Peppermint Hot Chocolate Muffins (Print Version)
Moist chocolate muffins infused with peppermint, studded with semi-sweet chips and crushed candy for a festive bite.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 - 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
12 - 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
13 - 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
14 - 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies
→ Topping
15 - Extra chocolate chips or mini marshmallows, for garnish
16 - Additional crushed peppermint candies, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract until thoroughly incorporated.
04 - Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Gently fold until just combined, taking care not to overmix the batter.
05 - Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and crushed peppermint candies until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with extra chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and additional crushed peppermint candies for garnish as desired.
08 - Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with a few moist crumbs attached.
09 - Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Biting into these muffins is like catching the best part of holiday cocoa, surprise marshmallow pockets and all.
- Any excuse to enjoy chocolate for breakfast that actually feels festive and grown-up made these an instant favorite in my house.
02 -
- Filling the tins more than 3/4 full means sticky muffin tops everywhere—I learned this the hard way scrubbing my oven.
- Swapping out mini marshmallows for regular ones made gooey puddles, so stick with minis or skip if you prefer a tidier bite.
03 -
- Measuring flour with the spoon-and-level method keeps the crumb tender instead of dense.
- Add crushed peppermint just before baking so it keeps its texture and doesn’t melt away inside the batter.