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Mesquite Bacon & Chocolate Muffins

The smoky, mesquite flavor of these muffins is perfectly complemented by salty bacon and sweet chocolate chips. A delicious breakfast treat.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 18 Muffins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 345
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For The Muffins
  • 1-1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour can use gluten-free flour with added ¾ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
  • 1/2 Cup Mesquite Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 6 Strips Thick-Cut Bacon cooked, finely chopped, grease reserved
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/4 Cup Melted Butter can add some bacon grease for smoky flavor
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
For The Topping
  • 1/2 Cup Pecan Halves can use large pieces
  • 2 Tbs Brown Sugar
  • 2 Strips Thick-Cut Bacon crumbled

Equipment

  • 2 Muffin Tins
  • Muffin Tin Liners
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Flour Sifter or Mesh Strainer
  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Scooper

Method
 

Prep the Oven, Pans, and Bacon
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
    Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (tulip liners work beautifully here to mimic the image).
    Fry your 8 total strips of bacon until very crispy. Drain on paper towels, reserving the rendered grease if you plan to use it in the batter. Chop 6 strips finely for the batter, and crumble the remaining 2 strips for the topping.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sifted mesquite powder, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    Stir the dark chocolate chips and the 6 strips of chopped bacon directly into the dry mixture. This coats them in flour so they do not sink to the bottom during baking.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
  1. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, whole milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, and melted butter (or liquid bacon grease) until completely smooth.
Combine and Fold
  1. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
    Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together just until the flour disappears.
    Crucial: Do not overmix. The batter should look thick, rustic, and slightly lumpy. Overmixing activates the gluten, making the muffins dense instead of fluffy.
Portion and Top with Pecans
  1. Divide the thick batter evenly among the 12-18 muffin cups. They should be filled almost to the top.
    Press the pecan halves, crumbled bacon topping, and a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar firmly into the top of each muffin batter mound.
Bake at Two Temperatures
  1. Place the muffin tin on the center rack of the oven.
    Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes, then immediately turn the oven temperature down to 350°F (177°C) without opening the door.
    Bake for an additional 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (minus any melted chocolate chips).
    Note: The initial high heat triggers a quick burst of steam from the baking powder, forcing the muffin tops to dome up high and professional.

Notes

To adapt these Bacon Mesquite Chocolate Muffins into a gluten-free treat, you only need to swap out the all-purpose flour.
Replace the 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour with:
  • 1 ½ cups of a high-quality 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour
  • Add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to your dry ingredients to mimic the structure and elasticity of gluten.