The Ultimate Salted Double Chocolate Muffins (Bakery-Style!)
This foolproof recipe for salted double chocolate muffins guarantees a moist, fluffy crumb and beautiful bakery-style tops. With simple ingredients and no mixer required, you can create the ultimate rich chocolate treat your whole family will love.
Let’s be honest. Sometimes, a chocolate craving hits that can’t be ignored. You want something rich, deeply chocolatey, and satisfying. Too often, I’ve reached for a store-bought muffin only to be met with a dry, crumbly, and bland disappointment. That’s why I spent years perfecting this recipe for salted double chocolate muffins. These aren’t just any muffins. They are incredibly moist, loaded with two kinds of chocolate, and topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt that makes the flavor pop. They have beautiful, tall, bakery-style tops that will make you feel like a professional baker. Trust me, this recipe is straightforward, and you are going to nail it.
Quick Recipe
- Preparation Time:
30M(This includes 10 minutes of active prep and 20 minutes of resting time for the batter). - Cooking Time:
20M - Total Time:
50M - Type of dish: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Recipe Yield: 12 muffins
- Calories: 350 per muffin (estimated)
Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Muffins
I call this my “forever” recipe because it’s the one I always come back to. It’s the one my kids request for their birthdays and the one I bring to friends who need a little pick-me-up. What makes them so special? It’s the texture and flavor. We use both cocoa powder for a deep, rich chocolate base and chocolate chips for those gooey, melted pockets of goodness. The crumb is unbelievably tender, thanks to a few key ingredients we’ll talk about. This is an easy chocolate muffin recipe that delivers impressive results every single time.
The Key Ingredients for Perfect Salted Double Chocolate Muffins
Great baking starts with great ingredients. The magic of these muffins comes from a few specific choices that work together beautifully.
The “Double” in Double Chocolate
To get that intense chocolate flavor, we use two forms of chocolate.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This provides the deep, foundational chocolate flavor. I prefer using Dutch-processed cocoa powder. It has a smoother, less acidic taste that really lets the rich chocolate notes shine.
- Chocolate Chips or Chunks: This is where you get those wonderful pockets of melted chocolate. I love using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use dark chocolate for a more intense flavor or even milk chocolate if you have a sweeter tooth.
The Secret to a Moist Crumb
Have you ever wondered how bakeries get such moist chocolate muffins? The secret is often in the liquid and the fat.
- Buttermilk: The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to create an incredibly tender texture. It also adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness. If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t worry! You can easily make a substitute by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of regular milk and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Oil, Not Butter: While I love butter, oil is the winner for keeping muffins moist for days. Butter can create a slightly drier crumb once it cools. Using a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or even a light olive oil guarantees a soft, moist muffin long after it’s baked.
The “Salted” Element
Don’t skip the salt! The final sprinkle of flaky sea salt (like Maldon) is a game-changer. It doesn’t just make the muffins salty; it enhances and intensifies the chocolate flavor. The crunchy texture is a delightful contrast to the soft muffin.
Essential Tools for Muffin Success
You don’t need any fancy equipment for this recipe, which is part of its charm. Here’s what you’ll want to have ready:
- A standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper or silicone muffin liners
- Two large mixing bowls
- A whisk
- A rubber spatula
How to Make Salted Double Chocolate Muffins (Step-by-Step)
Ready to bake? Let’s walk through it. I’ll share my best tips along the way to make sure you get perfect bakery-style muffins.
1. Prep Your Oven and Pan First, position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 425∘F (220∘C). This high initial temperature is a key secret for getting tall muffin tops! Line your muffin tin with liners.
2. Whisk the Dry Ingredients In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisking is important because it combines everything evenly and breaks up any clumps from the cocoa powder.
3. Combine the Wet Ingredients In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. A little tip I love: add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to your wet ingredients. You won’t taste coffee, but it will make the chocolate flavor even deeper.
4. Gently Combine Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Now, this is the most important step: do not overmix. Use a rubber spatula to fold the batter together until it’s just combined. A few lumps are perfectly fine! Overmixing develops gluten in the flour, which will make your muffins tough and dense instead of light and fluffy.
5. Fold in the Chocolate Gently fold in most of your chocolate chips, saving a handful to sprinkle on top before baking.
6. Let the Batter Rest (The Pro Tip!) Cover the bowl and let the batter rest on the counter for 15-20 minutes. This allows the flour to fully hydrate, which results in a thicker batter and a more tender muffin. It also helps create those amazing domes!
7. Fill and Top Divide the rested batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. They should be filled almost to the top. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and a pinch of flaky sea salt over each muffin.
8. Bake to Perfection Place the muffins in the preheated 425∘F (220∘C) oven and bake for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350∘F (175∘C) and continue baking for another 13-15 minutes. The initial blast of high heat causes the muffins to spring up rapidly, creating the dome.
You’ll know they’re done when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (but no wet batter).
9. Cool Properly Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This stops the cooking process and prevents the bottoms from getting soggy.
A Recipe to Cherish
There is something so rewarding about pulling a tray of perfectly domed, fragrant chocolate muffins from your oven. This salted double chocolate muffins recipe is more than just a treat; it’s a reliable, crowd-pleasing staple you’ll be proud to share. I hope you and your family love these as much as mine does. Happy baking!
