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    Home » Recipes » Muffins & Quick Breads

    Amazing Chocolate Espresso Muffins

    Published: May 15, 2024 · Modified: May 15, 2024 by Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. · This post may contain affiliate links · 52 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Chocolate espresso muffins are perfect for a morning or afternoon snack. These moist chocolate muffins are flavored with coffee and pecans with a super crunchy top.

    Chocolate espresso muffins with crunchy tops.

    These muffins are moist, flavorful, and very chocolatey with a super crunchy top and a half-bread/half-cake texture. They’re the kind of muffins you hope to find at your favorite bakery. While I added plenty of notes for the recipe, just know that it is amazing as-is. The amount of coffee really is up to you, so just experiment with it.

    Ingredients

    For the Muffins:

    • All-purpose flour
    • Unsweetened cocoa powder
    • Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
    • Ground cinnamon, optional
    • Granulated sugar and light brown sugar
    • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
    • Whole milk
    • Strong espresso or brewed coffee, cooled
    • Butter, melted
    • Vanilla extract
    • Pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
    • Dark chocolate chips or chunks

    For the Crunchy Topping:

    • Coarse sugar
    • Chopped pecans
    • Chocolate chips
    Delicious chocolate muffins made with espresso and topped with crunchy sugar and nut toppings.

    How To Make Bakery Style Chocolate Espresso Muffins

    1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Butter 12 muffin cups or line them with liner papers.
    2. In a large bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder. Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugars and mix to combine.
    3. In a medium bowl, mix together egg, milk, coffee, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be quite thick and lumpy. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
    4. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Make the topping by tossing together sugar, pecans, and chocolate chips in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly on top of the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and let cool completely.
    5. Muffins will keep for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave them on the counter, still covered, or overnight in the fridge.

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    Espresso muffins with chocolate and nuts.

    Helpful Tips and Recipe Notes

    • This recipe provides a very subtle hint of coffee. If you want a stronger coffee flavor, use a double shot espresso. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules (combine with the milk or hot coffee until dissolved) or espresso powder (mix with the dry ingredients).
    • If the espresso liquid measures either less or more than ¼ cup, simply change the amount of milk accordingly. The milk and espresso should be a total of 1 cup.
    • For more of a mocha flavor rather than chocolate, reduce the cocoa powder by ¼ cup.
    • You can substitute the butter with ½ cup neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or safflower.
    Delicious chocolate muffins with crunchy sugar and nut toppings.
    Delicious chocolate muffins made with espresso cut open to reveal the inside texture.

    More Delicious Chocolatey Recipes

    • Vegan Chocolate Cake – Fudgy, moist cake made with coconut milk topped with a delicious coconut milk chocolate ganache.
    • Espresso Cake with Chocolate Chips and Nuts – A delicious coffee cake that is actually made with coffee.
    • Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies – Craving a thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie (or two)? Give this recipe a try for when you have a craving for a gooey, indulgent treat!
    • Flourless Chocolate Almond Torte – Incredibly fudgy and chocolatey with a slight almond crunch, no one can resist this simple and beautiful flourless torte. It’s easy to make and naturally gluten-free!
    Delicious chocolate muffins made with espresso and topped with crunchy sugar and nut toppings.
    4.94 from 16 votes
    Print

    Chocolate Espresso Muffins

    Moist chocolate muffins flavored with coffee and crunchy pecans. Perfect for a morning or afternoon snack.
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    YIELD 12 standard-sized muffins
    Author Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet.

    Ingredients

    For the Muffins:

    • 1 ½ cups (210g/7.4 oz.) all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup (50g/1.7 oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder*
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon , optional
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (100g/3.5 oz.) granulated sugar
    • ½ cup (100g/3.5 oz.) light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
    • 1 large egg , slightly beaten
    • ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
    • ¼ cup (60ml) strong espresso or brewed coffee, cooled
    • ½ cup (1 stick/113g) butter, melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup pecans or walnuts , coarsely chopped
    • ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

    For the Crunchy Topping:

    • 2 tablespoons coarse/turbinado/demerara/brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
    • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃. Butter 12 muffin cups or line them with liner papers.

    2. In a large bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder. Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugars and mix to combine.
    3. In a medium bowl, mix together egg, milk, coffee, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be quite thick and lumpy. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
    4. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Make the topping by tossing together sugar, pecans, and chocolate chips in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly on top of the batter.

    5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and let cool completely.

    Recipe Notes

    *For a dark black chocolate muffin, substitute 2 tablespoons of black cocoa powder for unsweetened cocoa powder.

    • This recipe provides a very subtle hint of coffee. If you want a stronger coffee flavor, use a double shot espresso. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules (combine with the milk or hot coffee until dissolved) or espresso powder (mix with the dry ingredients).
    • If the espresso liquid measures either less or more than ¼ cup, simply change the amount of milk accordingly. The milk and espresso should be a total of 1 cup.
    • For more of a mocha flavor rather than chocolate, reduce the cocoa powder by ¼ cup.
    • You can substitute the butter with ½ cup neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or safflower.

    Storing

    Muffins will keep for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave them on the counter, still covered, or overnight in the fridge.

    More Muffins & Quick Breads

    • The most delicious Black bottom cupcakes cut in half to reveal the cheesecake centers with mini chocolate chips.
      Black Bottom Cupcakes
    • Zucchini maple nut bread with sliced zucchini in foreground.
      Maple Nut Zucchini Bread
    • Almond Cherry Muffins
    • Chocolate Banana Muffins

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      April 30, 2015 at 2:29 pm

      They look so chocolatey and inviting. I love the add of espresso in them. Wonderful clicks, as always!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 02, 2015 at 8:44 am

        Thank you Angie! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      April 30, 2015 at 11:37 pm

      These chocolate espresso muffins I seriously am SO enamoured with. You definitely can consider I will be making the recipe Shiran – they look wicked, decadent and delicious. Pinned!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 02, 2015 at 8:46 am

        Thank you for the sweet comment Thalia! 🙂

        Reply
        • Samantha says

          January 11, 2022 at 8:41 pm

          Delicious and easy to make!
          I have been trying to find a recipie that blends well with protein powder and this takes the cake! For anyone interested. You can sub 1/3 of a cup of flour for protein powder (i used pea protein) and they come out brilliant! We also halved the amount of sugar and they are still sweet enough while being much healthier 🙂

          Reply
    3. Anne says

      May 01, 2015 at 10:04 pm

      OMG I LOVE HOW YOU USED PANETTONE MOLDS!!! That is such a genius idea!!! Love how substantial they look, and so chocolatey too.
      So glad you’re enjoying your time in Italy. I want to go there so bad but unfortunately with school, impromptu trips are out of the question… :/

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 02, 2015 at 8:58 am

        Thank you Anne! The molds do fit perfectly 🙂 I really enjoyed my time in Italy! It’s such a beautiful place, and besides, vacations are always fun no matter where you go!

        Reply
    4. Renee says

      May 01, 2015 at 10:49 pm

      Now you’re talking!!!! I love good coffee and this post just got my attention! Plus who doesn’t need a extra caffeine in their diet 🙂

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 02, 2015 at 9:00 am

        Thanks Renee 🙂 I LOVE coffee. I don’t know if I could ever live without it!

        Reply
    5. Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says

      May 05, 2015 at 6:31 am

      Shiran – I am obsessed with both chocolate and espresso. Why have I never had the two in a muffin? These would be the perfect pick me up on a weekday morning. Your photographs are beautiful.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 06, 2015 at 4:45 am

        I was asking myself the same thing before I made them! It’s a match made in heaven 🙂 Thank you so much Erin!

        Reply
    6. Manali @ CookWithManali says

      May 14, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      These look just perfect! Gorgeous pictures 🙂

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 14, 2015 at 5:55 pm

        Thank you so much Manali 🙂

        Reply
    7. Shelly says

      February 10, 2016 at 10:03 am

      Your muffins look beautiful!! What type of cocoa powder did you use to get such a dark color?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        February 10, 2016 at 10:10 am

        Thank you, Shelly! 🙂 I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process).

        Reply
    8. Angela says

      March 09, 2016 at 8:34 am

      Hi Shiran! Those moist muffins look amazing!! Is it ok if the walnuts and pecans are omitted??

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        March 09, 2016 at 11:25 am

        Sure Angela, it’s fine 🙂

        Reply
    9. Candi says

      June 14, 2016 at 7:40 pm

      Can I turn this into a loaf instead of muffins?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 15, 2016 at 7:14 am

        Hi Candi, these muffins have a half-bread/half-cake texture which is perfect for muffins so I prefer baking them in a muffin pan. If you don’t mind the texture, you can try baking it in a cake pan instead (maybe add an extra egg).

        Reply
    10. Julia says

      July 08, 2016 at 7:02 pm

      Just made these muffins! They’re absolutely lovely! They’re super chocolatey and not too sweet. Thank you for the fantastic recipie!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        July 10, 2016 at 3:36 am

        Thank you so much for your comment, Julia! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Stephanie says

      October 04, 2016 at 1:38 pm

      This recipe is perfection! This is definitely going to be a regular at my house. Thank you so much for sharing all of these amazing recipes

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        October 05, 2016 at 6:04 am

        Thank you so much, Stephanie!

        Reply
    12. Sheryl says

      April 18, 2017 at 3:37 pm

      I just made these wonderful muffins. They are so good and very hard to resist eating every one of them. Chocolate and coffee can never be wrong. I will definitely make these again and again. Even my very picky granddaughter liked them. She does not like anything. I also added some oats to the topping.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 19, 2017 at 7:47 am

        Thank you so much Sheryl!

        Reply
    13. Michaela says

      May 24, 2017 at 3:35 am

      I made these and I can’t believe I did haha.
      So moreish and amazingly chocolatey. I’m pregnant currently and I’ve ran out of De-caf (I drink A LOT of coffee, always have)
      so I put normal espresso in these and they have helped my coffee cravings. Did I say I put in a double shot? SO GOOD!

      Reply
    14. lamia says

      July 17, 2018 at 8:16 pm

      Hello

      These look delectable! One question though, all i have is a bar of dark chocolate, can i chop it up and use it like that? If so, how many grams would equal half a cup for the recipe?

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        July 20, 2018 at 10:12 am

        Yes you can, just use 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate or about 80 grams.

        Reply
        • Mahdis says

          August 01, 2019 at 12:16 pm

          I just made these muffines.they are incredibly delicious and beautiful.
          Thanks alot for your great recipe.

          Reply
    15. Lee says

      September 09, 2018 at 4:36 pm

      Made these today for my chocolate-loving spouse, who was practically in tears with how good they were! I love how the cinnamon really came through, and we FINALLY had a use for some coffee a friend gave us that was too strong to drink, but absolutely perfect to work into this batter. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! Will make again.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        September 10, 2018 at 7:22 am

        I’m so glad! Thank you so much, Lee!

        Reply
    16. nuphar says

      September 21, 2018 at 10:43 am

      looks amazing! can’t wait to make them!
      i wonder if they will work as a cake? not muffins?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        September 24, 2018 at 8:33 am

        It’s possible, it will be more like bread than cake in texture.

        Reply
    17. Lynnette Steward says

      October 01, 2018 at 9:47 pm

      Pretty darn good….!
      I’ll be making these again!

      Reply
    18. Patricia says

      November 27, 2018 at 1:34 pm

      These look delicious. Do you think that leaving out the nuts would make a huge difference?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        November 29, 2018 at 1:11 pm

        It adds a nice texture to the cake, but the cake is delicious without it.

        Reply
    19. Elizabeth says

      February 27, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      I am baking these right now! Having tasted the batter, I think I want to try it with less cinnamon or none next time, but maybe I’ll feel differently when I eat the baked muffin! The topping looks great and I’m so excited to share these with my coffee-loving barista boyfriend. ☺️

      Reply
    20. Kaitlyn Friesen says

      March 18, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      lovely muffins. i made them and they looked picture perfect. and they TASTED delish as well! thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    21. riya says

      August 09, 2019 at 3:31 am

      Those muffins looks so yummyyyyyyy

      I just love muffins and the expresso coffee.. and this one that too a muffin with expresso flavour…

      Reply
    22. Deeksha says

      June 16, 2020 at 5:04 am

      Thank you for sharing this amazing muffin recipe. I definitely try this recipe.

      Reply
    23. Graham says

      September 13, 2020 at 11:12 pm

      Great recipe! I swapped the sugars for honey, and the butter for applesauce.
      Still turned out great, and will definitely make again.

      Reply
    24. Madeleine says

      February 21, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      These muffins are so good! They’re moist and delicious. I love the perfect little flat tops!

      The directions are clear and easy to follow. Thank you for your wonderful notes at the end. I prefer using oil instead of butter, and I appreciate your having figured out the substitution ratio for me. I also put in only 1/4 cup cocoa powder and ended up with perfect mocha muffins. The only other thing I changed was subbing out the 1/2 cup nuts for an extra 1/2 cup chocolate chips since I’m not a nuts-in-baked-goods person.

      Reply
    25. Bryce Walker says

      March 20, 2021 at 12:06 pm

      I love this recipe. I iust amde them this morning and i mixed the suagra with the wet ingredients firsy, but that was accidental 😅. Put my friends and I love them so much.

      Reply
    26. Felisita Sinartio says

      June 20, 2021 at 10:24 am

      Hi I was wondering for the mixing part – should I use a hand mixer or just a spatula?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 21, 2021 at 1:48 am

        Just a spatula, no need to use a mixer 🙂

        Reply
    27. Cupcake Mama Sia says

      November 05, 2021 at 12:34 am

      Absolutely delicious! Just omitted the nuts.

      Reply
    28. Samantha says

      January 11, 2022 at 8:42 pm

      Delicious and easy to make!
      I have been trying to find a recipie that blends well with protein powder and this takes the cake! For anyone interested. You can sub 1/3 of a cup of flour for protein powder (i used pea protein) and they come out brilliant! We also halved the amount of sugar and they are still sweet enough while being much healthier 🙂

      Reply
    29. Cupcake Mama Sia says

      May 26, 2022 at 2:13 am

      Just made these. easy to whip up and delicious!

      Reply
    30. MNight says

      June 19, 2023 at 9:29 pm

      Where can I find the nutritionnal facts, like calories tracking?

      Reply
      • Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says

        June 22, 2023 at 5:18 pm

        Hello, you will have to manually calculate calories based on the brands of ingredients you use. Because there are many different brands and substitutes while baking, I do not add calories in my recipes.

        Reply
    31. Mary says

      January 09, 2025 at 11:18 pm

      Thank you so much for the recipe!
      I just made them, my kids and I love them 😍

      Reply
      • Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says

        January 11, 2025 at 4:24 pm

        So glad you loved this recipe, Mary!

        Reply

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