Double Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Rich double chocolate muffins with swirls of cheesecake.

Mondays are for muffins.  Or, maybe, muffins are for Mondays?  Either way, there’s no better way to get through the start of a new week than with a nice, soft, chocolaty muffin.

One with extra chocolate chips in every bite.  And a heavy swirl of cheesecake over the top.  Then a few more chocolate chips.  And maybe we even stir some coffee into this here velvety chocolate batter, because it is Monday, after all, and it would be borderline barbaric to suggest that we try to make it through today without caffeine.

I actually made these muffins yesterday.  Riiiiight after I made it to the gym for the first time in… a long, long time (you know it’s bad when said gym starts sending you text messages telling you how long it’s been since your last visit).

I then promptly countered all of my sweat-inducing efforts by baking up a batch of these muffins, and if you think I have the willpower to resist a freshly baked chocolate cheesecake muffin then you just haven’t been reading this blog long enough.

I’ve used essentially this same muffin base before to make my peanut butter filled chocolate muffins, and just barely tweaked the recipe to include some caffeine.  While the coffee gives the muffins a richer, fuller, (and even more chocolaty) flavor, it’s not strong enough to be distinct (think of it as a hidden caffeine bonus).

The cheesecake layer is heavy enough to keep these muffins from doming up nicely — I originally was going to tuck the filling away in the center of the muffin to eliminate that problem, but ultimately decided I wanted that swirl right up in your face with each bite.

Flat muffin tops aren’t always a bad thing.

Enjoy!

3 from 2 votes

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Double Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Rich double chocolaty muffins with swirls of cheesecake.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 18 muffins

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Swirl

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Muffins

• 1/2 cup canola oil vegetable oil would also work
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk - warmed
• 1 Tbsp instant coffee
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners (or lightly grease and flour).
2. Prepare cream cheese swirl first by microwaving cream cheese in 10-second increments until it can be easily stirred with a spoon.
3. Stir in granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Set aside.
4. In large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar.
5. Dissolve the instant coffee in your warmed milk and whisk into oil/sugar mixture.
6. Stir in eggs and vanilla until well-combined.
7. Gently fold in sour cream until just-combined.
8. In separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
9. Fold flour mixture gently into wet mixture, folding until just barely combined. Stir in 1½ cup chocolate chips.
10. Scoop chocolate muffin batter into prepared muffin tin, filling 2/3 of the way full.
11. Scoop heaping Tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter and use a toothpick or knife to swirl
12. Repeat until all batter has been dispersed.
13. Sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining chocolate chips.
14. Bake on 350F for 22-25 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean, with a few crumbs.

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