These chocolate muffin tops are soft with a rich chocolate flavor, a fluffy muffin-like texture, and lots of melty chocolate in every bite. They're the best part of the muffin!
These muffin tops are part of my Raised on Sugar series, where I'm recreating some of the nostalgic baked goods and treats I grew up eating. This recipe was inspired by the memory of my mom buying VitaTops for me and my sister to bring to school for breakfast.
If you remember VitaTops, you know exactly what I'm talking about. They are frozen, high-fiber 100-calorie muffin tops that were supposed to be the healthy option. My mom was doing her best to give us healthier snacks. And honestly, I respect the effort.
These chocolate muffin tops, on the other hand, are made with real butter and sugar. The other muffin tops are delicious, don't get me wrong, but these are way more decadent. Life's all about balance, am I right?
For more chocolatey muffins, try these chocolate chip Nutella muffins, Black Forest muffins, and white chocolate chip muffins too.
Ingredient Notes
Unsalted butter: Make sure your butter is softened, not melted. I tested these with melted butter, and they spread too much and ended up looking like cookies. Softened butter gives the muffin tops more structure and helps them keep their domed shape in the oven.
Dutch-process cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa is treated with alkali to reduce acidity, giving it a darker color and a smoother, more mellow chocolate flavor.
Espresso powder: You won't taste the espresso powder in the finished product. It just deepens the chocolate flavor.
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt adds moisture, a little tang, and gives the muffin tops a soft, tender texture. Sour cream is a great substitute if you don't have Greek yogurt on hand.
Chocolate chunks: Chocolate chunks give you larger pockets of melted chocolate throughout the muffin tops. You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips if desired.
A Few Testing Notes
I initially thought 400°F might be too high for baking these, so I tried 375°F first. They didn't rise enough and spread way more than I wanted. After testing both temperatures, 400°F gave me the best results. The higher heat helps the muffin tops puff up, so they have that distinct muffin-y look instead of turning into cakey cookies.
I found that chilling the batter for less than 4 hours caused the muffin tops to spread too much as well. The batter is pretty soft, so giving it a good long chill helps it firm up so the muffins hold their shape while they bake.
How to Make Muffin Tops
Step 1: Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt. Mix until fully combined.
Step 3: Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low until a few dry streaks remain, then mix in the milk. Fold in the chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).
Step 4: With a large cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press a few extra chocolate chunks on top and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Let the muffin tops cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
More Muffin Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Muffin Tops
Equipment
- 1 large cookie scoop
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Ingredients
- 113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 65 grams plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- 120 grams all purpose flour
- 22 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 30 grams whole milk room temperature
- 120 grams semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.100 grams granulated sugar, 113 grams unsalted butter
- Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt until smooth and combined.1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 65 grams plain Greek yogurt
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated.120 grams all purpose flour, 22 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix in the milk until just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to overmix the batter.30 grams whole milk, 120 grams semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto the baking sheet. You should get about 9 muffin tops, but bake only 4 at a time. Leave a few inches between each one to allow for spreading. Press a few extra chocolate chunks into the tops if desired.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the muffin tops are puffed and the centers look set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let the muffin tops cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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