These delectable Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins are my way of waving farewell to Summer. With August Bank Holiday in the UK pretty much marking the end of the Summer Holidays it's time to gear ourselves up for new school year, sort out uniforms and think what's there still to be done before the first school run in September. I don't know about you but I couldn't do it without indulging in a little comforting chocolate treat and shedding a tear or two for what's been a fantastic Summer!
All good things must come to an end as they say although there is still one full care-free week for my eldest and almost three weeks for my youngest who doesn't start school until mid September. Trying to keep them occupied in between the times when I've been leaving them to be "bored" so that I can actually get something done has proven somewhat challenging but I've managed on occasion. These muffins were brought to existence one afternoon last week when my kids were "encouraged" 😉 to re-discover some of their once favourite toys they have since forgotten about.
Why are these muffins so good?
One thing I really love about muffins is that they are super quick to make and you don't need any fancy equipment. Couple of bowls, a whisk and some spatulas and spoons will do. Oh and a sieve...
I thought that adding a swirl of cream cheese mixture to lovely and rich yet fluffy and light muffins will work really well and I was definitely right. The cream cheese layer is fairly thin as it spreads out during baking providing this lovely cheesecakey flavour dimension against the chocolatey richness, I absolutely adore these.
As I've used cocoa powder and some dark chocolate chips these muffins are quite rich and almost savoury in flavour. Feel free, however, use milk or even white chocolate chips to sweeten things up a bit if you wanted to.
Give them a go, so little effort and such a huge reward plus they will make those last days of Summer Holidays that bit more delicious!
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Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour
- 30 g cocoa or cacao powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 125 ml plain, full fat yogurt
- 100 ml rapeseed/sunflower/olive oil
- 50 g dark or milk chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 200 g full fat cream cheese
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 75 g caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Put yogurt, eggs and oil in a large bowl and give them a good whisk. Add brown sugar and whisk until nice and smooth (the mixture will be the colour of caramel). Set aside.
- In another bowl weigh out all your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa and baking powder). Sift these directly onto the wet ingredients and mix in gently only until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated (do not overmix). Add chocolate chips and fold them in gently.
- Prepare cream cheese mixture by whisking cream cheese with egg, sugar and vanilla until nice and smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Fill 12 muffin cases half way up with chocolate muffin batter. Follow with cream cheese mixture (divide it evenly in between 12 muffin cases - approx. 2 heaped tsp per muffin). Follow with a small dollop of remaining chocolate batter mixture on top of cheese mixture. You can bake these as they are or using a toothpick swirl cheese and chocolate mixture around a bit. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the skewer inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. Remove to the cooling rack to cool completely and enjoy!
Notes
- Calories are approximate and per muffin
- Feel free to replace dark chocolate chips with milk or even white chocolate ones for sweeter, less savoury flavour
Nutrition
Some more sweet and savoury muffins you might enjoy:
Mary Berry's Blueberry Muffins
Strawberry Muffins with White Chocolate Drizzle
Pumpkin & Cinnamon Muffins with Plum Jam
Cheesy Carrot and Courgette Muffins
Have you tried my Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post, I love reading them! You can also come and say hello over on my Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram
Pin Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins For Later!
I’m linking my Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins recipe with the following pages:
Cook Blog Share hosted this week by Eb at Easy Peasy Foodie
Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Corina at Searching for Spice
Brilliant Blog Posts hosted by Vicki at Honest Mum Blog
Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily at A Mummy Too
Last one ever We Should Cocoa hosted by Choclette at Tin & Thyme
Fiesta Friday hosted by Angie, Anotnia at Zoale.com and Lathi at From Lathi’s Kitchen
Baking Crumbs hosted this month by me 😉
Sarah Jones says
Excellent recipe, thank you! I was a bit alarmed that my chocolate mixture was very thick and my cream cheese mixture very runny, so they were impossible to swirl together. But it didn’t matter, they cooked beautifully and taste fantastic- the cream cheese mixture sort of replaces icing and is softer and sweeter than the chocolate part but still not at all sickly. They look great baked and are very easy to transport too. I made with milk chocolate chips but I bet they would be even better with dark. Thanks for a great recipe, will definitely make again.
I filled my paper cases almost to the top but still had some leftover mixture which I baked in some little silicone moulds but I could have piled it all into the 12 cases, they rose nicely and didn’t spill over the edges.
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you so much for lovely feedback Sarah! 🙂
Little Cooking Tips says
Fantastic work Jo! Especially the last photo with the tea on the table is amazing (that's the one we pinned!) 🙂
Really looking fwd to trying these out, we'll use half olive oil/half sunflower oil, we think that the combo makes the muffins moist-ier and not as heavy as they would be if we only used olive oil (which is domestic and therefore strong in flavor here in Greece).
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Greetings from Athens,
Mirella and Panos
joskitchenlarder says
Hello Mirella and Panos 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by and your kind comment, it's really appreciated! 🙂
I usually use rapeseed oil or lighter olive oil (not extra virgin) for the same reason you've mentioned. Hope you guys enjoy making and eating these if you decide to give them a go! 🙂
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
I love what you've done with the chocolate muffins Jo, they sounds incredibly fab with the addition of the creamcheese swirled into the chocolate batter Mmmmmm mmmm yum! Thankyou so much for linking up with #BakingCrumbs 😉 xx
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Angela! We do love chocolate and cream cheese swirl combo. These are moreish beyond belief lol 🙂 x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I need these in my life!
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Kat! 🙂
Jason says
Wow these look and sound amazing! Never tried cream cheese in a recipe like this. Does the cream cheese make them very moist?
Thanks for sharing
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Jason! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 Cream cheese gives these muffins perhaps not added moisture but almost salty, cheesecake like flavour dimension which works really well with chocolate. These are really moist anyway.
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
This was our first week of school as well here in Wisconsin, USA. I have to admit: I breathed a very deep sigh of relief [shame face]. I will be making a batch of these gorgeous chocolate cream cheese muffins PRONTO because I'm not sure that my life can go on very much longer unless I get one of these beauties in my face IMMEDIATELY.
Corina Blum says
These look gorgeous Jo! I'd love to make a batch as an after-school treat for my kids. My little girl is going back today and both children are starting swimming lessons after school on Thursdays so I am definitely going to need tasty treats to keep to keep them going! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
frugal hausfrau says
Oh yes, please! These look delish! I love that you included both types of measurements for us, Jo!
Mollie
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Mollie! 🙂 I'm so happy you've noticed that I've included both type of measurements. x I hope this proves useful as it doesn't get any more frustrating than liking the recipe but having to work out the measurements you use on your own. 🙂
Moonsparkle (ZM) says
These look and sound really nice! I'm pinning them to make later. 🙂
Zania
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you so much Zania! Hope you like them! 🙂 x
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
These look so divine, Jo!! I wish you could send me some. 😀 Pinned! x
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Jhuls 🙂 Wouldn't it be lovely if only we could exchange goodies electronically and they would materialise wherever we wanted them too! Bliss! 🙂 x
Choclette says
Oh those muffins look delectable Jo. I remember making similar black bottomed cupcakes earlier on in my blogging career and thinking wow, I must make these again - but have I? Thanks for playing along with #WeShouldCocoa over the years and for joining in this one last time.
BTW, it's meant to be good for kids to be bored (or at least think they're bored). Apparently they need that downtime to process what's going on and to gather creative energy. Or that's what I've heard anyway!
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Choclette! I know what you mean there are so many delicious recipes out there to try that there is hardly any time for remaking ones we've already tried! lol Absolutely agree with "boredom" being good for kids, mine always end up getting themselves busy on their own, only sometimes it takes a moment or two 🙂
Monika Dabrowski says
These look super gorgeous, great idea to put these flavours into muffins!
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Monika! 🙂 I was going for this rich chocolate, almost savoury flavour and it worked a treat! 🙂 Hope you had a lovely break!
Balvinder says
This looks and sounds so delicious! Double the chocolate, double the fun!
joskitchenlarder says
That's what I say lol Just chocolate, simply doesn't cut it ;)!
Jenny walters says
Oh Jo these look incredible!I have never tried them but I am so going to!!Love them. Hope you have had a lovely summer hols xx
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Jenny! 🙂 What I most like about them is that savoury chocolatey vibe with a bit of cream cheese to round things up nicely! lol Hope you've had a great Summer too! 🙂 xx