The weather has been getting chilly around here, which had me thinking about hot cocoa and wondering if it’s too early to start making it (is that even a thing?). But then I started thinking about how glorious it would be to stuff a chocolate muffin with giant marshmallows. It was late at night, I’m pregnant, and I swear in that moment these muffins sounded like the best idea. After a couple of test batches, I landed on these perfectly imperfect spicy, double chocolate muffins. A bit of cayenne and cinnamon ups the flavor profile, and then the giant marshmallows fluff up in the oven and create the most enticing gooey marshmallow mess on top! Oh, and the chocolate chips inside get all melty just the way I like, and basically you have to eat these warm!

I tested out a couple of different ways to do these muffins, and I really like how this final batch came out. They’re basically made with a simple double chocolate muffin mix, and then “stuffed” with whole, large marshmallows. I got exactly 12 muffins out of this recipe, which may help you with measuring out your batter. You’ll add a spoonful of batter to each muffin well, press the marshmallow deep into the batter, and then cover the marshmallow, and surrounding space, with more batter. You only want to fill these about 3/4 full, so the end product (pre-bake) should look a little funny – the marshmallows should be covered but you’ll still see a bump from each marshmallow sticking up. When your muffins first come out of the oven, the marshmallows will have puffed up quite a bit. As the muffins cool, the marshmallow will settle, creating the kind of charred, melty marshmallow cracks you see below!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my favorite sweetener. It’s low GI, unrefined, and now readily available in most grocery stores!

Applesauce gives these muffins lots of extra moisture and a bit of sweetness – you won’t taste any apple!

Instant coffee granules help deepen the chocolate flavor of these muffins. It’s totally optional, and you could also use 1/4 cup of coffee in place of the milk + instant coffee.

Ground cayenne gives these muffins a bit of kick. I recommend adding between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon, depending on your taste preference. 1/8 tsp is “barely there” and 1/4 tsp is “these have a definite kick”.

Yield: 12 regular muffins

Spicy Hot Cocoa Muffins

Name: Spicy Hot Cocoa Muffins
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 regular muffins
Cuisine: Snack
Ingredients: 1/2 cup coconut sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 cup vegetable oil*; 1/4 cup plant-based milk; 1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional); 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup regular cocoa powder; 3/4 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/8-1/4 tsp ground cayenne (optional); 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks; 12 large marshmallows

Fluffy double chocolate muffins stuffed with marshmallow and spiced with a dash of cayenne pepper! These delicious muffins are reminiscent of your favorite spicy hot cocoa!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil*
1/4 cup plant-based milk
1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup regular cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks
12 large marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12 count muffin pan with paper liners (or spray with non-stick spray).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, plant milk, and instant coffee. Whisk in the applesauce; set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until well combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and gently mix until nearly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop a spoonful of batter into each muffin well. Then press a large marshmallow (flat side up) into the middle of each. Carefully spoon batter on top of and around the up-right marshmallows. You'll want to fill each well about 3/4 full - your marshmallows should be covered with batter but look like a bump under the batter. I had exactly enough batter for 12 regular muffins.
Bake muffins at 350° for 15 minutes. The marshmallows will puff up and out of the muffins. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then gently remove them to cool on a cooling rack or enjoy warm!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

*you can use whatever vegetable oil you prefer. I used regular olive oil for these muffins