Chocolate for breakfast anyone? Well it is almost Easter after all! But then do you really need it to be Easter to enjoy these tender Chocolate Muffins? Nah, of course you don’t. These chocolate muffins make an amazing breakfast for any time of the year. They are soft and tender and just melt in your mouth, and the lovely pinch of sea salt on top adds a lovely contrast to the sweetness. I am craving these as I write this, they were that good!
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Mascarpone
What makes these muffins so amazing is this wonder ingredient mascarpone, it really makes these muffins so soft and tender. I love this stuff, its so sweet and creamy. It’s an Italian cheese made from cream, its like a super creamy cream cheese! In the UK mascarpone is ready available and easy to come by but from reading other peoples blogs, I have discovered its hard to come by and expensive in America. Luckily Liz over at That Skinny Chick Can Bake has a great recipe for a homemade version of mascarpone. So you have no excuse now not to give these a go!
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The sea salt sprinkle on top is completely optional but highly recommended, there is just something so good about dark chocolate and sea salt together. I can’t put my finger on it so you’ll just need to trust me on how good it is. Especially a good quality flakey sea salt like Maldon.
I also packed these muffins with dark (bittersweet) chocolate chips, so you are guaranteed to get a double whammy chocolate hit with each bite. These chocolate muffins really are a chocoholics dream!
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It doesn’t matter if you have these for breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch time or as an indulgent mid afternoon treat, these muffins are surely going to become your number chocolate muffin.
Recipe:
Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
- 300 grams plain (all purpose flour (2 and 3/8 cup))
- 75 grams cocoa powder (6/8 cup)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 60 millilitres vegetable oil (1/4 cup)
- 120 millilitres buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- 250 grams mascarpone (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 230 grams dark (bittersweet chocolate chips (1 and 1/4 cups))
- Sea salt flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 425F / Gas mark 7 and prep a 12 hole muffin pan by very lightly greasing it or lining it with liners.
- In a large mixing bowl add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Give them a gentle whisk to combine them.
- In a large jug or another mixing bowl add in the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, mascarpone and vanilla extract. Mix everything until you have a pale looking liquid.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and with a gentle hand combine them. It's okay if the mixture looks a bit lumpy still.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Immediately scoop the mixture into your muffin pan. Fill the holes right up to the top so you get lovely high muffins then sprinkle a little sea salt on top of each of the muffins.
- Pop them in your hot oven, after 5 to 8 minutes you need to turn your oven down to 190C / 375F / Gas mark 5. The initial heat will give them the high dome but they will burn if left at this temperature. Lowering the temperature will bake them through without burning them.
- After a further 16 - 18 minutes check them for doneness. A pick should come out clean. If it doesn't pop them back in for a couple of minutes then check again.
- Once baked through, take the pan out of the oven and allow the muffins to sit in the pan for a further 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to fully cool down.
- Like all muffins they are best eaten the day of baking but kept in an airtight tin they will keep fine for 3 days. You can always freeze them once cooked. They will keep in the freezer for 3 months.
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Oh my goodness, these muffins look so decadent and amazing, Emma! Love the sea salt and the mascarpone in here! That’s such a great idea and I can’t wait to try that!
Hi Kelly, thank you 😀 the mascarpone makes these muffins so tender and the sea salt helped balance out the sweetness!
These muffins look melt in your mouth delicious! Wishing I could reach through the screen and grab a few!
Hi Pamela, thank you 😀 they were very moorish!
Oooo I love that these have mascarpone in them!! I don’t think I’ve used it in a muffin before in this way – can’t wait to try that! These look so chocolatey and awesome.
Hi Ashley, mascarpone works really well in muffins, gives them such a tender crumb.
So chocolatey and rich! I love the sea salt flakes atop.
Hi Angie, thank you the pinch of sea salt really works well 😀
I’ve never seen sea salt on a muffin before but I love it! Very interesting to combine it with dark chocolate and mascarpone…this sounds like one of those dessert-type foods that I can justify as breakfast! 🙂
Hi Brianna, I know I love dessert for breakfast! Sea salt and dark chocolate go great together.
I love how these are made. Isn’t mascarpone great? These are going to be MINE on the weekend. 🙂
Hi Maureen, thank you. I love mascarpone its a great ingredient!