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These luscious chocolate muffins are filled with pockets of gooey dulce de leche and chunks of milk chocolate. A simple no-fuss recipe for those moments when you’re craving something sweet and don’t want to mess around. Best eaten fresh out of the oven, these muffins make for such a tasty treat!
Just last week we celebrated World Chocolate Day and I thought this was the perfect time to finally bring out a chocolate recipe of my own. Because as it turns out, there are none on this site just yet. Are you surprised? Because so was I! Chocolate is one of the ultimate comfort foods and not to mention one of my favourites of all time. It’s just too hard to resist and there is absolutely nothing better! So here we are with this chocolate muffin recipe.
Let’s get cracking on all the details for this chocolate muffin recipe, shall we?
Chocolate Muffin Ingredients
My intention for this recipe was for it to be as basic and minimal as possible so that it was less prep time and more eating time!
Here’s what you’ll need to whip up these muffins.
Cocoa:
Gives these muffins their chocolatey flavour and colour! Here I’ve used Dutch cocoa for the rich and indulgent flavour. Sieve the cocoa with the rest of the dry ingredients to ensure there are no lumps.
Plain Flour:
Also known as all-purpose flour, it helps to create the texture and fluffy crumb we’re after. Don’t skip the sifting stage as it helps to aerate the flour and ensures there’s less chance of any flour pockets in your batter.
Caster Sugar:
The superfine white granules of sweetness dissolve into the mixture to make it delicious. White sugar would also work as a suitable substitute.
Salt:
Helps to lift and magnify the flavours of the ingredients combined in the muffins.
RELATED: The Use of Salt in Foods & 7 Lessons from Culinary School
Baking Powder:
The rising agent to help elevate these muffins into light delicious treats. You may find a few lumps in your baking powder, hence why they also get sieved with the flour.
Eggs:
Help to bind all the ingredients together into one cohesive mixture. Make sure to use room-temperature eggs so the mixture doesn’t split or separate.
Butter:
Adds richness to the muffins as well as a great buttery flavour! Melt the butter in the microwave before combining it with the rest of the wet ingredients.
Vanilla Extract:
Helps to enhance the flavour of the muffins and allows the chocolate to shine through. Combine it with the rest of the wet ingredients to ensure it gets well distributed throughout the batter.
RELATED: 7 Baking Tips and Tricks
Milk:
The liquid component of this luscious muffin mixture. I suggest warming the milk first before whisking it with the wet ingredients. This is to ensure it’s able to combine well with the other ingredients (particularly the butter) and doesn’t cause separation.
Dulce de leche:
A lovely and thick caramel-like saucy spread. It’s made by reducing sweetened milk into a rich brown sauce, as a result of the Maillard reaction occurring (source). Storebought works great, otherwise, you could also try making your own.
Milk Chocolate:
For the extra chocolate! Roughly chop so you get the lovely chunks of chocolate in every mouthful. You could even swap the milk chocolate for either dark or white chocolate for a fun alternative.
How to Make Caramel Chocolate Muffins:
1. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Muffin Tray
Start by preheating your oven to bake at 170*C. Then grease a 12-hole muffin tray with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
2. Sift the Dry Ingredients and Whisk Together
The first step to prepare the mixture is to sift the flour, cocoa, caster sugar, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl. Then whisk together until well combined.
3. Whisk Together the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Add the Wet Ingredients to the Dry Ingredients
Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Use a whisk to slowly incorporate the flour until a smooth batter is formed. At this stage, you don’t want to overmix, so mix until the ingredients have just come together.
5. Pour Batter into the Prepared Muffin Tray & Dollop in Dulce de leche
Spoon half the batter into the muffin tray, followed by a few small dollops of dulce de leche. Then top with the remaining batter.
5. Top with Milk Chocolate and Bake
Top each muffin with the chopped milk chocolate and then place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until it springs back when touched in the centre.
6. Allow to cool
Once removed from the oven, allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the tray. Then you can go ahead and eat them straight away or leave them to cool completely on a cooling rack.
If required, you can use a knife or spatula to gently release the muffins from the tin.
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Muffins
- Sieve Dry Ingredients: To remove any lumps and ensure a light and fluffy mixture, be sure to sieve all the dry ingredients. This includes the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking powder which can all be done together before they are whisked together. This step also prevents overmixing.
- Room temperature eggs: This helps all the ingredients combine into one cohesive batter without any separating occurring. If you forget to leave your eggs out of the fridge, soak them in some hot water to bring them back up to room temperature.
- Keep your Chocolate Chunky. One of the best parts of these muffins is the pockets of caramel and the chunks of chocolate that you get with every mouthful. So, when chopping your milk chocolate, chop it roughly, so you have decent-sized chocolate pieces. About 1cm or so, is a great amount.
- Eat them fresh! These muffins are delicious when the chocolate and caramel are still melty and gooey.
- When storing: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge. I’d also highly recommend microwaving your muffins just before eating them for 15-20 seconds so they are warm and the dulce de leche melts slightly.
More Delicious Desserts
- Dessert Charcuterie Board!
- Playful Passionfruit Emoji Cookies
- Magical Fairy Bread Vanilla Cupcakes
- Fresh Summer Thyme Strawberry Granita
- Passionfruit and Mango Mousse Baby Chicks
- White Chocolate Matcha Cheesecake Brownie
- The Ultimate Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce and Walnuts
- Red Velvet Waffles with a Cream Cheese Whip & Chocolate Drizzle
Luscious Dulce de leche Chocolate Muffins
Equipment
- 12 Hole Muffin Tray
- Butter or Non-stick Cooking Spray to Grease Tray
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp (24g) cocoa
- 1 â…” cup (200g) plain flour
- â…“ cup + 1 tbsp (80g) caster sugar
- 1 tsp (6g) salt
- 1 tsp (5g) baking powder
- 2 eggs room temperature, approx 110g
- ½ cup (116g) melted butter
- 1 tsp (6ml) vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (220ml) warm milk
- â…“ cup (100g) dulce de leche + extra to serve if desired
- â…“ cup (50g) milk chocolate roughly chopped into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to Bake 170°C and grease a muffin tray with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift the cocoa, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Then whisk together to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, butter, vanilla extract and milk until well combined.
- Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Using a whisk slowly incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients until just combined into a smooth batter.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin tray, followed by a few small dollops of dulce de leche for each muffin. Top with the remaining batter and then the milk chocolate.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched in the centre.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tray before eating or alternatively leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
If you give these Dulce de leche chocolate muffins a go, don’t forget to tag @theculinaryletter and #theculinaryletter, so I can see all your wonderful creations!
Until next time, stay curious!
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