Can I use natural peanut butter?

A Creamy processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy generally works best for swirling as it stays smooth when warmed. Natural peanut butter can sometimes separate or be oily. If you do use natural peanut butter, make sure it's stirred extremely well before measuring and warming it.

What if I don't have buttermilk?

A No problem. You can easily make a substitute. For this recipe, measure 1 ½ cups of regular milk (whole or low fat works). Add 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to the milk. Stir it briefly and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It will look slightly curdled, which is exactly what you want. Use this homemade buttermilk just like the recipe calls for.

How should I store these muffins?

A Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay fresh and delicious for up to 3 days. Keeping them airtight is key to preventing them from drying out.

Can I freeze these muffins?

A Absolutely. These muffins freeze wonderfully. Let them cool completely first. Then, place them in a single layer in a freezer safe zip top bag or an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. To enjoy, thaw them at room temperature for a few hours, or gently warm a frozen muffin in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds.

My muffins didn't dome very much, what went wrong?

A Several factors contribute to getting those high tops. Make sure you followed the resting step for the batter, used the alternating cup method in the muffin pan, filled the liners generously, and started baking at the high 425 degree F temperature before reducing it. Using fresh baking powder and baking soda is also important, as older leaveners lose their power.

Can I add chocolate chips?

A You could certainly stir in about a cup of chocolate chips (semi sweet, milk, or dark) into the chocolate batter right before resting if you want an extra chocolate boost. This would make them even more decadent.

The Ultimate Moist Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

Description

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins are unbelievably moist and rich, packed with deep chocolate flavor and dreamy peanut butter swirls in every bite. They bake up perfectly tall and are simply irresistible!

Ingredients

3 cups (360g) all purpose flour
1 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅔ cup (170g) creamy peanut butter

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk everything together well to ensure no clumps remain. Set this bowl aside.
Get a larger mixing bowl. Add the large eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to it. Stir these wet ingredients together until they are just combined.
Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix gently until the flour streaks mostly disappear. Be careful not to overmix. The batter will be quite thick.
Cover the bowl loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let the batter rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. While the batter rests, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Prepare a 12 count standard muffin pan by lining every other cup with a paper liner (you will use 6 liners). This spacing helps create taller muffin tops. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of chocolate batter into the bottom of each liner.
Gently warm the creamy peanut butter in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, just until it’s soft and easier to drizzle. Drop about ½ tablespoon of the warmed peanut butter onto the batter in each muffin cup. Use a toothpick or a thin skewer to gently swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate batter.
Divide the remaining chocolate batter evenly among the 6 muffin cups, adding about 4 to 6 tablespoons on top of the peanut butter swirl, covering it.
Add another ½ tablespoon of warmed peanut butter on top of the batter in each cup. Swirl it again gently with a toothpick for a nice pattern on top.
Carefully place the muffin pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for exactly 7 minutes.
Keeping the muffins inside the oven, reduce the oven temperature immediately to 350°F (180°C). Continue baking for another 12 to 14 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a chocolate part comes out clean (a little melted peanut butter on the toothpick is okay).
Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before transferring them directly onto the rack to cool completely.
Repeat steps 5 through 11 with the remaining batter, remembering to increase the oven temperature back to 425°F (220°C) before baking the second batch.

Notes

Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing: These muffins freeze beautifully. Place cooled muffins in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave.

Bakery Style Tops: Baking initially at a high temperature (425°F) helps the muffins rise quickly, creating those desirable domed tops. Filling only every other muffin cup also promotes better rising.

Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter works best for swirling. Natural peanut butter might separate, so stir it very well if using.

Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 ½ cups of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 518kcal
Sugar: 35g
Sodium: 650mg
Fat: 24g
Carbohydrates: 71g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 12g
Cholesterol: 60mg