These chocolate blackberry muffins are such a treat! They are packed with juicy blackberries and chocolate chips, and are so rich and fudgy they are almost brownie-like.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

We had some friends visiting when I was working on this recipe, so of course they got to be my taste testers. This is what one of them texted to me when I sent her home with a few:

"These chocolate blackberry muffins smelled and looked wonderful, so check and check on eye appeal. I just finished one and I am salivating just thinking of that first bite into warm, moist, not too sweet chocolate happiness. The melted chocolate and juice from the berries combined to make a surprise icing inside the muffin. Perfection."

I'm not sure I could describe these rich berry studded chocolate muffins any better than that. But, don't take her word for it. Bake a batch yourself and see if you don't feel the exact same way. ❤️

Ingredient notes

• Use good quality chocolate. There's quite a bit of chocolate in these muffins, so use the good stuff. I used Lindt 70% cocoa bars in the muffin batter and then added some Ghirardelli semi-sweet mini chocolate chips along with the blackberries.
• Buttermilk gives these muffins an exceptionally tender texture and adds a slight tang that complements the bitterness of the chocolate and sweetness of the blackberries. But if you don't have any buttermilk, that's no problem. Here are 7 great substitutes for buttermilk.
• Use salted or unsalted butter. I like a lot of salt in my sweet treats so I used salted butter to make these muffins. If you're sensitive to salt, use unsalted and reduce the amount of salt in the batter.
• Use light or dark brown sugar. Using brown sugar in these muffins adds a some caramel notes to the rich chocolate flavor that is just divine. Brown sugar also contributes additional moisture and increases their creamy texture. Dark brown sugar contains about twice the amount of molasses as light brown sugar which will give these muffins a slightly deeper caramel flavor. But the difference is quite subtle so use whichever you happen to have on hand.
• Whipped cream. Folding some whipped cream into cake and muffin batter is a genius baking trick I learned from ​BakeWise by Shirley O. Corridor​. When folded gently into the batter right before baking, whipped cream adds additional fat and air. This gives these muffins a soft, fluffy, silky texture that's rich and flavorful while also remaining light and airy.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Recipe Chocolate Blackberry Muffins

This recipe was originally published on ofbatteranddough.com. For more detailed instructions, please see the original recipe: Chocolate Blackberry Muffins

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, at least 60% cacao, cut into small pieces (about 1 cup chopped)
• 4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter, salted or unsalted
• 1 cup (213 grams) light or dark brown sugar
• 1 ¾ cup (210 grams) all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon table salt, OR 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 12 ounces frozen blackberries
• ½ cup (114 grams) heavy whipping cream

1. Put the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and set the pan over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until both the chocolate and butter are melted. Stir in the brown sugar and continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to melt the sugar slightly. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and let cool for 10 - 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners (see note).
3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl and mix with a wire whisk to combine.
4. When the chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, use a wire whisk to beat the eggs and vanilla into it. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. Stir just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix; it's ok if there are some small lumps in the batter.
5. Add the chocolate chips and frozen blackberries and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir just until distributed.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until thick and stiff peaks form when you lift the beater out of the cream. Fold the whipped cream into the batter as gently as you can, mixing just until incorporated. You should still see some white streaks of cream throughout the batter.
7. Distribute the batter among the muffin cups and set it in the center of a preheated oven. If baking 12 large muffins using tulip liners, bake for 40 - 45 minutes. If baking 18 regular size muffins, bake for 25 - 30 minutes. To test that the muffins are done, insert a toothpick in one of them and remove it. The muffins are done when there is no raw batter on the toothpick.
8. Remove the pans from the oven and let the muffins cool for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan. (You can also just let the muffins cool completely in the pan.)

More ways to start the day with chocolate

1. Double Chocolate Muffins {Extra Fudgy with Vanilla Glaze} These chocolate muffins are rich and chocolaty enough to satisfy even the most dedicated chocolate lover and guaranteed to start your day in the sweetest, most delicious way.

2. Healthy Chocolate Banana Breakfast Muffins - These chocolate banana breakfast muffins are a healthy and delicious way to start your morning. They have the moist texture and rich flavor of the very best chocolate cake but are much lower in sugar than typical breakfast muffins and packed with good-for-you ingredients.

3. Vegan Banana Chocolate Muffins with Maple Tahini Glaze - As a card-carrying chocoholic, these are exactly the kind of generously proportioned, dreamy, creamy, banana chocolate muffins that I would happily sink my teeth into every morning for the rest of my life. They also happen to be vegan, and therefore egg and dairy free. This is of course, essential for vegans and those with dairy and egg allergies. But, as luck would have it, their vegan-ness is a delightful bonus feature for the rest of us because they are so moist and creamy you're likely to forget there isn't actual cream in there.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ rebeccablackwell.com

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