Olympic Chocolate Muffins (VIRAL copycat Olympic Village recipe)

Name: Olympic Chocolate Muffins (VIRAL copycat Olympic Village recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup melted butter; 1/4 cup oil; 1 tbsp instant coffee; 1/4 cup warm water; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup white sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tbsp vanilla; 3/4 cup greek yogurt; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1 1/2 cup flour; 2/3 cup cocoa powder; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 3/4 cup chocolate chips ((divided into 1/2 and 1/4)); 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/4 cup chocolate chips; 1 tbsp corn syrup/honey/golden syrup; Pinch of salt

Muffin man also known as Henrik Christiansen is the reason we are all here. These VIRAL chocolate muffins are served in the olympic village for the best athletes. They are baked with an intense chocolate flavor and filled with a molten ganache center.

Okay, whether you follow the 2024 Paris Olympics or not, these Olympic Village Chocolate Muffins would’ve popped up on your feed at some point on social media over the last couple of weeks all thanks to the Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christansen. I tried my hand to make my own dupe for these viral olympic chocolate muffins and I am here to say I am succeeded. This recipe takes 10 minutes to mix and 20 minutes to bake, leaving you with the richest and most indulgent chocolate muffins you will ever eat!

They are tall, bakery style chocolate muffins filled with an intense chocolate flavor that comes from dutch processed cocoa powder, chocolate chips and a dark chocolate ganache filled molten center. They are fluffy on the inside, gooey, soft and delicious – and if you are a dark chocolate lover (like I am) then this is the ONLY muffin recipe you will need.

I must admit, I have made bakery style chocolate chip muffins before on the ninja bake along many years ago. This recipe is inspired from that one but it is so much better. The beauty is that we only need one bowl to mix the batter together and a whisk. The deep dark chocolate muffin batter is scooped into a muffin case lined cupcake tray – relatively more than your comfort would allow to create the tallest and most delicious muffins. There are a few tips to keep in mind when making muffins at home and I will walk you through all of them.

Who made the Olympic village’s chocolate muffins go viral?

The 3x olympic swimmer from Norway Henrik Christiansen had posted about the double chocolate muffins from the olympic village over a dozen times, and the social world is eating it up, quite literally. Since then tiktok creators such as Chef Danielle Sepsy, has made her version with a packet of Jell-O pudding mix which in her opinion matches the Olympic muffin’s rich flavor. However Jordan Howlett (@Jordan_The_Stallion8), suggests he made 4 phone calls to track down the official recipe, as he explains, includes a delicious ganache filling created with heavy cream. While, Kassie of @ibakemistakes suggests that freezing the muffins is key to nailing the exact texture. Sarah of @bromabakery makes a straight forward chocolate muffin filled with an indulgent ganache center and proclaims she would have a medal for baking at the Olympics.

What are the Olympic village chocolate muffins?

I did some research and I found that these chocolate muffins are most likely coming from this French food supplier called: Coup de Pates. They are tall bakery style chocolate muffins that are dark, indulgent and intensely flavored with chocolate. The muffin itself is soft, fluffy and very tender, however what makes them stand out is the molten chocolate ganache center that is gooey and delicious.

Why are the Olympic chocolate muffins trending right now?

After the Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christansen posted about these chocolate muffins on tiktok, not once but over a dozen times – it was only a matter of time before the world caught on to this delicious baked good. Making everyone crave these muffins from all over the world, leading to many versions. They have been talked about on tv as well, People have covered the story, Pop sugar has had their take on the hype as well as the Today show.

What is the difference between a chocolate muffin and a chocolate cupcake?

Muffins most often than not are served on their own without any frosting, glaze or icing. A cupcake must have either a frosting, glaze or icing on the top. These muffins are special as they have a molten interior which is gooey and soft. The top has a little ganache peaking out on but I wouldn’t call it a frosting or icing.

Is it OK to eat a chocolate muffin everyday?

You can eat muffins everyday but they are high calorie foods. Hence if you are watching the weighing scale then I would suggest avoiding them everyday. Like mentioned in my blog previously, no food is healthy or unhealthy but anything in excess is not good for you.

What ingredients do you need to make the VIRAL Olympic Village Chocolate Muffins Recipe?

To make these chocolate muffins we need melted butter, oil, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, eggs, instant coffee, warm water, yogurt, butter milk, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dark chocolate chips. To make the ganache we need dark chocolate chips, heavy cream, corn syrup or honey or golden syrup.

What equipment do you need to make the VIRAL Olympic Village Chocolate Muffins Recipe?

To make the muffin batter we need a large mixing bowl, whisk and rubber spatula. I have used a regular cupcake tray lined with homemade muffin paper cases to bake the muffins. I have found the best way to distribute the batter is using an ice cream scoop. We need 3 scoops of the batter per muffin for those large muffins. To make the ganache we need to heat the cream in a sauce pan and use a whisk to stir the chocolate into it. A piping bag a nozzle will help you pipe the ganache into the muffins but you could just use a zip lock bag and snip the edge with a pari of scissors.

No muffin cases? No problem! How to line muffin trays with parchment paper?

Cut baking paper into large square sheets which can cover the muffin cup and rise above it (about 6 inches). Using the back of a mug/glass that fits into the muffin tray to help me recreate the size, I use the base of the mug/glass and wrap the square sheet of baking paper over it, pressing down to create the folds as needed. Place them into the muffin tray and you’ve got yourself a homemade muffin case liner (easy peasy).

How to make the VIRAL Olympic Village Chocolate Muffins Recipe?

Line your muffin cups with paper cases, alternating each cup on the tray. Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large mixing bowl add the melted butter, oil, warm water, instant coffee and whisk until the coffee is dissolved. Add the brown and white sugar and whisk. Add the vanilla, eggs and whisk well until combined. Add the yogurt and butter milk, whisk again.

Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until there are no dry pockets visible. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and fold together. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin case with 3 scoops of batter, top with a few chocolate chips and repeat. Bake for 6 mins at 425F. Reduce the heat to 375F and finish baking for 14-16 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the centre comes out clean or with moist crumbs.

Let them cool while we make the ganache. Warm the cream in a sauce pot until simmering, take it off the heat, add the chocolate chips, corn syrup and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Gently stir it together until combined, pour into piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Once the muffins are cool, make a small cavity with a knife on the top, fill each cavity with the chocolate ganache. Repeat until done.

Serving the VIRAL Olympic Village Chocolate Muffins Recipe?

These muffins are delicious on its own but a scoop of vanilla ice cream doesn’t hurt. I would also suggest enjoying them with milk or coffee as well. The muffins are yummy without the chocolate ganache center as well, so you could leave that part of the recipe out if you prefer.

Frequently asked questions:

What kind of chocolate to use?

I love dark chocolate which is anything above 60% You can use a combination of dark, semi sweet and milk chocolate to make these chocolate muffins. I would also recommend using chunks over chips as they give you chocolate puddles once the muffins bakes.

Can I substitute brown sugar?

You can use white sugar in place of the brow sugar but the brown sugar makes for a moist and softer chocolate muffin. I prefer the flavor of brown sugar in these muffins as compared to white but you can also use coconut palm sugar to make them.

How to make these muffins gluten free?

Use a gluten free flour mix cup for cup measure like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Baking Company. You can swap the all purpose flour to the gluten free flour mix cup for cup.

Is there an eggless option to make these muffins?

You flaxseed eggs in place of the eggs in this recipe. 1 flaxseed egg is 1 tbsp flaxseed powder mixed with 2-3 tbsp water, stir and let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes gloopy and a gel like consistency.

Do I have to use dutch processed cocoa powder? Can I use normal cocoa powder?

I will always suggest using dutch processed for the best chocolate flavor without any of the acidity. It is the best way to get that intensely dark chocolate flavor and color in your baked goods. Hence I would recommend using it but you could get away with using regular cocoa powder or even cacao powder – the baked muffins would not have that dark chocolate color but they will be just as delicious.

I don’t have deep muffin cases, where can I buy them or can I make them?

You can buy muffin cases on amazon, they come in packs. However I always make my own by cutting baking paper into large square sheets. Using the back of a mug/glass that fits into the muffin tray to help me recreate the size, I use the base of the mug/glass and wrap the square sheet of baking paper over it, pressing down to create the folds as needed. Place them into the muffin tray and you’ve got yourself a homemade muffin case liner (easy peasy).

Pro Tips to make the PERFECT bakery style-tall chocolate muffins:

Ingredients temperature – The ingredients should be at room temperature in order for the batter to get well incorporated and hydrate.
Mixing – Avoiding over mixing the batter, once you don’t have any flour/dry ingredient pockets as this ensures a light, fluffy and airy muffin once baked.
Spacing between muffins – Leave a gap between each muffin case so the heat flows evenly, if you have to bake the batter in batches I would suggest doing that.
Preheating the oven – The oven MUST be preheated before you bake the muffins or else they will not rise and take longer to bake making for a dry and tough muffin.
Tall muffins – The secret to perfect tall bakery-style muffins is to bake them at two temperatures. Preheat oven to 425F bake for seven minutes.Turn the heat down to 375F and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Resulting: The initial high heat gives the muffins a jolt resulting in super tall muffins.

Storing the VIRAL Olympic Village Chocolate Muffins Recipe?

The best way to store these chocolate muffins are to place the leftovers in an air tight container – these can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 8-10 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to eat, let them come to room temperature or microwave them for 10-20 seconds until warm and soft.

Looking for more muffin recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make these viral Olympic Village chocolate muffins, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on Pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.