Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins
Topped with chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts, these Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins make for an excellent morning…or afternoon…treat!
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So the other night at the curling club, a bunch of the guys got together for a casual game. Pizza and wings had been ordered for afterwards, and cold beer was on tap behind the bar. (Yes, the curling club has it’s own bar. The social side is one of the best parts of the game!) As we began to divvy up into teams, we decided to go with the old-school “playground” style. We had 8 teams, and the captains went around in order picking their teams from the remaining group. For me, it brought back bad memories of playground dodgeball. I also realized what it must feel like to be a hazelnut.
Hazelnuts are one of my favorite nuts to bake with, but they just don’t have the same popularity as pecans, walnuts and frankly every other kind of nut. Hazelnuts are the last nut to get picked in a game of playground dodgeball. I have no idea why, though! Hazelnuts pack a unique nutty punch in the flavor department. They’re delicious. Think about it. Hazelnut flavored items are pretty easy to find. Hazelnut coffee creamer? It’s one of the most common creamers out there! Hazelnut spread (aka Nutella)? No words needed there.
So why are actual hazelnuts so difficult to find? Maybe it’s just our location here in upstate New York, but I can’t find hazelnuts for the life of me! I went to 3 grocery stores before I gave up and ordered them on Amazon. Frankly I don’t know why I even bothered going to more than 1 store. Amazon had those hazelnuts sitting in my mailbox 2 days later. This bag of hazelnuts came from Oregon, so perhaps hazelnuts are easier to find out in the Pacific Northwest? Who knows. All I know is hazelnuts need more respect in the nut world, darn it!
Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins
Chocolate Hazelnut MuffinsWith that bag of hazelnuts in hand, I set out to make these tasty Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins. You might remember that I’m not a huge fan of chocolate in the morning. Mocha coffee? Delicious…in the afternoon. Chocolate biscotti? Delicious…with that aforementioned cup of afternoon coffee. So these Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins got devoured as dessert after dinner…and the rest of the batch got sent in to Laura’s coworkers. I can’t be trusted with 18 of these muffins. They’re just too darned good!
Perhaps you’ve seen the memes comparing cupcakes to muffins:
“Cupcakes and muffins are like twin sisters, one of whom makes no effort to hide that she sleeps around.”
“Muffins are just ugly cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes are muffins that believed in miracles.”
Ok, I get it. Cupcakes are delicious. But muffins are equally as delicious! These Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins are living proof of that. Even Laura, who regularly admits that cake is merely a vessel for frosting, enjoyed these muffins. And Robbie, our 4-year-old son? Well, after practically licking every crumb off his plate, he said, “Dad, thanks for making me a chocolate muffin.” <– That kid!!
These Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins are incredibly easy to make, too. Just mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Stir, stir, stir. Pour, pour, pour. Put ’em up in the oven, and you’ve got one heck of a delicious treat coming your way in about 30 minutes! Whether you enjoy these muffins in the morning, afternoon or evening, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Happy baking!
Did you make a batch of these Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- ¾ cup chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners; set muffin tins aside.
- Using a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set bowl aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Pour wet mixture into dry mixture; fold until just combined.
- Carefully fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each cup ⅔-¾ full.
- Sprinkle tops of muffins with ½ cup of chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out mostly clean.
- Meanwhile, use a microwave or double boiler to melt the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips. (Note: If microwaving, add 1 Tbsp of milk to the bowl.)
- Transfer melted chocolate into a piping bag (or a sandwich bag with one corner snipped off).
- Once muffins have been removed from oven, drizzle tops with melted chocolate.
Looking for more recipes with hazelnuts? Check out some of these other favorites, too:
Oregon grows something like 99% of the hazelnuts in the US so that’s probably why yours came from there. I’m pretty sure that’s why I love Nutella so much; growing up in Oregon means I practically have hazelnuts running through my veins! Anyway, these muffins look AWESOME and I’m so glad you’re giving hazelnuts a chance at their time in the spotlight 🙂
What!? Oregon grows 99% of the hazelnuts in the US? Chalk that up to a new factoid to share and amaze my friends with! 🙂 Seriously, though, I love hazelnuts. I just wish they were easier to find in the stores. Of course, I can always find Nutella. So next time it’s Chocolate Nutella Muffins! Haha. Thanks, Kelsie!
Ahhhh….the poor hazelnut! So glad you picked him (or her) to be on your muffin team! These muffins are bursting with so much goodness – all that chocolate and all those nuts! These are going to give any ol’ cupcake some competition! To be honest, I’d rather have a muffin than a cupcake anyway!
Haha! Exactly. My muffin team couldn’t be stopped once I picked hazelnuts. 🙂 Seriously, though, these muffins are delicious. Other nuts could totally be used, too, but I just love the combination of chocolate + hazelnuts. Thanks, Kathy!
I never say no to a Hazelnut. I get mine already roasted and peeled at Trader Joe’s . Your muffins look delicious and I could eat them any time of the day.
Hmmm…good point about Trader Joe’s. I didn’t check there – mainly because our Trader Joe’s is a solid 20+ minute drive. It’s easier to just click on Amazon. 🙂 These muffins really are delicious! Thanks, Gerlinde!
Oregon state is known for hazelnuts. We love them and I always have them on hand. So you are speaking my language with these chocolatey muffins, David.
Perfect! That means you’re all set for making a batch of these muffins. 🙂 Now I just need to move out to Oregon so I can get easier access to hazelnuts. Haha! Thanks, Marissa!
Chocolate and hazelnut is a match made in heaven – these muffins look absolutely delicious and so moist!
I totally agree, Alexandra! Chocolate + hazelnut is an unstoppable combo – I mean look at Nutella! These muffins are definitely tasty. I recommend them highly! 🙂
I like your chocolate and hazelunt match David..and muffins are always delicious….and these muffins looks more delicious, too yummy as well….Thanks for a beautiful muffins…!
Thanks so much, Samantha! I do love baking, and muffins are always a staple in our house. The chocolate + hazelnut combo is a classic! 🙂
I guess I never see hazelnut here in the stores either. That is probably why I don’t buy them, but I do love hazelnuts also. These chocolate hazelnut muffins look amazing!
Yeah, the hazelnut folks really got to help us out here! I love hazelnuts, but I can’t ever find ’em in our stores anymore. (At least Amazon has them, right??) These muffins are a great way to use those hazelnuts! 🙂
I love hazelnuts too, but I know what you mean…they don’t normally have the same popularity as other types of nuts. Anywho, I wouldn’t turn these muffins down. Chocolate and hazelnut is pretty much heaven right there. Wishing I could grab, like, 3 of these right about now! Delicious David 🙂
Chocolate and hazelnut really are a match made in heaven! I mean look at Nutella. There’s a reason that stuff flies off the shelves! I’m all about these muffins, and they make a great afternoon snack along with a mug of hot coffee. Stay warm (and full), Dawn!
Hazelnuts and chocolate is a match made in heaven. I can’t believe it’s so hard for you to find hazelnuts, I can buy them from the shop down the road! Didn’t realise how lucky I was. That said, I want to inhale these muffins. They look delicious!
No way! Well, to be fair, hazelnuts aren’t the only ingredient that’s a pain to find in upstate New York. I’m sure there are some stores in the area that sell them, but I checked the 3 major grocery stores near us, and nada. That’s ok – Amazon to the rescue! I say pick up some hazelnuts and make a batch of these muffins soon, Matt. You’ll be happy about it. 🙂
Hazelnuts are my absolute favorite nut, and when combined with chocolate, they’re simply dreamy. What a delicious recipe! I think I was the “hazelnut” back in the day in PE class. Ha! 😉 ~Valentina
Yes! Chocolate + hazelnuts is a classic combo. I mean look at Nutella! These muffins channel the same vibe, and they are delicious as an afternoon snack! (They’d probably be good in the morning, too, but I’m just not a chocolate in the morning kinda guy.) Thanks, Valentina!
I grew-up calling them filberts, but call them hazelnuts or filberts they’re good either way. David, your Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins would disappear here in no time, all 18. Now as for the muffin vs cupcake debate, a muffin is my choice any day.
You know, I have occasionally seen them labeled as ‘filberts’ around here. One of our big grocery store chains used to sell hazelnuts in bulk, but they labeled the container as filberts. Then they stopped selling them entirely. Oh well. Amazon is great for stuff like this! And I’m with ya on the muffin vs. cupcake debate. Thanks, Ron!!
This is my kind of easy and delicious muffin recipe. One wet bowl mixture and one dry bowl mixture. No fussing about. And I bet the flavours are delicous too! Thanks David, I could eat these muffins at any time of the day!
This recipe is so easy, Neil! And it makes for one heck of a tasty muffin. Plus, the hazelnuts add a fun twist. Happy baking, my friend!