Triple Chocolate Muffins Recipe

It’s dessert… for breakfast! These triple chocolate muffins are rich, dense, and extra indulgent thanks to real melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips. They’re excellent paired with a cup of coffee in the morning or with milk as an after-dinner treat.

Have you ever woken up and felt like it was the perfect day to have chocolate cake for breakfast? If so, today is your day.

Triple chocolate muffins are a totally acceptable way to sneak in dessert first thing in the morning. I love making muffins for their ease and simplicity, and while I usually reach for wholesome favorites like healthy bran muffins or whole wheat banana nut muffins, once in a while it’s ok to indulge your sweet tooth.

Perfectly dense and packed with 3x the chocolate-y goodness (more on this chocolate trio later), these muffins will be appreciated for birthday breakfasts, as part of your special Mother’s Day recipes or Father’s Day recipes, as a Valentine’s Day treat, or really on any morning that just needs a little extra sweetness.

These Triple Chocolate Muffins Are:

Triple Chocolate Lineup

These muffins get their deep chocolate profile from a triple-threat lineup of ingredients:

• Pure Baking Chocolate: Most of the chocolate flavor comes from one melted chocolate bar. You want to use a high-quality brand of pure baking chocolate, such as Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands, which can be found in the baking aisle. Do not use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers that will prevent them from melting properly. (No baking chocolate on hand? Try my double chocolate muffins instead.)
• Cocoa Powder: Just like in chocolate cake, reach for natural unsweetened cocoa powder rather than dutch-process cocoa powder. You can read up on the differences between natural unsweetened vs. dutch-process cocoa powder if you’re interested. Choosing the right variety will make a big difference in the taste, texture, and appearance of your muffins.
• Chocolate Chips: Last but certainly not least, add a heaping cup of chocolate chips to the batter to provide a little texture in each bite. Use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, regular size or mini. If you enjoy a certain type of baking chip in your chocolate chip cookies, you’ll enjoy them here, too!

I also use these 3 powerhouse chocolate ingredients in my homemade brownies.

FAQ: Are These Just Cupcakes?

While you may feel the same joy you get while biting into a chocolate cupcake, today’s muffins are not quite as light and spongy. And of course, there’s no tower of chocolate buttercream or swipe of chocolate ganache on top. (Although there’s no rule saying you can’t…)

Muffin Success Tips:

Again, there’s no masking that these triple chocolate muffins are every bit as rich, indulgent, and chocolate-y as they taste and sound. If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, my healthier chocolate banana muffins will still satisfy those early-morning chocolate cravings. Or browse all my muffin recipes to find your next breakfast bake.