Description
Indulgent Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Muffins deliver pure bakery magic in every delightful bite. Chocolate lovers will swoon over these rich, gooey treats that blend sweet caramel with intense chocolate for an irresistible dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) buttermilk (or milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar)
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) hot water or coffee (optional, for deeper chocolate flavor)
Filling and Topping:
- ¾ cup (130 g) chocolate chunks or chips
- 12 soft caramels, unwrapped (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- Additional chocolate chunks (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 375F (190C) and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, ensuring even spacing for optimal baking.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture with no lumps.
- Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture transforms into a pale, silky consistency, indicating proper aeration.
- Incorporate oil and vanilla extract into the egg mixture, stirring thoroughly to create a smooth, glossy base.
- Gently fold buttermilk into the wet ingredients, maintaining the light and airy texture developed in previous steps.
- Gradually introduce the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, using a gentle folding technique to prevent overmixing and preserve the muffins’ tender crumb.
- If desired, add hot water or coffee to enhance the chocolate’s depth, stirring carefully to integrate the liquid.
- Gently fold chocolate chunks into the batter, distributing them evenly to ensure each muffin receives a rich chocolate surprise.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, typically 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to complete cooling.
Notes
- Swap buttermilk with plant-based milk and use egg replacer for a vegan version that maintains the rich, moist texture.
- Reduce sugar content by using dark chocolate chunks with lower sugar percentage and replacing some sugar with natural sweeteners like stevia.
- Prevent chocolate chunks from sinking by coating them lightly in flour before folding into the batter, ensuring even distribution throughout the muffins.
- For gluten-sensitive individuals, substitute all-purpose flour with a reliable gluten-free flour blend, adding xanthan gum to improve structural integrity and prevent crumbling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg