Bakery-Style Triple Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Before I tell you how delicious these tender Triple Chocolate Muffins are, let me share a quick story. I recently learned that listening to your partner can be surprisingly useful, and I’ll admit I’m often the last person you’d want around during a physical emergency. Once I witnessed a cyclist get hit by a car at a busy intersection. He was slammed off his bike and lay on the pavement. I stood over him, pointing and shouting, “Your leg is broken!” (It wasn’t.) Not my finest moment.

Open water has always scared me. It’s not our element — we’re not fish — and being in it feels like an intrusion into someone else’s home. The unknown depth and darkness, the spines, stingers, sharp teeth and suction cups all make me uneasy. I much prefer solid ground.

That said, I’ve grown to appreciate the underwater world and, surprisingly, I enjoy snorkeling. The bright colors and unusual creatures excite and intrigue me, even though I still swim with reluctance, half convinced an angry octopus will object to my presence. Despite that, I’ve gotten bolder over time.

I’m more comfortable in deep water now and genuinely enjoy snorkeling. I’ve been lucky to swim alongside turtles and spot squid, lobster, shrimp, a seahorse, clownfish, stingrays and many tropical fish. I’ve even swum with sharks and drifted through a patch of pink jellyfish. My confidence in the water has grown and I felt like I’d finally overcome my fear.

Then last week something happened. While snorkeling, I glanced to my right and saw a black-and-white striped sea snake only about 20 cm from my head. It slithered rapidly toward me and brushed my shoulder. I immediately remembered Jonathan telling me these snakes are very poisonous.

The moment the snake touched me I completely lost it. I shot to the surface, flailed my arms and panicked. In a moment of blind fear I shoved Jon in front of me so he was between the snake and me. Charming.

Jon, however, stayed calm and only laughed, saying, “Good find.” Apparently sea snakes generally won’t bite if left alone. Ok, sure.

To recover my composure and build the courage to go back into the water, I turned to what always lifts my spirits: chocolate. Nothing restores bravery and cheer quite like chocolate and Nutella. So I combined them into muffins.

These muffins deliver chocolate in four ways:

• melted dark chocolate
• cocoa powder
• Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• chocolate chips

I’m not joking about stress relief. This recipe is intentionally simple — no difficult techniques, just comforting, deeply chocolatey muffins. Anything that starts with melted chocolate and Nutella is going to be worth your time.

HOW TO MAKE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS:

No special equipment needed — just a few bowls. Yes, you’ll dirty three bowls, but the result is worth it.

• STEP 1). Melt the dark chocolate with the Nutella in one bowl and set aside to cool.
• STEP 2). Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, sugar, salt) in a second bowl and whisk to blend.
• STEP 3). In a third bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, milk, vanilla) until smooth.
• STEP 4). Stir the cooled melted chocolate into the wet mixture and mix until even.
• STEP 5). Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently and gradually. Add the chocolate chips partway through folding. Do not overmix.
• STEP 6). Scoop the batter into muffin cups, filling almost to the rim, and top with chopped roasted hazelnuts.
• STEP 7). Bake until set and enjoy warm.

HOW TO GET CRACKLY MUFFIN TOPS

For those dramatic, crackly, bakery-style muffin tops, bake at a relatively high temperature and fill the muffin cups nearly to the rim so the batter spills and rises above the edge. This batter is thick enough that it won’t overflow uncontrollably, producing tall, crackled tops with a satisfying crunch. The hazelnuts on top add extra texture.

These muffins give you the full chocolate experience and a bit of comfort after an underwater scare. As much as I enjoy exploring beneath the surface, I’ll always prefer warm muffins to sea snakes.