Peppermint Hot Chocolate Muffins (Printable)

Moist chocolate muffins infused with peppermint, studded with semi-sweet chips and crushed candy for a festive bite.

# What you'll need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 3/4 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 - 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Add-ins

12 - 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
13 - 1/2 cup mini marshmallows (optional)
14 - 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies

→ Topping

15 - Extra chocolate chips or mini marshmallows, for garnish
16 - Additional crushed peppermint candies, for garnish

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently stir until just blended. Do not overmix to ensure tender muffins.
05 - Gently fold in chocolate chips, mini marshmallows (if using), and crushed peppermint candies.
06 - Evenly distribute the batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Sprinkle additional chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and crushed peppermint candies over each muffin.
08 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with a few moist crumbs attached.
09 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Biting into these muffins is like catching the best part of holiday cocoa, surprise marshmallow pockets and all.
  • Any excuse to enjoy chocolate for breakfast that actually feels festive and grown-up made these an instant favorite in my house.
02 -
  • Filling the tins more than 3/4 full means sticky muffin tops everywhere—I learned this the hard way scrubbing my oven.
  • Swapping out mini marshmallows for regular ones made gooey puddles, so stick with minis or skip if you prefer a tidier bite.
03 -
  • Measuring flour with the spoon-and-level method keeps the crumb tender instead of dense.
  • Add crushed peppermint just before baking so it keeps its texture and doesn’t melt away inside the batter.

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