Chocolate Moist Muffin Tops (Printable)

Moist chocolate muffin tops with a tender crumb, ideal for breakfast or a quick indulgent snack.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
07 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

→ Add-ins

12 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
02 - Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
03 - Whisk melted butter with granulated and brown sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Add half the dry mixture to wet ingredients; mix gently. Pour in buttermilk, then add remaining dry ingredients. Stir until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Fold semisweet chocolate chips evenly into the batter.
06 - Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls or with a large scoop onto prepared sheets, spacing approximately 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set and centers appear just baked; avoid overbaking.
08 - Cool muffin tops on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake in under 15 minutes, so you can have warm chocolate cake for breakfast without feeling like you've committed a crime.
  • The contrast between the crispy, slightly caramelized edges and the impossibly soft center is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes while eating.
  • One bowl for dry, one for wet—this isn't fussy cooking, it's the opposite.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the fastest way to turn these into hockey pucks—once you can't see dry flour, you're done stirring.
  • Room temperature eggs and buttermilk aren't a suggestion; cold ingredients won't combine smoothly, and you'll end up with lumpy batter and a denser crumb.
  • Don't overbake by even a minute; the carryover heat will keep cooking them after they leave the oven, and you want them just shy of fully set in the center.
03 -
  • Let your eggs and buttermilk sit out while your oven preheats—cold ingredients don't incorporate smoothly, and you'll sense the difference in the final crumb.
  • Use a cookie scoop instead of a spoon; it gives you consistent-sized tops that bake evenly and look more intentional on the plate.

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