Peppermint Mocha Muffins with Chocolate & Crunchy Peppermint Chips

Your New Favorite Holiday Morning Treat is Here!

Hey there, friend! Can you smell it? That magical, unmistakable aroma of rich chocolate, warm coffee, and cool, refreshing peppermint wafting through the kitchen. It’s the scent of holiday joy, of cozy mornings in your favorite pajamas, and of a treat that’s about to make your entire season a whole lot brighter.

If you’re anything like me, the moment that first chilly breeze hits in December, you start dreaming about one thing: a steaming, creamy peppermint mocha latte. There’s just something about that combination that feels like a warm hug in a mug. But what if I told you we could capture all that cozy, festive magic and bake it into a muffin? A bakery-style muffin, no less, with a sky-high domed top, an incredibly moist, tender crumb, and little pockets of melty chocolate and crunchy peppermint in every single bite.

Well, stop dreaming, because that’s exactly what we’re doing today. These Peppermint Mocha Muffins are my absolute go-to for holiday breakfasts, cookie exchanges, and last-minute “I-need-a-hostess-gift” moments. They’re impressive, deeply flavorful, and surprisingly simple to whip up. So, tie on your favorite messy apron (the one with all the character), preheat that oven, and let’s make your kitchen the happiest, most delicious place on the block.

The Muffin That Started a Tradition

This recipe holds a super special place in my heart. It was born out of a classic “Emily in the kitchen” moment a few years ago. I had just gotten home from a particularly long day of recipe testing, and all I wanted was my favorite peppermint mocha from the coffee shop down the street. But it was a blustery, cold night, and I was already in my coziest socks. I looked at my pantry, then at my half-empty mug of coffee from that morning, and a little lightbulb went off.

I started throwing ingredients into a bowl, guided purely by a craving for comfort. A scoop of cocoa powder for that deep chocolate base. A spoonful of espresso powder to bring in that coffee-shop mocha vibe. And then, the star of the show: a bottle of peppermint extract my grandma had given me, the one she only used for her famous Christmas fudge. As they baked, the smell that filled my tiny apartment was pure nostalgia and brand-new joy, all at once. My husband wandered in, drawn by the scent, and after one bite, he declared, “This is it. This is Christmas.” And just like that, a brand-new holiday tradition was born in my kitchen.

Gathering Your Muffin Dream Team

Here’s everything you’ll need to create this peppermint mocha masterpiece. Don’t be intimidated by the list—it’s mostly pantry staples we’re jazzing up with a little holiday spirit!

• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (540g): The sturdy backbone of our muffin. Unbleached flour gives a nicer, off-white crumb that looks beautiful with the dark chocolate. For a lighter texture, you can swap in 2 cups of cake flour, but all-purpose works perfectly!
• 2 cups cocoa powder (174g): Use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for that classic, robust chocolate flavor. This isn’t the time for Dutch-processed—we want that acidity to react with our baking soda!
• 4 tablespoons espresso powder (24g): This is our secret weapon! It doesn’t make the muffins taste like coffee; it just makes the chocolate flavor taste deeper and richer. If you don’t have it, you can use finely ground instant coffee.
• 5 teaspoons baking powder (20g) + 1 teaspoon baking soda (8g): Our dynamic leavening duo! The baking powder gives us that beautiful, domed top, and the baking soda reacts with the cocoa and yogurt for a lovely, tender lift.
• 1 teaspoon salt (8g): Never, ever skip the salt! It’s the flavor enhancer that makes all the chocolate and peppermint pop. It balances the sweetness perfectly.
• 4 large eggs + 2 egg yolks: The whole eggs provide structure, and those two extra yolks? That’s our hack for an extra-rich, velvety, and moist crumb. It’s a little trick I picked up in pastry school for super-tender cakes.
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (540g): Yes, it’s a lot, but this is a dessert muffin! It sweetens the deal and also helps create a tender texture.
• 1 cup vegetable oil (200g): My go-to for muffins! Oil keeps them moist for days, much longer than muffins made with butter. You can use any neutral oil like canola or even melted coconut oil for a hint of flavor.
• 3 cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt (750g): This is the magic ingredient! It adds incredible moisture, a slight tang that balances the sweetness, and its acidity helps activate our leaveners. The full-fat version is key for the best texture.
• 1 tablespoon peppermint extract (10g): The heart of the peppermint flavor! It might seem like a lot, but trust me, you want that cool, refreshing punch to stand up to the chocolate. Be sure it’s peppermint extract, not spearmint.
• 1 1/3 cups mini chocolate chips: I love minis because they distribute little pockets of chocolate throughout the entire muffin without sinking.
• 1 1/3 cups Andes peppermint baking chips: These are the CRUNCH! They give you those amazing little bits of crispy peppermint. If you can’t find them, see my variations below for a great substitute!

Let’s Bake: The Step-by-Step Fun Begins!

Ready to see some muffin magic happen? Follow these steps, and you’ll be a bakery-style muffin pro in no time. The key here is confidence and a light touch!

1. Preheat and Prep: First things first, get that oven roaring hot at 375°F (190°C). This initial high heat is crucial for getting that perfect, sky-high muffin top. While it’s heating, line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with your favorite paper liners. I’m a sucker for the festive holiday ones!
2. Combine the Dry Goods: Grab a really large mixing bowl—trust me, you’ll need the space. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I like to sift the cocoa powder to get rid of any lumps. Whisk it all until you have a uniform, beautiful dark brown mixture. Take a deep breath—it already smells amazing, right?
3. Whisk the Wet Team: In another large bowl, let’s bring the wet ingredients together. Add the eggs, extra yolks, and sugar. Whisk them vigorously for a good minute until they’re pale and slightly thickened. This helps dissolve the sugar. Now, stream in the vegetable oil while whisking, then add the Greek yogurt and peppermint extract. Whisk until it’s a smooth, luscious, and homogenous batter. Don’t worry if it looks a little curly from the yogurt—that’s totally normal!
4. The Grand Marriage (But Don’t Overmix!): This is the most important step. Pour your wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Now, put down that whisk and grab a spatula. Gently fold the two together. I mean it—be gentle! You want to mix until the flour streaks have *just* disappeared. A few lumps are FINE, I promise. Overmixing is the enemy of a tender muffin, as it develops gluten and can make them tough.
5. Fold in the Goodies: Now for the fun part! Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips and peppermint baking chips over the batter. Gently fold them in until they’re evenly distributed. Try not to eat all the chips straight from the bag while you do this (a challenge, I know).
6. Portion and Conquer: Using a large cookie scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup, divide the batter evenly among the 24 muffin cups. Fill them about ¾ of the way full. For that classic bakery dome, don’t be shy—a well-filled cup is the secret!
7. Bake to Perfection: Slide those pans into your preheated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through for even baking. You’ll know they’re done when the tops are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter. That’s the sign of a perfectly moist muffin!
8. The Cool Down: This part requires patience! Let the muffins cool in the hot pans for exactly 5 minutes. This allows them to set up so they don’t fall apart when you take them out. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Try to resist eating one straight from the pan—that peppermint chip crunch is worth the wait!

How to Serve These Festive Beauties

Okay, they’re baked, they’re beautiful, and your kitchen smells like a North Pole bakery. Now what? The beauty of these muffins is that they’re fantastic any way you serve them!

For the ultimate holiday breakfast, I love serving them warm, split open, with a little pat of salted butter melting into the nooks and crannies. The combination of sweet, minty, chocolatey muffin with salty, creamy butter is a revelation.

Of course, they are the absolute perfect partner for your morning coffee or a tall glass of cold milk. It’s a peppermint mocha with your peppermint mocha muffin—a match made in heaven!

Want to make them extra special for a holiday party or a gift? Let them cool completely, then drizzle them with a simple white chocolate glaze (just melt white chocolate chips with a teaspoon of coconut oil) and sprinkle with extra crushed candy canes or peppermint chips. They look professionally made and scream “festive celebration!”

Get Creative! Fun Flavor Twists & Swaps

Love the base recipe but want to mix it up? Go for it! Baking is all about making a recipe your own. Here are a few of my favorite variations:

• The Ultimate Crunch: Stir in a heaping 1/2 cup of crushed candy canes along with the chips. This gives you an incredible sugary crunch and an extra-strong peppermint kick. Just be sure to crush them well so you don’t break a tooth!
• Dark Chocolate Lover’s Dream: Swap the mini chocolate chips for an equal amount of chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chunks. The deeper, less sweet chocolate pairs beautifully with the peppermint.
• White Chocolate Wonderland: Not a huge dark chocolate fan? Use white chocolate chips instead! The creamy, sweet white chocolate is a classic pairing with peppermint.
• No Andes Chips? No Problem! If you can’t find the Andes peppermint baking chips, simply chop up a bunch of Andes peppermint crunch thins or use 1 cup of white chocolate chips + 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract.
• Gluten-Free Friendly: You can make these with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with great success! Just ensure your blend contains xanthan gum.

Chef Emily’s Kitchen Confidential

Over the years, I’ve made these muffins more times than I can count, and they’ve evolved in little ways. The first time I made them, I used only whole eggs and they were great, but adding those two extra yolks was a total game-changer for moisture. It’s my little secret for a truly decadent texture.

One funny story: I once, in a pre-coffee haze, accidentally used mint extract instead of peppermint. They tasted… like chocolate toothpaste muffins. Not my finest hour! So, a word to the wise: double-check that bottle label. Peppermint is cool and refreshing; mint can be a little too bold and toothpaste-adjacent for this recipe. Learn from my messy-apron mistakes!

Your Muffin Questions, Answered!

I’ve gotten so many wonderful questions about this recipe over the years. Here are the answers to the most common ones!

• Q: My muffins didn’t dome. What happened?

  A: The most common culprit is old baking powder or baking soda! Check the expiration date. Also, make sure your oven is fully preheated to 375°F—that initial blast of heat is what pushes the muffins up quickly, creating the dome. Finally, don’t overmix the batter!

• Q: Can I make these into mini muffins or a loaf?

  A: Absolutely! For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes. For a loaf, pour the batter into two greased 9×5 loaf pans and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

• Q: How should I store these, and can I freeze them?

  A: Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They also freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm them up in the microwave for 20 seconds.

• Q: My chips sank to the bottom. How can I prevent that?

  A: A great trick is to toss your chips in a tablespoon of the measured flour from the recipe before folding them in. This light coating helps them “float” in the batter instead of sinking during baking.

Let’s Talk Nutrition (The Fun Kind!)

I’m all about balance, and that means knowing what’s in the delicious treats we enjoy! Here’s a general nutritional breakdown per muffin (remember, this is an estimate and can vary based on specific ingredients used).

Each of these glorious muffins comes in at about 290 calories. They’ve got 6g of protein, thanks to those eggs and the Greek yogurt, which helps make them a bit more satisfying. With 34g of carbs (18g of which are sugars), they’re a sweet treat perfect for a special occasion or a holiday breakfast boost. The 14g of fat helps carry all those beautiful flavors and contributes to the moist, tender texture. They also provide 3g of fiber, which is a nice little bonus from the cocoa!

One Last Bite of Inspiration

And there you have it, my friend! My entire heart and soul poured into a recipe for the most festive, delicious, and joy-filled muffins I know how to make. This isn’t just about following a list of ingredients; it’s about creating a moment. It’s about the smell that fills your home, the smile on your kid’s face when they take the first bite, and the pride you feel when you present a plate of these at your holiday gathering.

Baking, for me, has always been about sharing love and creating connections. I truly hope this recipe becomes a part of your family’s holiday story, just like it’s a part of mine. So from my messy, flour-dusted kitchen to yours, happy baking! I can’t wait to hear how your Peppermint Mocha Muffins turn out.

Now, go chow down!