Espresso chocolate chip muffins are a great way to start your day. When we found espresso chocolate chips, we could not wait to use them in a recipe. Since coffee and muffins go together so well in the mornings, we needed to try them in a muffin recipe! These muffins are soft and sweet, but not too sweet. They freeze well so we can easily pop them in the microwave before we head out the door!
A few words on protein
Since breakfast can be the trickiest meal to get protein in, we’re always looking for creative ways to incorporate more of this macronutrient. Protein is involved in hundreds of bodily processes and keeps us fuller longer, so it’s pretty important. We ran the macros on these muffins and each muffin has about 8 grams of protein, which is pretty good for a muffin! With that being said, as dietitians, we still recommend adding another source of protein like Greek yogurt or a glass of milk.
Frequently asked questions
We love using Kodiak Cakes mixes because they make things super easy while keeping them delicious! The bulk of the mix is done for you when using their mix, we just add a few other ingredients. We can’t say for sure that any and every muffin mix will work the exact same since they’re all made differently. You may need to play around with it and test the recipe a couple of times!
Like almost all of our other recipes, you want the cold ingredients to be as close to room temperature as you can get. This will allow them to mix evenly with the other ingredients and prevent over mixing. Muffin batter is ready to go when all of the ingredients are just combined. You obviously want to mix until the clumps are gone but don’t go much further than that. Over mixing muffin batter will lead to a tough and dry muffin. And those are sad.
Starting the oven temperature off at a higher heat and then decreasing it will cause the muffins to rise and have perfectly round tops. The high heat causes them to puff up and stand tall but then it’s important to lower the temp so they don’t burn.
Unfortunately, yes. We learned from experience. The muffins may stick to the paper if you eat them too soon after coming out of the oven. Spraying the muffin tin and wrappers with ample nonstick cooking spray will also help with this!
Ingredients
- The teaspoon of cinnamon doesn’t give these muffins a strong cinnamon flavor, which is what we want. If you want a strong cinnamon flavor, feel free to add another teaspoon or two! The slight hint of cinnamon really brings out the chocolate flavor from the espresso chocolate chips.
- Using full fat Greek yogurt not only increases the protein content, but gives the muffins moisture.
- The mashed banana is similar to the Greek yogurt in that it makes the muffins moist and keeps them soft. Like the cinnamon, there isn’t a strong banana flavor unless you want to use more!
- You can use any chocolate chip you would like! We just love coffee and chocolate chip muffins in the morning so the espresso chocolate chips were perfect. This recipe would work with any “chip” you love!
- Chopped walnuts or pecans, crushed peanuts, blueberries in lieu of chocolate chips, or any dried fruit make for great add-ins! We recommend keeping the total amount of add-ins to 2/3 of a cup or 1 cup max to have a good ratio of add-ins to muffin.
These espresso chocolate chip protein muffins will instantly up your breakfast game. Plus they’re easy to grab and go on your way out of the door! Who doesn’t love an easy breakfast you don’t have to think about? We love keeping these in the freezer and popping them in the microwave for ~30 seconds and enjoying with a homemade peanut butter Greek yogurt (i.e. plain Greek yogurt mixed with natural PB). And that is how you start your day on a good note!
If you try our recipe, please rate and review it below! We love connecting on social media too, so snap a photo and tag us @theperfectpear8 so we can see and share your creation! 🙂
PrintEspresso Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins
Breakfast tends to be the meal lacking in protein for most Americans but these muffins will help you increase your intake! Plus they have espresso chocolate chips, which are ah-mazing. And who doesn’t need as much espresso in the morning as they can get??
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups Kodiak Cake pancake/waffle mix
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup oil (like canola or vegetable)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 ripe banana (mashed)
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole fat or 5%)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup espresso chocolate chips
Instructions
- Let milk, Greek yogurt, and egg get to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 400° and grease muffin tin with nonstick spray. Be generous with this so they don’t stick!
- Whisk Kodiak Cake mix, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, sugar, and egg. Add mashed banana, milk, yogurt, and vanilla.
- Fold wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing! The batter will be thick.
- Fold in espresso chocolate chips and make sure there aren’t clumps of dry powder at the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, spoon batter into prepared tin. Evenly scoop into each tin until bowl is empty.
- Bake at 400° for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 325° (keep the muffins in the oven) and continue to bake for 20-22 minutes until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for at least 10 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
- These muffins will last in an air-tight container at room temperature for 5 days, in the refrigerator for 7 days, and the freezer for 3 months.
- Any add-ins can be used instead of espresso chocolate chips!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 237
- Sugar: 19
- Sodium: 213
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 26
Keywords: breakfast ideas, breakfast recipes, chocolate chips muffins, chocolate muffin recipe, easy breakfast recipe, healthy breakfast ideas, healthy breakfast recipe, muffin recipe, protein muffins
I didn’t even know espresso chocolate chips were a thing until I found this recipe. I can’t get enough of them and these muffins!!!
Hahaha I’m not going to lie, I made this recipe after discovering the chocolate chips. So good!