Molten Chocolate Muffins
Rich, fudgy chocolate muffins with a molten ganache center that oozes when you bite in. Inspired by the viral Olympic muffins from Paris 2024, these are surprisingly simple to make at home. The secret is a chilled chocolate ganache piped into the batter before baking — no fancy technique required, just patience: the ganache needs 30–60 minutes in the fridge before you start the batter.
Ingredients
- 1.25 cupall-purpose flour
- 1 cuplight brown sugar
- 0.5 cupgranulated sugar
- 0.5 cupunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 1 tspbaking soda
- ½ tspsalt
- 1 cupwhole milk
- 0.5 cupneutral oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tspinstant espresso powder
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 170 gsemisweet chocolate chunks
- 113 gbittersweet chocolate
- 0.5 cupheavy cream
- 1 tbspunsalted butter
1 cup = 240 ml
Method
- Make the ganache filling first. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to steam — don't let it boil. Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in a bowl, add the butter. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently until completely smooth and glossy. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 30–60 minutes until thick enough to pipe but not solid. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with one corner snipped off.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined and lump-free.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, oil, eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a spatula just until combined — the batter should still look slightly lumpy. Don't overmix or the muffins will turn tough. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter. Pipe about 1 tablespoon (20 g) of the chilled ganache into the center of each, dividing it evenly between the 12 cups, then top with a small spoonful of batter to cover the filling completely.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes until the edges are set and the tops no longer look wet. A toothpick inserted near the edge (away from the ganache) should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter; only the ganache in the middle stays soft. Don't overbake — these are meant to be fudgy.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Best served warm when the center is still molten. To reheat a muffin at room temperature, microwave for 10–15 seconds.
FAQ
The most common reason is overbaking. Pull the muffins out when a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter, not clean and dry. Only the ganache in the middle should still be soft. The ideal baking time is 18–22 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Another factor is overmixing: work the batter with a spatula just until the flour disappears. Lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the texture tough and cakey rather than fudgy.
Yes. The espresso powder doesn't add coffee flavor — it amplifies the chocolate taste. You can simply leave it out and the muffins will still be delicious. If you want the same depth-boosting effect, substitute with 1 teaspoon of extra cocoa powder or a pinch of cinnamon. Instant coffee works as a direct replacement in the same amount — 2 teaspoons. Some bakers also use a tablespoon of brewed strong coffee in place of the powder.
For a muffin at room temperature, the best method is microwaving on medium power for 10–15 seconds. This melts the ganache center without drying out the crumb. In the oven, wrap in foil and warm at 300°F (150°C) for 5–7 minutes. Don't overheat — if the ganache boils, the texture becomes grainy. Muffins straight from the fridge need 20–25 seconds in the microwave. The key is gentle, brief reheating.
These muffins freeze extremely well. Let them cool completely, then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil or a freezer bag. They keep for up to 2 months frozen. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then microwave for 20–25 seconds, as for any muffin from the fridge, to restore the molten center. The filling is made with cream, so keep the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge and eat them within 3 days.
For the ganache filling, stick with chocolate that's 60–70% cocoa. Milk chocolate is too sweet and fluid — the ganache won't set properly and will leak out during baking. Semisweet chocolate (around 50–60% cocoa) works perfectly as a substitute. For the chocolate chunks in the batter, you can use any type: milk, dark, or even white chocolate for a visual contrast. Just avoid chocolate coating or compound chocolate — it has a waxy texture that doesn't melt the same way.
Rate this
Recipes by email
One letter a week: a recipe picked for your taste, plus whatever is new on the site. Unsubscribe in one click.
Welcome gift: Sergei's cookbook (e-book).
By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.
Tell us what you like to cook (30 seconds) →Keep browsing
More dishes from the American archive — picked by overlap with what you're cooking now.
Join the conversation
Comments (1)
Oven thermometers don't lie — your oven dial probably does. I discovered my oven runs 15°C hot, which explained years of slightly overbaked results. For molten chocolate muffins, the actual 190°C matters more than the dial position.