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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Light wooden board with vintage pan with chocolate chip muffins. White surface, loose chips, cocoa powder.

A great muffin recipe is a must, and this one is our favorite.

It's super easy, old-fashioned, and all you need are two bowls and a whisk or spatula.

The dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, combine both and that's it, chocolate chip muffin dough ready to be baked!

Stack of three chocolate chip muffins. White surface, pink background. Bowl of chips, milk bottle.

Ingredient list

Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips, Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers (larger chips, our favorite), and Nestle Toll house semisweet chips.
Unsalted butter.
Vegetable oil: we use sunflower, but canola or other neutral oils work just as well.
All-purpose flour.
Baking powder: is used as leavener to help the muffins rise, so make sure it isn't expired.
Salt: I like using kosher salt or fine sea salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
Eggs: fresh, large.
Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
Brown sugar: light or dark.
White granulated sugar.
Milk: we use whole milk for richness, but reduced-fat milk also works.

See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.

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: add orange zest, a tablespoon of orange liquor, a spice like ground cinnamon or some almond extract to vary the flavor.

How to make chocolate chip muffins

Whisking eggs and milk in a white bowl with a gold-colored whisk.

Whisk the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Use a whisk; there's no need to beat.

Adding wet ingredients for muffins to dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Pour the wet mixture into the sifted dry ingredients all at once. Stir to combine with a spatula and don't overmix.

Glass bowl with muffin batter and a white spatula inside. White marbled surface.

Stir but don't overdo it. The flour mixture doesn't need to be fully integrated when you add the chocolate chips.

Mixing chocolate chips into muffin batter in a glass bowl with a white spatula. White marbled surface.

Add the chocolate chips and use a spatula to integrate. Don't beat or overmix the batter. It will integrated and might even have a dry spot here and there. It will smooth out during baking and ensure soft and fluffy muffins.

Baking muffins

Preparing the muffin pan

Paper liners: also called paper cups or called muffin liners. This is the easiest way, 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.

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. As soon as this happens, take them out of the oven, so they are moist and fluffy.

Chocolate chip muffin batter in a metal pan with paper liners. White surface.

Close up partial view of chocolate chip muffins in a vintage metal pan.

Storage

Room temperature: keep them for a day or two if the place is cool. 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.

Hand holding half a chocolate chip muffin above pan with several more.

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 it can be, 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 you keep 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 making them for a large crowd or if you want to make ahead and freeze.

Opened paper liner with chocolate chip muffin on a white surface. More muffins in the background.

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.

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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