Espresso Walnut Muffins

Name: Espresso Walnut Muffins
Prep time: 21 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 41 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp (12 g) instant espresso powder; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (2½ g) baking soda; ¼ tsp (1½ g) salt; ¾ cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar, packed into measuring cup; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 2 (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 cup (120 g) walnuts, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces; ⅔ cup (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Rich espresso powder creates deep coffee flavor in these tender, moist muffins, paired with crunchy walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Made with a creaming method for extra fluff, they're perfect for weekend breakfasts, brunch, or an afternoon snack. Sophisticated enough for guests, easy enough for weekday mornings.

Prep: 21 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 16 min
Makes: 12 muffins

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Steps

Before you start

Soften the butter on the counter for 1 hour so it's at room temperature
Let eggs sit out for 30 minutes until room temperature
Preheat your oven 10 minutes before you start mixing
Gather and measure all ingredients beforehand (mise en place)

1
Preheat oven and prepare pansOven 375°F / 190°C
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- While it preheats, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners, or lightly spray each cup with nonstick cooking spray (including the top rims to prevent tops from sticking).
- Set the pan aside.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C)
Tip: Paper liners make cleanup easy and prevent sticking; spraying the top rim prevents muffin tops from adhering to the pan.
2
Combine dry ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp (12g) instant espresso powder, 2 tsp (8g) baking powder, 1/2 tsp (2.5g) baking soda, and 1/4 tsp (1.5g) salt.
- Whisk vigorously for 20 seconds to ensure the espresso powder is evenly distributed throughout and there are no clumps.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniformly speckled with dark espresso powder, no visible clumps or streaks
Tip: Whisking the espresso powder thoroughly with the dry ingredients prevents clumping in the batter and ensures even coffee flavor throughout.
3
Cream butter and sugars
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed (or by hand with a wooden spoon), beat 6 oz (170g) softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup (165g) packed light brown sugar and 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is noticeably lighter in color and fluffy in texture.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure even mixing.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale tan, nearly doubled in volume, and fluffy when you lift the beaters
Tip: Room-temperature butter creams better; if yours is still firm, let it sit 30 minutes longer. Proper creaming incorporates air for fluffier muffins.
4
Incorporate eggs and vanilla
- Add the 2 large eggs to the creamed butter mixture one at a time, beating on medium speed for about 30 seconds after each addition until the egg is fully incorporated and no streaks remain.
- After both eggs are in, add 1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract and beat on low speed for just 10 seconds to combine.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and glossy, no visible egg streaks, looks emulsified
Tip: Room-temperature eggs blend in smoothly and prevent the batter from curdling; cold eggs can break the emulsion and yield a grainy texture.
5
Alternate wet and dry ingredients
- Reduce the mixer to low speed.
- Add one-third of the dry ingredient mixture (about 2/3 cup / 85g), then half of the buttermilk (about 3/8 cup / 90ml), then another third of the dry mixture, then the remaining buttermilk (about 3/8 cup / 90ml), and finally the last third of the dry mixture.
- Mix on low speed for about 10 seconds after each addition just until combined.
- Stop immediately when you no longer see streaks of flour—do not overmix.
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Ready when: Batter is uniformly combined with no visible streaks of flour; texture is still slightly lumpy (not smooth)
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and creates dense, tough muffins. Stop as soon as you don't see dry flour, even if the batter looks slightly lumpy.
6
Fold in walnuts and chocolate
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1 cup (120g) chopped walnuts and 2/3 cup (115g) semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter with 8–10 slow, deliberate strokes until the mix-ins are evenly distributed.
- Again, do not overmix; the batter should remain slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: Walnuts and chocolate chips are evenly distributed throughout the batter
Tip: Folding gently (not stirring) preserves the tender crumb and keeps air in the batter. Use broad, slow scooping motions with your spatula.
7
Fill muffin cups and bakeOven 375°F / 190°C
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full (approximately 1/4 cup / 60ml batter per muffin).
- If you have empty cups, fill them halfway with water to ensure even heat distribution and consistent browning.
- Place the tin in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
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Ready when: Muffin tops are golden brown; toothpick inserted in center shows moist crumbs, not wet batter
Tip: Don't overbake—remove when the toothpick shows a few moist crumbs. The residual heat continues cooking as they cool, so slightly underbaked is better than dry.
8
Cool and turn out muffins
- Remove the muffin tin from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- This resting period allows the structure to set while the muffins are still warm.
- After 10 minutes, tip the muffin tin on its side and gently press the outer bottom edge of each muffin cup to release the muffins.
- Transfer them to the wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes more before serving.
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Ready when: Muffins are at room temperature and firm to the touch all over
Tip: Cooling on a wire rack (not in the tin) prevents the bottoms from becoming dense and soggy, and allows air to circulate underneath.

Good to know

Tips

Room-temperature butter and eggs blend more smoothly into the batter, creating a more uniform crumb and distinctly fluffier muffins than using cold ingredients.
Overmixing the batter once the dry ingredients are added develops gluten and yields dense, tough muffins—stop mixing as soon as you don't see streaks of flour.
Fill any empty muffin cups halfway with water so all 12 muffins bake evenly and brown consistently on top.
Espresso powder can clump easily due to moisture; whisk it thoroughly with the other dry ingredients to avoid pockets of concentrated bitter flavor.

Make ahead

Baked muffins freeze beautifully and are ideal for batch cooking. Alternatively, you can mix the batter up to 2 hours ahead, cover it, and refrigerate before baking (bake time may increase by 1–2 minutes if starting from cold batter).

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freezer: Wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat: Microwave at 50% power for 20–30 seconds, or warm in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until heated through.

Substitutions

buttermilk → 3/4 cup whole milk mixed with 1/4 tsp baking soda. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes before using so the baking soda reacts with the milk to mimic buttermilk's acidity.
semi-sweet chocolate chips → 1/3 cup additional chopped walnuts. Omit the chocolate chips and increase walnuts to 1 1/3 cups (160g) for a pure walnut-espresso muffin with no chocolate.
instant espresso powder → 2 tsp instant coffee powder. Regular instant coffee powder is milder than espresso powder; the muffins will have a gentler coffee flavor.
walnuts → 1 cup roasted pecans or roasted almonds, chopped. Pecans add a buttery sweetness; almonds are more delicate. Both work beautifully with the espresso flavor.