Originally published in 2013, this chocolate chip muffin recipe has remained a reader favorite. These bakery-style chocolate chip muffins are BIG in size, flavor, and texture. They’re deliciously soft and moist with a crackly muffin top. Cinnamon spiced and loaded with chocolate chips, you’ll never turn to another muffin recipe again.
Today’s homemade chocolate chip muffins rival any from a bakery. They’re large and in charge, bursting with flavor, and are topped with a sweet sparkly sugar crunch. Like an acceptable version of chocolate chip cookies for breakfast! It’s a variation from my master bakery-style muffin recipe.
Video Tutorial
Ingredients in Chocolate Chip Muffins
Besides flavor and texture, you’ll appreciate the simple ingredient list. You only need a few basic ingredients to make absolutely awesome chocolate chip muffins. Each ingredient is important and transforms boring muffins into bakery-style chocolate chip muffins!
- Flour: Flour is the foundation of these chocolate chip muffins muffins; we need a thick batter to hold all of the chocolate chips.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: A lot of leavener is required to create a significant rise against all of the wet ingredients.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Cinnamon is a muffin’s favorite spice. You only need a small pinch of nutmeg, too. I promise you that nutmeg is what most chocolate chip muffin recipes are missing. You’ll never go back!
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Both are used for flavor.
- Eggs: Eggs add moisture and bind everything together.
- Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt: Just like I do with chocolate covered strawberry muffins, I began adding a touch of sour cream to this batter. It helps keep the muffins extra moist and I highly recommend it!
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten these muffins.
- Oil: Oil produces a moist, tender muffin. These days I combine a little melted butter and oil. See my recipe note.
- Milk: Milk adds plenty of moisture and lightens up the crumb.
- Chocolate Chips: These wouldn’t be chocolate chip muffins without chocolate chips! I always keep a large stash on hand for these muffins and chocolate chip cookies.
- Coarse Sprinkling Sugar: My secret ingredient used for sparkle and crunch on top. I like Sugar in the Raw or you can use white sparkling sugar sprinkles, usually found with the sprinkles in the baking aisle.
How to Make Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
This chocolate chip muffin recipe couldn’t be easier. The batter comes together in minutes, so it’s a wonderful recipe for busy mornings.
Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately by hand, then combine them. The batter will be thick, which is ideal for holding muffin add-ins like fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. Muffin batter is much thicker than cupcake batter because muffins are more dense. The thicker the batter, the less likely the add-ins will sink to the bottom.
- Tip: Make sure the eggs, sour cream, and milk are at room temperature, which incorporates them quicker and easier with other ingredients. I recommend taking these ingredients out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before starting.
Divide the batter in your muffin pan and fill each all the way to the top. You can make this recipe as 6 large muffins (shown), 14-15 standard size muffins, or 40 mini muffins. Top with a sprinkle of coarse sugar for a truly authentic bakery-style muffin!
Don’t Over-mix.
When combining the wet and dry ingredients, don’t over mix. This is very important to ensure soft and fluffy chocolate chip muffins. You’ll be tempted to keep on mixing because this batter is so thick, but it only takes about 20 strokes to mix it all together. You might notice a few lumps in the batter, but that’s normal. Remember, don’t overmix!
The Secret Trick for Tall Muffin Tops
Fill your muffin tins all the way to the top. If using a giant muffin tin, your batter will fill 6 large tins to the brim, as shown above. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F, then for about 25 minutes at 350°F. This initial high oven temperature lifts the muffin top up quickly and creates a tall crust, which is why filling the muffin tins to the top is imperative.
Most muffins bake between 350°–375°F for the entire time. Setting the oven to 425°F initially and then lowering the temperature after 5 minutes guarantees muffins with tall, sugar-crusted, crackly tops. I do this in all my muffin recipes.
See my Master Bakery-Style Muffin Recipe for more flavor options and ideas. Or just need to satisfy a craving fast? Try my recipe for 1 chocolate chip muffin.
More Favorite Muffin Recipes
- Blueberry Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Banana Muffins
Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 jumbo muffins or 15 standard muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Big, bakery style muffins stuffed with chocolate chips and topped with a sprinkle of sugar. This recipe is written to yield 6 jumbo muffins. For standard size or mini muffins, see notes at the bottom of the recipe. Baking times differ.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons; 71g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil*
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream or yogurt, at room temperature*
- 1 cup (240ml) milk, at room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Generously grease a jumbo 6-count muffin pan with butter or nonstick spray (nonstick spray recommended) or line with muffin liners. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, oil, sugar, and eggs together until combined. Then whisk in the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Mixture will be pale yellow. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until completely combined. Use a whisk to rid any large lumps of flour, if needed. Avoid overmixing. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide batter between each muffin cup, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (for added crunch, recommended!). Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for 25-26 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown and centers are set. Stick a toothpick in the center of a muffin to test for doneness. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan before serving.
- Cover leftover muffins and store at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 6-Count Jumbo Muffin Pan | Jumbo Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | White Sparkling Sugar
- Oil: Vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil work best in this recipe.
- Sour Cream/Yogurt: I recommend full fat sour cream or full fat or low fat plain yogurt. I don’t recommend fat-free for either.
- Milk: I like to use buttermilk or whole milk in this recipe because either add wonderful moisture and flavor. You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy, but the lower fat milk you use, the less flavorful and moist your muffins will taste.
- Chocolate Chips: I love using a mix of regular size and mini size chocolate chips for varying chocolate texture. You can also use chocolate chunks or milk chocolate chips.
- Standard Size Muffins or Mini Muffins: For standard size muffins baked in a 12-count muffin pan, reduce baking time to about 20 total minutes: 5 initial minutes at 425°F and 15 minutes at 350°F. Yields 14-15 standard size muffins. For about 40 mini muffins, bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°F the entire time.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read for more about the importance of room temperature ingredients.
Amazingly easy and delicious!!!! Thank you so much!
Finally found a great chocolate chip muffin recipe. So glad I stumbled upon this. Was beginning to loose hope in ever making anything tasting like the muffins from bakeries. Thank you.
This is my new “go-to” muffin recipe! I have never heard how to get good height on the muffin tops or that bakery top crunch! Amazing! Thank you for this. I will never buy a mix or try another muffin recipe again!
I LOVE these muffins! Great for mini muffins in a lunch bag for a sweet treat (or rather they don’t make it to lunch, for I have one with my morning tea at the office). My hubby also likes blueberry muffins, so I tried swapping out the chocolate chips for wild blueberries. Yum!! A very close second to the chocolate chips.
These are so delicious! Thank you! How do you recommend storing them?
Cover leftover muffins and store at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months.
I rarely leave comments on recipes unless I run into trouble. This time it’s the opposite reason for commenting-these are the best chocolate chip muffins I have ever made, maybe top muffin recipe ever. Thanks for sharing and including the science behind them. This recipe is a keeper.
Very good muffins! I loved the old recipe, but the added butter makes them even better. These are great Sally and thanks for updating!
Absolutely spectacular muffins!! So happy with the way these turned out and the instructions/tips/amendments were SO helpful.
First I LOVE all of your recipes! But I am wondering could I use low fat (light) sour cream in place if regular?
Hi Debbie! That should be fine in this recipe. Thank you!
These muffins turned out perfectly! They actually have a very similar flavor to a blueberry muffin recipe that I have but just with chocolate chips instead. I did not have buttermilk but you can always use 1 tbs. of lemon juice in a cup of milk and that is what I did. Also, I used the sour cream right out of the fridge, instead of waiting for it to come to room temp. and I didn’t have time to let the butter cool so I just melted it and put it right in. I folded in the wet ingredients slowly and the batter was thick and lumpy just like the recipe says. It made 18 regular sized muffins and my family loved them!
Have try this today!! But one question Can I substitute milk for heavy cream?
Hi Linda! Heavy cream will lend a VERY heavy muffin. I recommend sticking with whole milk.
I’ve been baking muffins for a long time and you’ve given me just what I need!
I bake whole wheat breakfast muffins for myself but my daughter doesn’t like them. Chocolate chip is her favorite. Up until now I haven’t found a recipe she likes, except store bought. I don’t like store bought goods, too many unneeded ingredients. She loves these! And she’s a very picky eater. She’s on the Spectrum and sometimes can make my life hard if she can’t have the foods she likes.
Love the tips about extra baking powder and starting out on a high temp.
Thanks for showing an old dog new tricks!
Can I use Greek yogurt for this recipe?
In place of the sour cream, yes!
Oh my goodness! These are the best chocolate chip muffins I have ever had! Moist, HUGE, and the flavor is so balanced. If you follow the recipe exactly as written, using buttermilk and keeping the butter, you can’t go wrong! Thanks again!
Is this recipe easy to double or triple? I need to make 100 muffins.
That’s a lot of muffins! If you double it be careful not to over or under mix the batter. I wouldn’t triple it as it would be too much batter to work with at once.
Made these as standard size muffins, and they came out absolutely amazing! The batter tastes like cookie dough, and I love the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg. Finished muffins are just stunning. Keep up the good work Sally!
Excellent! Everything was great , texture good and moist .
First of all: These. Are. Delicious! Secondly, I really love that you included the tips you wrote from the blog along with the recipe at the bottom. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across what looks like a decent recipe to try, only to realize the “tips” or “notes” are only in the main article and you would only know what they are if you read it. I’m not against bloggers and their discipline to crank out stories nonstop, but if I’m on the hunt for a recipe, I don’t want to read an entire page or two of the story leading up to the day they actually made the food. I just want the food (don’t we all ) I also like that you wrote the instructions as if everyone has never baked or baked very little before so no one could really mess it up. I’ve also found blogs with recipes where instructions didn’t have certain things spelled out and needed to be. I only realized it after the fact because I have been baking regularly for many years and can usually decipher what went wrong. Or with a food I don’t make a lot and can be very tricky (bread). So, to make a long story short (too late), I love these muffins and your style of instruction-listing skills. I’ll be back on your site for more yummy stuff for sure.
I made these yesterday – they tasted great and texture was good but they didn’t brown up on the tops like the picture mine look kind of pale. Any suggestions?
Hi Debbie! The tops brown when they rise up nice and tall. If desired, you can turn the oven temperature up for the last minute or two for a little browning.
I loved these muffins. They are super moist and I especially loved the unique flavor of the nutmeg and cinnamon. I used all the recipe notes. I put sugar on top too and I liked the nice crunch it gave it.
Hi can i use corn oil?
Yes, you can use corn oil for vegetable oil.
THis is now my go to recipe to make muffins. I may mix up the type of chocolate or spices (White chocolate with a swirl of raspberry jam is a favourite in this house).
A great recipe that will always be gobbled down by the household I can’t recommend it enough
How do you add the raspberry jam? Love that idea! Or white chocolate & cranberry would be amazing!
I just baked these….and they are delicious! Your recipes are the best, so easy to follow and fun to read and execute. You are by far my favorite baking blogger and i can always trust your recipes to be stellar.
Hi Sally I am going to bake these muffins next week. Do you not use muffin papers in your tins as I always have in the past and just wondering if it affects the bake at all. Are the muffins better if I just spray pans? thanks
Either way works! You can grease a muffin pan with butter or nonstick spray or line with muffin liners and the bake time will be the same. Enjoy!
I’ve got these in the oven now and I have to say they might be the prettiest muffins I’ve ever made! This is my second recipe of yours in two days and they’ve both been great!
Sally! I absolutely love your recipes! I rely on you so much! I have a question about these muffins: do we keep the muffins in the oven while the oven temperature goes from 425 to 375 or do we take them out? Thanks!!
Yep, keep them in the oven. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, made these muffins for the first time yesterday. My teenage daughter said it was the best muffin she had EVER eaten! The textue and height on these muffins is devine – looking forward to making the blueberry next:)
I made these day after searching and searching for a good-looking chocolate chip muffin recipe. These were delicious, and they looked gorgeous, just like something you’d see in a bakery. I filled each muffin tin to the top. They turned out big and beautiful! I used a regular sized muffin tin and the recipe made 8 oversized muffins. My family and friends loved them.
I made the recipe as written – used canola oil instead of vegetable oil. I really appreciate the tips and the explanations you gave in your post. Very informative.
I made these tonight and was skeptical while stirring the batter…I’ve never had such a thick muffin batter. Well, these absolutely knocked my socks off!!! By far the best muffins I’ve ever made! I can’t believe how tall, puffy and pretty they are…delicious too! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Just made these this morning. Delicious they came out looking gorgeous thank you for sharing!