Warm, sugary streusel tops a delicious buttermilk bran muffin…dig in to find a molten chocolate center! SO. GOOD.

*This recipe is based on a variation of my 6 Week Mix It Up Muffins. This recipe has been adapted to make fewer muffins (18) if you don’t want a full batch of base mix.

6 Week Mix It Up Muffins Base – 1/4 Recipe

  • 1 ¾ cups (slightly full) of Raisin Bran cereal 
  • ¾  cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼  cups of flour
  • 1 ¼  tsp baking soda
  • ¼ – ½  tsp salt (depending on taste preference; I add ¼)
  • ½  tbsp cinnamon
  • ½ stick salted butter (¼ cup), melted and cooled OR ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ tbsp vanilla (with a slight over pour)
  • 1 cup buttermilk *see Tricks, Tips, and Tweaks

Molten Chocolate Filling

  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate (I like Baker’s, but you can use chocolate chips too)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

Streusel

  • 6 tbsp salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour 
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats 
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Tools & Timing

  • The mix MUST chill at least 6 hours; in total, you’ll need about 7 hours to prep, chill, and bake these amazing muffins! About 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, make your molten chocolate and your streusel. Once your molten chocolate mixture is setting in your fridge, preheat your oven to 400. Then, assemble your components and bake for 15-20 minutes for some spectacular muffins! 
  • Muffin tin
  • Cooking spray (or muffin cup liners)
  • 3 Mixing bowls (with cover or plastic wrap for two); one should be heat-proof
  • Large wooden spoon or spatula (or mixing implement of your choice!)
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Space in your fridge for two bowls (muffin mix and molten chocolate mix)
molten chocolate streusel muffins

Background

I got the idea for these Special Occasion muffins a few days ago. I had originally added chocolate chunks to the muffin mix in the hopes of having a chocolate oatmeal cookiesque muffin, but it wasn’t chocolate-y enough (for me)! Having already used a modified version of the streusel recipe from Half Baked Harvest for other muffins, I hit upon using the molten chocolate filling from the “Molten Chocolate Pumpkin Streusel Bread” that I had tried last year (which I recommend…I’ve enjoyed many of the recipes from Half Baked Harvest!). I mixed it up…tried a test round…and knew that these will be now be one of my go-to Special Occasion breakfast/brunch recipes from here on out!

Chocolate Molten Filling and Streusel adapted from  Half Baked Harvest

Step-by-step

  1. If using butter, cut into pats (1/2 inch pieces) and place in microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval. Once completely melted, set aside to cool. (If using oil, skip this step.)
  2. Crack egg into a bowl; whisk and set aside.
  3. In your very large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 
  4. Add cereal and mix carefully so as not to crush the bran flakes. 
  5. Check your butter – once it’s room temperature, pour the cooled butter into the eggs. Add the vanilla (and slightly overpour – this is one of my life rules). Whisk all together.
  6. Pour egg mixture on top of cereal blend. 
  7. Add the buttermilk and mix everything together using a large wooden spoon or spatula.
  8. Molten Streusel Customization step: if you really LOVE chocolate, mix in ½ cup of chocolate chips. 
  9. Chill batter at least 6 hours before using!

Get ready to bake: 30 minutes to go!

Make the molten chocolate filling:

  1. Place chopped chocolate and butter (cut into ½ pats) into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 seconds intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate and butter are smooth and incorporated. (I only needed to microwave twice.)
  2. In a different bowl, whisk egg and sugar together for 3 minutes. Whisk melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Then, mix in the salt. 
  3. Place chocolate mixture in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Make the streusel:

  1. Blend sugar, wheat flour, oats, and cinnamon with a metal whisk. Then, using your fingers, incorporate the butter until you have “pieces” of streusel. (This is the fun part of making streusel – you squish the butter and the oat blend with your hands until the mixture looks like large crumbs!)

When ready to bake

Preheat oven to 400

  1. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray (or line with paper liners). Note: These muffins do not have a traditional “muffin top” so you only need to grease the cups and not the edges of the pan. For these muffins, I prefer making them without the liners as the firmer edges complement the streusel; however, if you put too much filling in, the muffin liners help hold the muffins together…so…your choice!
  2. Using a teaspoon, spoon a small amount of muffin mix into the muffin cup. You only want enough to cover the bottom of the cup. 
  3. Scoop out about a tablespoon of molten chocolate. Place it into the middle of the cup. 
  4. Carefully place batter around the molten chocolate. 
  5. Sprinkle the top with streusel. Careful not to overfill or the streusel will spill over and burn. The cup should be about 2/3 full when everything is assembled. 
  6. Bake 15-20 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven (if you didn’t use paper liners, let muffins sit in muffin pan for 5 additional minutes – hack: if the muffins aren’t holding together, place them into clean muffin liners on the cooling rack).

Serve and Enjoy

PS. If you have a few leftover muffins, store them in a Tupperware. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, microwave them for 30 seconds and serve!

Tricks, Tips, and Tweaks

*If you need to make fewer muffins, fill the empty muffin spots 2/3 full of water. This will ensure that your muffins cook correctly!

**Get to know your oven: every oven cooks differently…for instance, my oven takes exactly 17 minutes to cook these.

***Make your own buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk (google it – it’s very easy!)