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Hot Chocolate Muffins

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These Hot Chocolate Muffins are everything you love about your favourite winter drink, in muffin form! This was inspired by a hot chocolate muffin I had at Tim Hortons a couple of years back (they’re gone with the wind now). These muffins are rich, chocolatey, and have a gooey marshmallow centre that mimics the melty marshmallows on a steaming cup of cocoa. They’ll warm your heart with every bite! Shout out to my fellow Canadians for inspiring this recipe. 🙂

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These muffins have a deep, dark chocolate base thanks to a combo of Dutch-processed cocoa and a little espresso powder. It really brings out the cocoa without making them taste like coffee. And the crumb seriously moist because of the full-fat sour cream and a mix of oils. But the real treat is the gooey marshmallow centre; it melts right into the muffin as it bakes!

I tested these a few times to get the texture just right, especially for those tall, bakery style tops. It took a bit of fiddling with the oven temperature, but I think I cracked it. They’re not hard to make at all, and honestly, they disappear pretty fast around here once they come out of the oven.

What Makes This the Best Hot Chocolate Muffin?

To get a really tender, open crumb, I added full-fat sour cream and baking soda. The sour cream is acidic, so it reacts with the baking soda to create little bubbles, giving the muffins a nice lift. It also adds a ton of moisture and richness, which makes the muffins super soft!

For the fat, I use a mix of vegetable oil and melted butter. The oil keeps the muffins consistently moist and tender, even once they’ve cooled. And the butter is there for flavour, giving the muffins a really nice depth that you just don’t get with oil alone.

A little espresso powder goes into the dry ingredients too. Don’t worry, it won’t make your muffins taste like coffee! What it does is deepen the chocolate flavour, making the cocoa notes more intense.

And for those bakery style domed tops is all thanks to the oven temperature trick. I start baking at a really high temperature for the first five minutes. This creates a quick burst of steam that pushes the muffins up, setting their shape. Then you drop the temperature down so they can bake through evenly without drying out.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • Granulated sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Espresso powder
  • Milk
  • Full-fat sour cream
  • Large eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Vegetable oil
  • Unsalted butter
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Marshmallow fluff
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*

Equipment

Tips for Making These Hot Chocolate Muffins

Don’t overmix the batter. Mix until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, which can lead to tough muffins, and nobody wants that. A few lumps are totally fine.

Use room temperature ingredients. This helps everything combine smoothly and creates a more even batter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize up and make it harder to mix properly.

Centre the marshmallow fluff. When you add the marshmallow fluff, try to keep it right in the middle of the batter. This stops it from spreading too much and sticking to the muffin liner while baking.

Reserve some chocolate chips for topping. Saving a quarter cup of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top right before baking gives your hot chocolate muffins a pretty finish.

Hot Chocolate Muffin FAQ

Can I use mini marshmallows instead of fluff? 

I wouldn’t recommend it for the centre. Mini marshmallows tend to melt and disappear completely into the batter, leaving less of that gooey surprise. Marshmallow fluff holds its shape better for the filling.

How do I store hot chocolate muffins? 

Keep any leftover hot chocolate muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’re definitely at their best on the day they’re baked, especially if they’re still a little warm.

My muffins didn’t get tall tops, what happened? 

The initial high heat in the oven is key for getting those domed tops. Make sure your oven is fully preheated to 425℉ (220℃) before the muffins go in, and don’t open the oven door during that first 5-minute blast.

Can I make these hot chocolate muffins without a mixer?

 Absolutely! This recipe is designed to be made entirely by hand, so no mixer is needed. Just a couple of bowls and a whisk or spatula will do the trick.

A dark chocolate muffin in a brown paper liner sits in the foreground, topped with browned, melted marshmallows.

That’s it for these hot chocolate muffins! If you make them, please tag @theflournook on social media and leave a review for the hot chocolate muffins below. You can also pin this recipe to save it for later using the buttons on the recipe card, above or below the post, or on any of the photos here.

Happy baking!

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Hot Chocolate Muffins

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  • Author: Christina
  • Total Time: 37 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
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Description

I love these tender, moist hot chocolate muffins with their rich cocoa flavour and a gooey marshmallow centre. They’re packed with melty semi-sweet chocolate chips and have a

  • I find these muffins are at their best on the day they’re baked, especially when they’re still a bit warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • If you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute it with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk. Just be sure to use a full-fat option for the best texture.
  • When you’re adding the marshmallow fluff, try to keep it centred in the middle of the batter. This helps prevent it from spreading too much and sticking to the muffin liner during baking.

soft crumb that’s hard to resist. An easy recipe for bakery-style hot chocolate muffins, no mixer needed.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dry ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup (180g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (60g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp (8g) baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2g) baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp (3g) salt
  • 1/2 tsp (2g) espresso powder, optional, for deeper chocolate flavour

Wet ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
  • 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Mix-ins

  • 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling

  • 1/3 cup (80g) marshmallow fluff

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425℉ (220℃) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder (if using).
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the milk, sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and melted butter until thoroughly combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined. A few lumps are fine; avoid overmixing.
  5. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, reserving about 1/4 cup for topping the muffins.
  6. Scoop about half of the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately one-third full.
  7. Spoon 1 teaspoon of marshmallow fluff into the centre of the batter in each muffin cup.
  8. Divide the remaining batter evenly among the cups, covering the marshmallow fluff, and top with the reserved chocolate chips.
  9. Bake for 5 minutes at 425℉ (220℃), then reduce the oven temperature to 375℉ (190℃) and continue to bake for another 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin (avoiding the marshmallow core) comes out with moist crumbs attached.
  10. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

I find these muffins are at their best on the day they’re baked, especially when they’re still a bit warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute it with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk. Just be sure to use a full-fat option for the best texture.

When you’re adding the marshmallow fluff, try to keep it centred in the middle of the batter. This helps prevent it from spreading too much and sticking to the muffin liner during baking.

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 22 mins
  • Category: Muffins
  • Method: Baking

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