Muffins are one of the best breakfast options for night owls like me who are slower-moving in the morning. I can easily grab one while running out the door for an on-the-go morning meal, or sit and savor the muffin along with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Either way, muffins are a breakfast treat that make my mornings instantly feel cheerful no matter how sluggish and tired I’m feeling!
You can bake these in the afternoon or evening…which is often when I experiment in the kitchen. I love that these muffins keep well for days after baking so you can just have them ready to grab in the morning when you’re heading out for the day!
That is IF they make it to the morning. The people you live with will flock to the kitchen when these babies are baking… the smell is just incredible. You might need to defend the muffin tin as it cools.
These indulgent morning treats are inspired by classic bakery-style double chocolate muffins. Perfect for Reese’s lovers, these muffins are the breakfast version of a peanut butter cup! Fluffy and soft with perfectly crisped tops, these muffins are easy to whip up from scratch at home.
You can make a batch of these muffins in under 30 minutes! They are such a quick and easy way to add some “Mmmm!” to your morning. You won’t buy muffin mix at the store ever again. Enjoy!
Before You Get Started Baking
Take the refrigerated ingredients (eggs and buttermilk) out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to bake time so that they’re at room temperature when you need them. This ensures that your batter has the right consistency so the muffins bake with the perfect texture.
Gather the rest of your ingredients and all tools or equipment before starting so that they’re on-hand for quick preparation.
For this recipe, you will need a 12-cup muffin baking tin (or two 6-cup muffin tins, or both of your 9-cup tins, etc). Also, you will need 2 large mixing bowls, a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, a whisk, and a wire cooling rack.
Suggested Equipment/Appliances
- Muffin Tin(s)
- Non-Stick Spray or baking cups
- 2 Large mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
Recipe Cook Time and Yield
- Recipe Yield: 12 muffins
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3⁄4 cup peanut butter chips plus 1⁄4 cup for topping
- 3⁄4 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
- 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Muffin Baking Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overmix the thick muffin batter until it becomes smooth or thin. The lumps are what make the muffins fluffy! To avoid overmixing, “fold” the ingredients together and avoid stirring or beating the muffin batter. Folding is best done with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container or bag for up to 4 days. Tip: to keep the muffins fresh for longer, store them in a single layer and place a sheet of paper towel both below and on top of the muffins.
- You can freeze the leftover muffins! They keep very well frozen for up to 3 months! Store them in an airtight container or bag and freeze them once they are fully cooled. Thaw the muffins for 3-4 hours at room temperature before serving.
- To reheat the leftover muffins before serving, warm them in the microwave for 10-30 seconds depending on the power setting.
- For optimal baking and perfect muffin texture, keep the oven door closed during the cooking time and center the baking tin on the middle rack.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line the muffin tin with baking cups or grease the tin with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Stir in 3⁄4 cup of peanut butter chips and set the bowl aside.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then stir in the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir only until everything is combined to avoid overmixing – we don’t want tough muffins!
- Portion out the prepared batter into each of the muffin cups, dividing it evenly amongst the 12. The cups should be filled near to the top edge. Top these with the remaining 1⁄4 cup of peanut butter chips to make picture-perfect muffins!
- Bake the muffins for 16-19 minutes on the middle rack. You can check to see if they’re done baking by poking a toothpick deep into one – if it comes out clean, they’re ready!
- Take the muffin tin out of the oven and let sit on a wire cooling rack. Let the muffins and the baking tin cool completely before carefully removing the muffins.
- Enjoy with a cup of steaming coffee or a glass of milk any time of the day. You can also serve these muffins warm with a scoop of ice cream for a decadent dessert.
Substitutions
The following ingredients can be swapped out for your desired alternative at the same quantity included in the recipe:
- Peanut butter chips can be swapped out for your favorite sweet morsel- try semi-sweet chocolate chips, mint chips, mini chips, or white chocolate chips!
- Vegetable oil can be swapped out for canola oil, coconut oil, or melted butter at the same quantity.
- Buttermilk can be swapped out for plain or vanilla yogurt, sour cream, applesauce, 2% dairy milk, unsweetened oat milk, or unsweetened soy milk.
- Granulated sugar can be swapped out for raw cane sugar, coconut palm sugar, or brown sugar.