The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Decadent Coffee Glaze

Welcome to your new favorite fall tradition! These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are not just any ordinary treat; they are a delightful symphony of autumnal flavors, elevated by a secret ingredient: espresso powder. Each bite offers the comforting warmth of pumpkin and cinnamon, rich notes of bittersweet chocolate, and a subtle depth from coffee, all culminating in a show-stopping coffee powdered sugar glaze. This easy pumpkin muffin recipe consistently receives rave reviews from family and friends, quickly disappearing from cooling racks within a day. Prepare to be utterly charmed by their moist texture and irresistible flavor profile.

As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of fresh baking to fill your home. These homemade pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are my absolute favorite indulgence for the fall season. They’re more than just a quick breakfast; they’re a comforting treat, a delightful dessert, and an undeniable crowd-pleaser. Every year, without fail, my family eagerly anticipates a fresh batch of these moist, flavorful muffins, and true to form, they never last beyond a day or two. Their irresistible combination of flavors makes them simply impossible to pass up!

The Magic Trio: Pumpkin, Chocolate, and Coffee – A Flavor Revelation

It is my humble opinion that coffee is one of the best flavor pairings for pumpkin. While many pumpkin recipes rely solely on traditional “pumpkin spice” blends, the addition of coffee introduces an unexpected depth and richness that truly elevates the experience. What’s even better than pumpkin and coffee? Add dark chocolate to the mix! We’ve harmoniously combined all three of these phenomenal ingredients into one over-the-top, incredibly satisfying pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. The coffee subtly enhances the earthy sweetness of the pumpkin and deepens the robust notes of the chocolate, creating a complex and incredibly balanced flavor profile that will have everyone asking for the recipe.

Unlocking Flavor: The Power of Instant Espresso Powder

The secret to infusing these decadent pumpkin muffins with a profound coffee flavor lies in the addition of instant espresso powder. To clarify, instant espresso powder is concentrated dark coffee that has been freeze-dried into fine crystals. While it’s generally considered unsuitable for brewing a traditional espresso shot – its flavor profile is not designed for that purpose – it is an absolute powerhouse for seamlessly integrating a pure, rich coffee essence into baked goods. It doesn’t make your muffins taste overtly like coffee; rather, it amplifies the flavors of both the pumpkin and the chocolate, adding a sophisticated, barely-there undertone that makes them truly special.

My personal favorite brand of instant espresso powder for baking is Medaglia D’Oro. This high-quality brand is widely available in the baking aisle of most well-stocked grocery stores, or you can conveniently order it online. A little goes a long way, and a single jar will last you through many baking seasons, making it a valuable pantry staple for any avid baker looking to elevate their chocolate and fall-spiced recipes.

Crafting the Irresistible Coffee Glaze: The Perfect Finishing Touch

To truly infuse these muffins with comprehensive coffee flavor, instant espresso powder is added directly into the muffin batter itself. But the magic doesn’t stop there! After these delightful muffins have baked to golden perfection and cooled completely, they are adorned with a simple yet utterly decadent coffee glaze. This glossy topping elevates the muffins from simply delicious to truly extraordinary, making them resemble more of a dessert than a breakfast item.

Preparing the coffee glaze is wonderfully straightforward. You’ll begin by dissolving instant espresso powder in a small amount of hot water – this essentially creates a concentrated liquid coffee extract that packs a powerful punch. To this aromatic base, you’ll whisk in sifted powdered sugar, a touch of cream (or milk for a slightly lighter consistency), and pure vanilla extract. The key is to whisk until the glaze is perfectly smooth, thick enough to cling to the muffins, yet fluid enough to drizzle beautifully. The resulting glaze is reminiscent of a classic donut glaze in texture and, surprisingly, tastes uncannily like coffee ice cream! It truly makes these muffins extra special and provides an additional layer of moisture and sweetness, so please, don’t be tempted to skip this crucial step!

Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These aren’t just good muffins; these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with coffee glaze are truly exceptional. They are renowned for being extremely moist, intensely flavorful, and wonderfully decadent. Their rich qualities mean they often feel more like a dessert than a simple breakfast item, making them perfect for brunch, afternoon tea, or a satisfying after-dinner treat.

• Unmatched Moistness: Thanks to a generous amount of pure pumpkin puree, these muffins boast an incredibly tender and moist crumb that practically melts in your mouth.
• Rich Chocolate Indulgence: They are generously studded with high-quality bittersweet dark chocolate, which provides a delightful contrast to the sweet pumpkin and prevents the muffins from being overly sweet.
• Subtle Coffee Enhancement: The espresso powder delivers a delicate yet distinct coffee flavor that complements both the pumpkin and chocolate beautifully, adding complexity without being overpowering. You’ll notice it in every exquisite bite.
• Decadent Coffee Glaze: The final touch, a luscious coffee glaze, not only adds an extra layer of sweetness and coffee essence but also contributes to the muffins’ delightful texture and presentation.
• Improved with Time: While undeniably delicious the day they are prepared, these muffins magically taste even better 3 to 4 days after baking. The coffee flavor, in particular, becomes a bit more pronounced and well-integrated over time, deepening their appeal.

Tips for Baking Perfect Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Every Time

Achieving bakery-style muffins at home is easier than you think, especially with a few key tips. Follow these guidelines to ensure your homemade pumpkin chocolate chip muffins turn out perfectly moist, flavorful, and beautifully domed.

• The High-Heat Secret for Domed Tops: One of the most important secrets to achieving those gorgeous, well-domed muffin tops is baking them initially at a high temperature (425°F or 220°C) for the first 10 minutes, then reducing the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C) for the remainder of the baking time. The initial blast of high heat causes the batter to rise rapidly, creating that desirable rounded top, while the lower temperature ensures the muffins cook through evenly without burning.
• Room Temperature Ingredients are Key: Ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify better with other ingredients, creating a smoother batter and a more uniform, tender crumb.
• Do Not Overmix the Batter: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense muffins. Mix until just combined, even if a few streaks of flour remain. A gently mixed batter guarantees light and fluffy results.
• Choosing Your Chocolate: While chocolate chips are convenient, I highly recommend using chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate with a cocoa content of 70-75%. Chopped chocolate creates delicious pockets of melted chocolate throughout the muffin, rather than uniform chips, and the slightly bitter notes balance the sweetness perfectly.
• Measure Flour Correctly: For accurate results, always spoon your flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag can compact the flour, leading to too much flour and a dry muffin.
• Don’t Skip the Glaze: The coffee glaze is an integral part of this recipe, adding not just flavor but also moisture and a beautiful aesthetic finish. It’s easy to make and truly completes the muffin experience.

Serving Suggestions and Storage for Optimal Freshness

These delicious pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are incredibly versatile. Enjoy them warm for breakfast with your morning coffee or tea, serve them as a delightful snack, or offer them as a casual dessert after a cozy fall meal. Their rich flavor makes them perfect on their own, but they also pair wonderfully with an extra dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream if you’re leaning into the dessert aspect.

Storage Tip: To keep your muffins fresh and moist for as long as possible, store any leftovers in an airtight container or a large Ziplock bag at room temperature. They will remain wonderfully fresh for 2 to 3 days. As mentioned, the coffee flavor tends to deepen slightly with time, making them a fantastic treat to enjoy throughout the week. For longer storage, you can freeze unglazed muffins for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature and apply the glaze just before serving.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Coffee Glaze

4.9 stars (19 ratings)

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Yield: 12 Standard Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are delicious, incredibly moist, and absolutely irresistible! They are studded with bittersweet chocolate chunks and get a flavor twist from the addition of espresso powder, and are topped with a decadent coffee glaze (that literally tastes like coffee ice cream). My family requests a batch of these muffins every holiday season – be prepared, they’ll go fast.

Equipment

• USA 12-Cup Muffin Pan

Ingredients

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1½ cups (180g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder I recommend Medaglia D’Oro brand
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (3 oz; 90g) unsalted butter softened
• 1⅓ cups (265g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup (240g) canned pure pumpkin puree
• ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) whole or low-fat milk
• 3½ ounces chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate chips) I recommend 70%-75% cocoa content

Coffee Glaze

• ¼ teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder
• ½ teaspoon hot water
• ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar sifted
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) heavy cream or whole or low-fat milk
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• 1
  Prepare Muffins: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a standard muffin pan with liners or grease the pan lightly with baking spray. Set aside.
• 2
  In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• 3
  Place the softened butter in a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Beat the butter at low speed for about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer to medium speed and slowly add the granulated sugar, creaming the butter and sugar until it is light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add one egg at a time, and mix until each egg is incorporated fully. Scrape the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
• 4
  Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla, and mix over low speed until just blended (the mixture will look slightly broken). Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with 2 additions of milk. Beat at low speed until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Reserve 1 heaping tablespoon of chopped chocolate (or chips, if using) and set aside. Fold the remaining chopped chocolate into the muffin batter.
• 5
  Using a spoon or large scoop, divide the batter evenly among the muffin pan. The batter will reach nearly the top of each muffin well. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate onto the muffins. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F (176°C) and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back slightly when pressed.

  Baking Note: Baking initially at a high temperature, then reducing the heat results in muffins with well-domed tops.

• 6
  Place muffin tin on cooling rack, and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from pan, place on a cooling rack, and allow the muffins to cool completely before glazing.
• 7
  Prepare Coffee Glaze: In a medium bowl, combine the espresso powder and hot water and whisk until the powder is fully dissolved. Add the sifted powdered sugar, cream (or milk), and vanilla extract and whisk until the glaze is relatively thick (and will set easily), yet drizzles freely. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add a touch more cream or milk.
• 8
  Place the cooled muffins on a rack over a large sheet of wax paper. Using a small whisk or spoon, drizzle the glaze back and forth across the tops of the muffins (you’ll want to do this about a foot above them, to make sure it falls evenly). Allow the glaze to set for 10 to 15 minutes or serve immediately.
• 9
  Storage Tip: Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container (or Ziplock bag) and kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Tips for Success:

• Instant espresso powder (such as Medaglia D’oro brand) can be found in the coffee or baking aisle of most grocery stores.
• Baking the muffins initially at a high temperature and reducing the oven temperature halfway during baking creates a well-domed muffin.
• While I prefer to use chopped bittersweet chocolate, you can certainly use chocolate chips in this recipe with just as much success.

Nutrition Information (per serving):

Serving: 1serving,
Calories: 205kcal,
Carbohydrates: 27g,
Protein: 4g,
Fat: 9g,
Saturated Fat: 6g,
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g,
Cholesterol: 50mg,
Sodium: 275mg,
Fiber: 1g,
Sugar: 16g

Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate

Course: Quick Breads and Muffins

Cuisine: American