of a chocolate fan but once coffee is added to the mix, I’m suddenly weak in the knees for them, and these muffins were no exception. I could not stop eating these, whether it was before my workout, after my workout, or in the middle of the night. I couldn’t take it anymore so I ended up giving away the rest and now I’m sad because I could still eat a hundred of these.

What I liked about these muffins was the subtle denseness and richness from the chocolate. But what really topped it off was the glaze. Since the muffins were more chocolatey than anything, I made the glaze to have more of an espresso taste so these muffins had the perfect chocolate-coffee balance.

These muffins are a delightful snack any time of the day, but I highly recommend these for the morning since it’ll jumpstart your day with just the right amount of chocolatey goodness.

Mocha Muffins with Chocolate Chips (adapted from Bon Appétit):

Yields 12 muffins and 6 mini muffins

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping

For the mocha glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. (If you don’t want to use paper liners, you could coat a muffin pan with cooking spray instead.)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup hot water and espresso powder until the espresso powder dissolves.

Add the sugars, buttermilk or plain yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla.

Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.

Add the chocolate chips and gently toss to combine.

Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray.

Place into oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder and 1-2 tablespoons water. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more water as needed.

When the muffins are done, cool for 10 minutes and drizzle the glaze on each muffin. (A squeeze bottle or Ziploc bag is perfect for this.)

Allow glaze to set before serving.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.