Can you think of a better way to start your day than with a decadent chocolate muffin with ribbons of cream cheese running through it? These chocolate cream cheese muffins make for happy, happy mornings!
1/2cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3cuppacked brown sugar
1large egg
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2/3cupsour cream - see note
1teaspoonground cinnamon
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspooon salt
1/2cupunsweetened cocoa powder
2cupsall-purpose flour - see note
2/3cupmilk - see note
1cupmini chocolate chips
For the Cheesecake
1(8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature - see note
1/4cupgranulated sugar
1large egg
For the topping
1/4cupmini chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-well cupcake pan with paper liners. Line eight wells of a second cupcake pan with liners.
For the Muffins: Beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until smooth.
Stir together the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and flour in a bowl. Slowly add the dry mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, alternating between the two.
Stir in the mini chocolate chips by hand. Set the batter aside.
For the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until smooth.
Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat the batter.
Place one spoonful of the muffin batter in the bottom of each cupcake liner. Spoon the cheesecake filling evenly over the top of the batter in the liners. Top each liner with the rest of the muffin batter.
For the Topping: Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the mini chocolate chips.
Bake the muffins for 16 to 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
I replace the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt (nonfat) - it's what I had in the fridge. Both will work!I use 50% whole wheat flour (1 cup) instead of 100% all-purpose.I use 2% milk and reduced-fat cream cheese. Nutrition information reflects all my substitutions.