Chocolate Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

These moist double Chocolate Muffins feature a rich chocolate flavor, chocolate chunks, and a crunchy cinnamon streusel on top of the muffins. This chocolate muffin recipe is freezer-friendly and the muffins can be baked up in different sizes.

Making these Cinnamon Streusel Chocolate Muffins

My sister-in-law recently asked me if I would create a chocolate muffin recipe for her. I quickly and happily agreed because like the beloved Dorie Greenspan says,

“I think anytime you can get away with calling chocolate a breakfast food, you should.”

Though I hardly need an excuse to make muffins, one of life’s greatest simple pleasures, I am happy my sweet sister-in-law gave me a good reason to pull out the chocolate and muffin tins. 

She is a devoted mother to a little blonde angel and a supportive, patient, loving wife to my brother. I couldn’t have asked for a better sister!

If we lived closer, I would make a batch of these and deliver them for Mother’s Day this week. Muffins always make the nicest gifts. 

I adapted this muffin recipe from Dorie Greenspan herself, whose book Baking: From My Home to Yours is always the first book I reach for when a baking mood strikes.

With dark chocolate and dark chocolate cocoa powder, these muffins are rich without being overly sweet. They are delicious on their own, but they pair quite well with a cherry jam too.

Tools Needed to Make these Chocolate Muffins

You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this recipe for easy chocolate muffins. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:

• Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cup Set – to measure ingredients when making the muffin batter
• Large Bowl – to combine the dry ingredients in.
• Medium Bowl – to combine the wet ingredients in.
• Wire Whisk – for whisking the wet ingredients
• Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula – for stirring the muffin batter.
• Muffin Tin – to bake the homemade muffins in.
• Muffin Liners – to line the muffin pan with, if desired.
• Ice Cream Scoop or Cookie Scoop – to scoop the muffin batter into the baking cupcake liners.
• Wire Rack – to cool the baked muffins on.

What’s in these Chocolate Muffins?

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make these dark chocolate muffins. For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

For the Cinnamon Streusel

• Brown Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon
• Chopped Hazelnuts
• Melted Butter

For the Chocolate Muffins

• Unsalted Butter
• Dark Chocolate
• All-Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Sea Salt
• Buttermilk
• Large Egg
• Vanilla Extract

How to Make these Chocolate Muffins

The below is simply a quick summary of this dark chocolate muffin recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

1. Prep – preheat the oven and add liners to the muffin tin.
2. Make the Streusel – chop nuts and combine remaining ingredients.
3. Dry Ingredients – Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Wet Ingredients – Combine melted butter and melted chocolate to a medium bowl. Then add the remaining wet ingredients and stir.
5. Mix the Batter – Gently stir the wet and dry ingredients together, then stir in the chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.
6. Bake – Transfer the batter to the muffin tin, sprinkle streusel on the muffin tops, then bake.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Muffins

Muffin batter is best mixed by hand with a wooden spoon and should be slightly lumpy. Batter mixed until smooth, like cake batter, will result in tough muffins.

Your results may produce more or less muffins than listed in the recipe. If you have empty cups, fill them halfway with water to help the keep the heat evenly distributed.

When baking more than one pan of muffins, leave space between pans to allow the heat to circulate in the oven and produce more evenly browned muffins. Additionally, it is helpful to rotate the pans halfway through baking.

How to Store these Double Chocolate Muffins

These moist muffins will last for up to five days stored properly. Here are my muffin storage tips:

STEP ONE: Transfer the chocolate muffins to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. If you store warm muffins, you’ll end up with a lot of excess moisture on your muffins due to condensation (and this causes them to go soggy AND mold).

STEP TWO: Place a sheet of paper towels on the bottom of a large airtight container. You can also use gallon sized ziptop bags with a sheet of paper towel inside. The paper towels will help absorb any excess moisture that is released from the muffins and help prevent them from becoming soggy.

STEP THREE: Transfer muffins to a storage container or zip top plastic bag lined with a paper towel.

STEP FOUR: Place a second paper towel on top of the muffin layer.

Depending on how deep your airtight container is, you may be able to fit more than one layer of muffins. In this case, repeat the process – always end with a paper towel on top of the last layer of muffins. A bag will likely fit only one layer.

STEP FIVE: Place the lid on the container (or zip the bag) and store at room temperature. For best results, don’t recommend refrigerating muffins, this can cause them to dry out.

Freezing these Chocolate Lovers Muffins

If you’re hoping for longer storage, then I recommend freezing these muffins. Head over to my post on How to Freeze Muffins for all the details and tips.

Chocolate Muffin Recipe FAQs

Got questions about how to make this chocolate chocolate chip muffin recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Try this Ultimate Chocolate Muffin Recipe!

Next time you’re looking for a recipe for tender chocolate muffins with dark chocolate chips, give this easy recipe a try!

Did you love the intense chocolate flavor? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of these Chocolate Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel!

More Muffin Recipes to Try

This Apple Cranberry Muffins recipe is packed with oats, fall spices, fresh cranberries, and shredded apples.

Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins are perfect for the transition space between summer and fall. You can use up summer zucchini while savoring the fall spice flavors and a hint of apple.

I think that this recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins is the best strawberry muffin, and they are the perfect healthy breakfast muffin treat.

These Dried Cherry Muffins are on the healthier side and are packed with cherries, grated zucchini, and topped with a streusel topping.

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