Bakery-style muffins studded with chocolate chips and a soft crumb that will rise beautifully and make a great back-to-school snack and breakfast. You can use regular-sized tins or make jumbo muffins. They keep well and can be frozen.
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Chocolate for breakfast
A great chocolate chip muffin recipe is a must on every homebaker's repertoire, and this one is our favorite, with those tall muffin tops that remind us of bakery-style muffins.
It's super easy, old-fashioned, delicious and perfect for snacking and breakfast.
And, just like our oatmeal muffins with chocolate chips, you only need two bowls and a whisk or spatula. No beating or fancy equipment.
The dry ingredients go in one bowl, and the wet ingredients go in another. You combine both, and that's it: chocolate chip muffin dough is ready to be baked!
Ingredient list
- Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip.
- Unsalted butter.
- Vegetable oil: I use sunflower, but canola or other neutral oils also work.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder: make sure it isn't expired.
- Salt.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Vanilla extract.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- White granulated sugar.
- Milk: we use whole milk for richness, but reduced-fat milk also works.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
- Other chips: use another type of chocolate or a mix of dark, white and milk chocolate chips.
- Nuts: chopped walnuts pair wonderfully with semisweet chocolate.
- Jumbo muffins: use a pan for large muffins and divide the batter evenly. You'll get 6 muffins.
- Flavorings: to vary the flavor, add orange zest, a tablespoon of orange liquor, a spice like ground cinnamon or some almond extract.
- Greek yogurt: use it instead of the milk for a tangier, a tad denser muffin.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Overmixing the batter can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Combine the ingredients; don't beat or overmix.
- Using the wrong type of flour can affect the texture of the muffins. For example, using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour can result in not-as-fluffy muffins. It is important to use the type of flour specified in the recipe.
- Using cold ingredients: they can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
- Not greasing the muffin tin properly can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove. If not using paper liners, use baking spray or soft butter.
- Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as they are cooked through.
Steps to make chocolate chip muffins
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Use a whisk; there's no need to beat.
- Pour the wet mixture into the sifted dry ingredients all at once. Stir to combine with a spatula and don't overmix.
- Stir but don't overdo it. The flour mixture doesn't need to be fully integrated when you add the chocolate chips.
- Fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula to integrate. Don't beat or overmix the batter, or the muffins will be tough. It might even have a dry spot here and there. It will smooth out during baking and ensure soft and fluffy muffins.
Baking the muffins
Preparing the muffin pan
- Paper liners: they're also called paper cups or muffin liners. This is the easiest way to bake them, but the muffin tops are the only part that will be crusty.
- Butter or baking spray: it's messier, and you have to wash the pan afterward, but the crust forms all around the muffins because the whole metal surface is in contact with the batter.
- Don't fill the muffin liners (or pan if not using them) more than ¾ of their capacity, especially if the batter is fluid. This will avoid overflow during baking.
- When are they done? They will rise and be springy to the touch without feeling wobbly. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove them from the oven as soon as this happens so they are moist and fluffy.
Storage
- Room temperature: if the place is cool, keep them for a day or two. Cover so they don't dry out.
- Refrigerator: after that, wrap and keep them in the fridge. Warm slightly before eating.
- Freezing: cover in plastic wrap first and then foil, or use a freezer bag. Keep them frozen for up to a month. I defrost them directly in a medium oven, but you can let them come to room temperature first, unwrapped.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Filling the muffin pans: make sure you don't exceed ¾ of their capacity. This is the easiest way to avoid overflow during baking.
- Double batch: this recipe can easily be doubled if you make them for a large crowd or want extra muffins to freeze.
Related recipes you might like:
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Chocolate Chip Muffins (bakery style)
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Bakery style chocolate chip muffins with a tender crumb that will rise beautifully and make a great afternoon snack and breakfast. You can make jumbo muffins and use chocolate chunks. For chocolate lovers, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with extra chocolate chips. They keep well and can be frozen. A fantastic addition to your muffin recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose or cake flour
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, I use sunflower
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners or butter/spray the pans.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking powder, salt and sugars. Stir to combine.
- Whisk eggs, milk, oil, melted butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Do not beat, but mix well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add the wet ingredients at once to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do NOT overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed, and that is fine.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir lightly with a rubber spatula.
- Divide evenly among the muffin cups or muffin liners.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is cracked, golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack, eat warm or cool down completely and eat at room temperature.
- They are best eaten the day they are made, but you can keep them for a day at room temperature, covered or wrapped.
- Store leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for a month.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Filling the muffin pans: make sure you don't pass ¾ of their capacity. It's the easiest way to avoid overflow during baking.
Double batch: this recipe can easily be doubled if you make them for a large crowd or want extra muffins to freeze.
Overmixing the batter can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Combine the ingredients; don't beat or overmix.
Using the wrong type of flour can affect the texture of the muffins. For example, using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour can result in not-as-fluffy muffins. It is important to use the type of flour specified in the recipe.
Using cold ingredients: they can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
Not greasing the muffin tin properly can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove. If not using paper liners, use baking spray or soft butter.
Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as they are cooked through.
Did you try this recipe?Let me know in the comments below!
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