Cappuccino Muffin Recipe

Name: Cappuccino Muffin Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 1/3 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder; 1 tsp (5 ml) salt; 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon; ¾ cup (180 ml) hot water; 2 tbsp (30 ml) espresso powder or instant coffee; ¼ cup (60 ml) milk; 2 eggs; 1 cup (200 g) sugar; ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil; 1/3 cup (80 ml) mini chocolate chips

byBeth Le Manach Published:October 28, 2017November 19, 2025 Updated:November 19, 2025

October 28, 2017Updated: November 19, 2025 byBeth Le Manach

44 Comments

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This Cappuccino Muffin Recipe is the muffin recipe you didn’t know you needed. They are light, moist, and filled with just enough smooth coffee flavor and gooey chocolate chips. With such a winning flavor combination, you’ll be adding this recipe to your weekend rotation in no time! Try them for brunch or as an afternoon snack.

If you have enjoyed my Strawberry Lemon Muffins or my Blueberry Muffins, this Cappuccino Muffin is sure to become your newest favorite!

a cappuccino muffin cut in half to show the texture. — These muffins are moist and delicate inside, filled with smooth coffee flavor, and accented with gooey chocolate chips. It’s a flavor match made in heaven!

Make it a Meal

Serve these muffins with my Egg Soufflé or my Easy Egg Bake Casserole
For a side dish, try my Foolproof Roasted Potatoes or Smashed Potatoes
For an additional baked good, try my Crumb Cake or Fig Cake Recipes.

Ingredients:

All-Purpose Flour: No need for anything fancy; regular all-purpose flour does the trick.
Baking Powder: I use 2 full teaspoons for a nice lift.
Salt: I use Kosher salt for the best flavor.
Ground Cinnamon: adds a lovely flavor complement to the coffee and sells the idea of the “cappuccino” flavor profile.
Large Eggs: Be sure they are at room temperature. Once mixed together, they will be easier to incorporate with the vegetable oil.
White Sugar: Will give you the best texture and sweetness.
Vegetable Oil: Adds tremendous moisture to these muffins, but you could swap it out for coconut oil.
Instant Espresso Powder: Espresso powder adds coffee flavor to muffins and other baked goods. Be sure the jar or can says “instant.” It should dissolve and “brew” in hot water. You can use instant coffee granules if you can’t find espresso powder.
Hot Water: The water should be very hot, practically boiling, to bring out the best flavor of the espresso powder.
Whole Milk: Mellows out the espresso a bit, while still preserving the coffee flavor.
Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: The mini chocolate chips add a wonderful burst of chocolate flavor to these muffins. They work better than the full-sized chocolate chips, which would be a bit too overpowering.
Powdered Sugar: A nice dusting of powdered sugar before serving looks pretty on these muffins and sells the idea of the “foam” on your cappuccino.

Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

Step 1: Make the Batter

This recipe is so easy, with only a few steps. You’ll be enjoying these delicious morsels in no time!
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
The cinnamon gives the muffin a nice warming undertone, which is reminiscent of a cappuccino.
Set the dry ingredients aside, and then mix the wet ingredients.

dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. — The addition of the cinnamon sells the “cappuccino” flavor and is an excellent complement to the chocolate chips, too.

Espresso Powder vs Strong Coffee

The best way to add coffee flavor to muffins is with instant espresso powder—the kind you just add hot water to and mix (not the espresso or coffee grounds that need brewing).
I prefer to use espresso powder for a deeper, richer coffee flavor, but you could also use instant coffee.
After adding the hot water to the espresso powder, just add the milk, and set the coffee mixture aside.
Don’t be tempted to drink it! It will NOT taste like a cappuccino at this stage. In fact, I’m not sure who drinks instant espresso drinks! Because they taste horrible, I only use espresso powder for baking, where it works wonders to impart a rich coffee flavor!

Espresso powder, hot water and milk, mixed in a small bowl. — Instant espresso powder is strong. This concoction doesn’t taste great on its own, but add it to some muffins and bake, it will impart fantastic coffee flavor.

The Secret Ingredient That Makes these Muffins So Moist

Then, in a separate bowl, whisk up your wet ingredients. Vegetable oil is the secret to these muffins’ light and moist texture!
It also prevents dragging out the electric mixer to cream the butter!
But you could also use melted coconut oil, or melted butter if you prefer.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and whisk it together gently. Resist the temptation to over-mix.
In fact, muffins tend to do better when a bit under-mixed! Otherwise, the over-mixing will result in a tough muffin.

Use the Mini Chocolate Chips vs the Full-Size Chocolate Chips

I use mini chocolate chips to avoid a sugar rush at breakfast!
I find these complement the coffee flavor nicely without going overboard.
They also fit better in a standard muffin tin than regular-sized chocolate chips.

Muffin batter in a large bowl, with mini chocolate chips in another bowl. — The batter can be mixed up in two bowls and combined. (no electric mixers!) then all you have to do is fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Step 2: Bake the Muffins

This recipe makes 12 large muffins, or 18 standard muffins, so you must use a larger cupcake liner.
I recommend using these cute tulip-shaped muffin liners because they hold more batter than a standard-size muffin paper.
I also love the “newspaper motif” on these muffins, which pays tribute to the “morning coffee” aspect of cappuccino muffins.
They come in white and sepia tone. Pick one or use both to mix-and-match!
You can also use a jumbo muffin pan and jumbo liners to make six jumbo muffins.

Newspaper muffins papers. — Newspaper-themed muffin papers are a fun way to pay tribute to the “morning coffee theme”.

Filling the Papers

Fill the muffin liners halfway with the batter and bake them in a 425°F (220°C) oven for about 20 minutes.
I like to bake muffins like these at a high temperature.
That way they rise quickly!
They will also bake faster, allowing the muffin to stay moist inside.

Muffin papers filled with batter ready for the oven. — Fill each muffin well with one large ice cream scoop of batter.

How To Know When They Are Done?

You will know they are done when a toothpick comes out clean and they begin to crack at the top.
The cracking is a pretty detail since it allows the mini chocolate chips to peek through and creates a cavity for the powdered sugar to rest upon, once garnished.

a baked muffin, cracked on top. — The muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean and they begin to crack.

Serving and Garnishing

Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool. Once they have cooled, dust the tops with powdered sugar.
The powdered sugar gives these muffins that extra special “coffee house” vibe, and if you put enough on, you can tell your guests it represents the frothy milk on top!
Place the muffins on a cake stand to show off the newspaper liners.
I also love how the papers unfold easily and become almost like a little napkin to eat them on.

a cappuccino muffin with chocolate chips — Dust the top with powdered sugar to represent the foam of your cappuccino, and use the muffin papers as little plates.

Storage Suggestions

Allow them to cool completely, on wire racks, then store at room temperature on the counter for up to two days.
Or place them in a freezer-safe, airtight container, in a single layer.
Freeze for up to 1 month.
To reheat, wrap the muffin in a paper towel and microwave on high for 30 seconds until warmed through.

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