Jamocha Almond Fudge Muffins

One of my favorite ice cream flavors is the Jamocha Almond Fudge from Baskin Robbins. If you haven’t had it before, the flavor is a coffee ice cream that is studded with almonds and swirled with a ribbon of chocolate fudge. I have even been known to whip up a homemade version when a craving strikes. It’s a great combination of coffee and chocolate, with just the right contrast between rich ice cream and crunchy almonds.

These Jamocha Almond Fudge Muffins are inspired by that ice cream flavor, but are a more breakfast-friendly option than a big bowl of ice cream! It’s almost a one-bowl recipe, so these tasty treats are also easy to put together.

Chocolate fudge sauce is delicious in ice cream, but didn’t seem like an obvious choice in a batch of muffins to me, so I opted to start the recipe out with a mocha muffin batter to capture the chocolate and coffee flavors in the ice cream. A little bit of cocoa powder goes a long way in developing a deep chocolate flavor here. I opted for instant espresso powder to get a pronounced coffee flavor, though instant coffee can also be used. I mixed in sliced, toasted almonds and chocolate chips, too. The chocolate, of course, is there to amp up the indulgence in these muffins. The toasted nuts add a nice texture to each bite. A sprinkle of almonds on top of each muffin gives them a nice finished look.

The muffins smell amazing when they are baking and will be ready to eat as soon as they have cooled down from their time in the oven. They have a soft texture – but not so soft that you’ll mistake them for cupcakes instead of muffins – and a great mocha flavor that pairs perfect with a fresh, hot cup of coffee. I try to serve the muffins when they still have a hint of warmth from the oven, so the chocolate chips will be slightly melted when you go to take a  bite.

Jamocha Almond Fudge Muffins
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso or 2 tsp instant coffee
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup sliced or chopped toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso, baking power and salt.
In a large mixing cup, whisk together egg, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract. Pour milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until the batter comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups (muffin cups will be quite full).
Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed. Allow muffins to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Makes 12.