I’m pleased to introduce you to the most decadent muffin recipe of your life! These chocolate cheesecake muffins are made with a rich chocolate batter, filled with a luscious cheesecake filling, and punctuated with plenty of chocolate chips! Includes a how-to video!
The Most Decadent Muffin
Today’s chocolate cheesecake muffin recipe is not for the faint of heart. Anyone who sees the above picture (or reads the title) and feels the urge to comment “too much sugar” or has a history of leaving scathing review regarding unhealthy breakfast habits… I think they’re going to want to sit this one out.
On a level, I get it. This isn’t an everyday breakfast and we honestly usually save muffins for snacks here, this being perhaps the most indulgent of all. After all, it’s essentially a frosting-less chocolate cupcake stuffed with cheesecake! It’s similar to my black bottom cupcakes, only, even richer.
For those of you who are here for the chocolate, the cheesecake, and the sugar, this one’s for you. Let’s get to it!
What You Need to Make Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
Lots of ingredients you’re probably already familiar with, but let’s go over a few of the key players and why they’re so important to this recipe (and a few substitution notes).
- Oil. Vegetable oil or canola oil will work. I have not tested this recipe with any other oil, but any neutral cooking oil should be fine. In many of my muffin recipes, I like to use a blend of butter and oil, but was very intentional about not doing that with this recipe. Because these muffins necessitate refrigeration (there is cheesecake in the center, after all!), I opted against butter. While butter adds a lovely flavor, you won’t notice it’s missing thanks to the rich chocolate and cheesecake flavors. Butter also has a tendency to dry out the crumb of cakes/cupcakes/muffins as it re-solidifies at cold temperatures (in the fridge) while oil does not, so by sticking with oil we ensure the crumb stays as tender and soft as is possible, even with refrigeration!
- Buttermilk. Real buttermilk is best for fullest flavor and the best texture, but in a pinch you can use my easy buttermilk substitute instead!
- Sour cream. This adds moisture to the muffins and gives them a tender, fluffy crumb. You’ll also need it in the cheesecake filling, where it adds flavor and keeps the cheesecake from being too sweet (otherwise it might taste like you were eating cream cheese frosting instead of cheesecake!).
- Baking soda. Unlike many of my recipes, this one is leavened with baking soda and no baking powder is needed. The baking soda reacts with the acidity of the buttermilk, sour cream and natural cocoa powder to give the muffins a lighter crumb. For this reason, I do not recommend substituting Dutch process cocoa powder (which is not acidic) for the natural cocoa powder that is called for.
- Instant coffee. This is optional, but I love using a pinch of instant coffee granules in my chocolate baked goods (in fact, it’s one of the secret ingredients that makes my chocolate cake so incredible!). It won’t make the muffins taste like coffee but it will intensify the rich chocolate flavor.
This is just an overview of some of the ingredients that I use and why I use them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
- Prepare your chocolate batter by first whisking together your liquid ingredients in a large bowl.
- Separately, whisk together your dry ingredients and then add them to the liquid ingredients.
- Use a spatula to gently stir together the wet and dry ingredients. Once they’re mostly (but not completely) combined, add the chocolate chips. I like to add them at this point rather than waiting until the batter is completely combined because it minimizes the risk of us over-mixing (which will cause dense, dry muffins).
- Let the cupcake batter sit while you prepare your cheesecake filling by beating together cheesecake ingredients in a separate bowl.
Assembling Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
- Fill your muffin liners halfway full with chocolate batter. Use a spoon to make a crater in the center of the muffins for your cheesecake filling, pushing chocolate batter slightly up the sides of the liners as needed. Note that you won’t use all of your chocolate batter, you need the leftover for adding to the top of the muffins!
- Evenly distribute your cheesecake filling into the muffin tins. It won’t all fit in the crater you created, this is OK!
- Top cheesecake with remaining chocolate batter.
- Use a spoon to swirl the chocolate batter and cheesecake together so you have pretty, swirled, chocolate cheesecake muffin tops.
The muffins will need to bake for about 22 minutes. Immediately after baking they may appear puffed and rounded, but as they cool they will deflate and sink in on themselves a bit due to the heavy cheesecake filling. This might not look as pretty as rounded muffins, but it’s totally normal and we’re putting taste over beauty here (you won’t regret it when you bite in!).
SAM’S TIP: I recommend using muffin liners rather than baking directly in the pan simply because this makes for easier cleanup, easier handling of the chocolate cheesecake muffins, and it helps hold everything in place better. If you don’t have liners, see my tutorial to make your own muffin liners with parchment paper.
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Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook!
Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
Ingredients
Chocolate Muffins
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) natural cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee optional, this intensifies the chocolate flavor
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips plus additional for topping, if desired
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened (I recommend brick-style full-fat cream cheese only, sometimes referred to as “Philadelphia” in countries outside the US).
- 5 Tablespoons (63 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Chocolate Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream until well-combined.⅓ cup (80 ml) canola or vegetable oil, ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, instant coffee (if using), and salt.1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (25 g) natural cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon instant coffee, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and use a spoon or spatula to fold together until just barely combined.
- Add chocolate chips and gently stir until they are incorporated into the batter and batter is combined, but do not over-mix (which can make the muffins dense and dry).1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Set batter aside and prepare cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a large, clean bowl, stir together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy (an electric mixer makes easy work of this and makes it easier to ensure your cream cheese is smooth and lump-free, but if the cream cheese is soft enough this can be done by hand).8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, 5 Tablespoons (63 g) granulated sugar
- Add sour cream and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined, then finally stir in the egg until incorporated. The batter should be smooth.2 Tablespoons sour cream, 1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Assembly
- Scoop chocolate batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each paper liners halfway full. You will have some batter left, reserve this to use after you’ve added the cheesecake layer.
- For a rich, thick pocket of cheesecake filling, take a spoon and use it to make a crater/divot in the center of each muffin.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cheesecake filling into the center of each muffin in the crater you just created (it won’t all fit, some will sit on top of the chocolate batter and this is fine).
- Portion a small amount of remaining chocolate batter over the top of the cheesecake layer and use a toothpick to swirl the batters together. If desired, sprinkle tops with additional chocolate chips.
- Transfer to 350F (175C) oven ad bake for 22-25 minutes or until muffins are baked through. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean or with a few wet crumbs, but not wet batter (if the toothpick is very chocolatey, test again, you may have hit a melted chocolate chip!).
- Allow muffins to cool in tin for 10-15 minutes before removing. While they may be puffed and rounded immediately after coming out of the oven, they'll sink in on themselves as they cool, this is normal and just due to the heavy cheesecake filling. Taste over beauty! These muffins may be enjoyed still warm or they may be allowed to cool completely and be refrigerated before enjoying!
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because of the cheesecake filling, these muffins are delicious served cold!Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally published in August of 2016. I’ve since updated the photos, recipe (just slightly), and text and added a how-to video!
Jesse
Hi Sam! As you know I love alllll of your recipes and have made so many of them…each one as good, if not better than the last!!! Just made these muffins and as always, you NEVER fail me! They are super decadent, moist, and delish! And the cheesecake to chocolate ratio is ON POINT! I’ll be taking these to a family party tomorrow (minus 4 or 5 that my husband and I already ate today : }! I know they will be a big hit! Thanks again for sharing and keep em’ coming!
Sam
Thank you so much, Jesse! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! I’m surprised only 4 or 5 went missing. 🤣
Marie
Drooling!
Checking my pantry for the ingredients. I know they will be as good as all of your other recipes. I’m giving this recipe a two thumbs up already.
Thanks Sam!
Sam
I think you are going to love these, Marie! 🙂
Joanne Frank
Hi Sam, I’ve made many of your recipes and they are absolutely wonderful. I am also going to try this Chocolate Cheesecake muffin, which got my immediate attention. I would like to know if this recipe would work in a mini loaf pan (ID 6″ x 3 1/4″). Thank you very much!
Sam
Hi Joanne! I am honestly not sure how it will turn out. If you do try it I’d love to know how it goes. 🙂
Nadine
Can you substitute yogurt for the sour cream?
Sam
Hi Nadine! You’ll need full fat plain greek yogurt, but yes that will work. 🙂
Nadine
Ok thanks. I would like to make these dairy free…would full fat coconut yogurt work? Thanks again for the recipe
Sam
I haven’t tried it to be sure, but it’s worth a shot. 🙂
Sherlyn
I baked 2 of your recipes yesterday, Double Chocolate cheesecake muffin and Chocolate chip muffins, both are awesome!!! We usually buy muffins from store, but this time it’s home made and so yummy.
I really like your videos and i learned the significance of using room temperature ingredients like eggs (i usually just grab eggs from fridge straight to my batter). Please continue this type of videos, and thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed both of them, Sherlyn! Homemade is always better in my opinion. 🙂
Wendy
I’m confused. Does the sour cream get mixed into the cream cheese mixture or does it get mixed into the oil and sugar mixture? I read it as the oil and sugar however your response above seems to indicate it should go into the cream cheese mixture. I found the cream cheese mixture to be very runny. Not what I expected. Please clarify.
Sam
Hi Wendy! I’m so sorry for the confusion. The sour cream goes in with the oil and sugar mixture. Did you use brick style cream cheese for the mixture? If you did it may have been microwaved for a little bit too long. I hope this helps. 🙂
Sara
If you don’t like coffee…why did you make these? Sheesh
jamie
So far, we’ve stuck to more “practical” recipes from your site. Garlic knots, cheese drop biscuits, banana bread, these are the ones we make over and over again. We’ve also read lots of other recipes and watched videos and learned a lot and done a few sweet things here and there like chocolate chip cookies, pancakes, etc, but not in frequent rotation. We don’t very often make something as over-the-top sweet and decadent as these cupcakes, but it was a certain boy’s birthday and we were having a virtual birthday party and everyone had to make a different and decadent treat. What a great excuse! I knew it had to involve chocolate and cream cheese, but was torn between a few options. Well, I am so glad we made THESE! As promised, the recipe is abundant. We only have a 12-cupcake pan, so we enjoyed quite a lot of batter (both the chocolate batter and the cream cheese mixture) before it made it into the muffin cups. Then we had some left over which we kept in the fridge and we’ve made some microwave mug cupcakes (surprisingly good, actually!) in the days since the party. On the day of, we made ourselves sick and couldn’t eat a bite of dinner. I ate THREE cupcakes after a lot of batter. Wow. This recipe will not disappoint with children who like to eat a lot of batter during cooking. These are truly decadent, and just like all your other baked treats, they are optimally moist and the flavors are perfectly balanced! We don’t have vegetable oil, though, so we used melted unsalted butter, and it worked out great, we just let it cool enough so it wouldn’t melt the sugar. This is a recipe we’ll be very excited to return to again the next time we want something really sweet and delicious. I was really surprised the cheesecake part of the recipe was so easy! I think it really rounds out the strong chocolate flavor! We just can’t go wrong with your recipes. How nice to finally have a place where when you want to make something you can go and know that you’re going to end up with something that turns out good and is delicious. This has not been our experience in the past. So your recipes have a special magic! And I think maybe also you explain things better. Not sure what you’re doing, but all of it, you’re doing right. How exciting!
Sam
Hi Jamie!! I’m so thrilled to hear you have been enjoying the recipes and that this one was such a success for you, too! Your comment is so sweet and totally made my day, I hope you enjoy every recipe that you try just as much! (PS, love that idea of a virtual birthday party!!). <3
Margo Miller
Made these yesterday! Absolutely delicious!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Margo! 🙂
Kristen
This choco cheesecake recipe is so good that my husband ate 2 cupcakes in a row… super thanks Sam!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Kristen! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Grace, I am so sorry that the muffins did not turn out well and that you were disappointed. I hope that you give another one of my recipes a try.
Grace Slater
I made double the cheesecake recipe and there seems to be enough
Sam
Hi Cathy! It is just pieces of brown parchment paper that I cut up. 🙂
Catherine
Great Recipe. Thank you! For posting!
Charlotte @ What Charlotte Baked
I love the swirl. Definitely made the right choice in sacrificing domed tops for pretty marbled cheesecakiness 🙂
Sam
Glad you agree! Thank you, Charlotte 🙂
Sarah
Do you use granulated or confectioners sugar in the cream cheese?