Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
These are the BEST bakery-style chocolate chip muffins—soft, fluffy, and loaded with chocolate chips. No need to rest the batter or space them out—just mix, bake, and enjoy sky-high muffin tops every time. They’re quick, easy, and taste like they came straight from a bakery.
Originally published in 2014, this chocolate chip muffin recipe has remained a reader favorite with millions of views every year.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Incredibly easy to make – There is no mixer or resting time required, so you can easily whip up a batch of delicious muffins in a matter of minutes. Simply mix, scoop, and bake!
- Perfect every time – With this tried-and-true chocolate chip muffin recipe, you’ll get perfectly fluffy, moist muffins with sky-high, crispy tops and loads of melty chocolate chips, every single time.
- A go-to recipe for any bakery-style muffins – This recipe also serves as a fantastic base for creativity. You can customize your muffins any way you want by adding your favorite mix-ins.
If you are a fan of bakery-style muffins like I am, try my Blueberry Streusel Muffins, Banana Nut Muffins, and Lemon Crumb Muffins.
Or if you are in the mood for chocolate, try my Chocolate Chip Scones (they’re like giant chocolate chip cookies for breakfast!) and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
Ingredients you’ll need:
Substitutions & variations:
- For healthier muffins: Swap half the flour for whole wheat and reduce the amount chocolate chips.
- Dairy-free option: Use plant-based milk and replace butter with a neutral oil.
- Flavor boosts: Add orange zest, cinnamon, or espresso powder for a unique twist.
How to make chocolate chip muffins:
(The full written and printable recipe is further below.)
Step #1) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then toss in the chocolate chips and set aside.
Step #2) In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
Step #3) Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir together until just combined.
Step #4) Divide the batter evenly into a greased muffin pan. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
🌟 Expert tips:
- Use fresh leavening agents. Baking powder and baking soda lose their effectiveness over time. A good rule of thumb? Replace them every 6 months.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Gently fold wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough muffins.
- Start hot for a high rise. Begin baking at a higher temperature to help the muffins rise quickly and form those bakery-style domes.
- Don’t overbake as this will dry out the muffins. Keep a close eye during the last few minutes and as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, the muffins are done.
Storing & freezing instructions:
These chocolate chip muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To freeze, place the muffins in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to warm them up before serving.
Recipe FAQs:
This is usually due to the batter being too thin because there wasn’t enough flour, too much milk, or the melted butter was too hot. The latter is usually the main error I find, so make sure to let your melted butter cool down to lukewarm.
If your muffins didn’t rise very high, it could be due to several reasons:
Old baking powder or baking soda: Leavening agents lose their effectiveness over time. If your baking powder or soda is expired or not fresh, the muffins won’t rise properly.
Incorrect oven temperature: Preheating and baking at the initial high temperature (425°F) is crucial for creating a quick rise. If your oven wasn’t hot enough, or if the temperature wasn’t maintained, the muffins won’t get that high rise.
The batter was too thin: When the batter is not thick enough, it lacks the structure to hold its shape as it rises, resulting in flat or uneven muffins. See the answer to the question above for more on this.
This often comes from overbaking or too much flour. Spoon and level the flour and keep a close eye at the 15-minute mark.
Yes, use oil instead of butter, flax eggs instead of regular eggs, plant-based milk instead of dairy milk, and vegan chocolate chips
If you’ve tried this Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 & ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (114g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes (see notes*)
- 1 cup (200g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, (see notes**)
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 & ½ cups (265g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
optional toppings:
- more chocolate chips
- sparkling or coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners (if using paper liners, grease the rims of the pan to prevent the muffin tops from sticking).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then toss in the chocolate chips and set aside.2 & ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 & ½ cups (265g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- In medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar.½ cup (114g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g granulated sugar
- Then whisk in the eggs, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla until combined.2 large eggs, 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir together until JUST combined.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling to the top. Sprinkle with more chocolate chips and/or coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for another 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and transfer the muffins to a cooling rack. Now is the best time to enjoy the muffins while they are fresh and still warm!
Notes
Baking Soda: Reduced from 1 teaspoon to ½ teaspoon to prevent over-leavening, which can cause a bitter aftertaste.
Oven Temperature: Lowered the second baking temperature from 375°F to 350°F to minimize the risk of overbaking, as oven temperatures can vary.
most amazing chocolate chip muffins i ever had!!!
Thanks Shilpa, I’m glad you enjoyed them:)
Just made these. They were super delicious! I’d like to make them again. But, I had an issue with texture. I followed the directions carefully, but my batter was very thick and clumpy. I’m not sure if it is supposed to be that way. They didn’t turn out as nice looking as yours.
Hi Erin, perhaps try sifting your flour before you measure next time. That should lighten up your flour content and make your batter less thick. Thank you for your question and let me know if that helps:)
I’ll try that next time, thanks! 🙂
Dear Lily,
I was wondering if I could use self-rising flower instead of regular flower with baking powder/soda? Thank you!
Hi Eliza, yes you can use self-rising flour instead of AP flour by eliminating the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Hi Lily,
May I know why we dont need to add in salt if we use self raising flour instead of AP flour? Does self raising flour have salt in it?
I would like to try your recepi. Have both flour but no bicarbonate soda. 🙂 It is great to know that I can use self raising without the soda.
Thank you and have a lovely weekend!
Hi Aizat, one cup of self-rising flour contains about 1&1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, so I would omit the baking powder, soda and salt in this recipe if you are using self-rising. Thank you for your question and enjoy:)
So I just made these with 1 cup whole wheat and 1.5 cup white flour. Amazing! Doesn’t make me feel as guilty eating the whole thing!! I can’t wait to try the other recipes.
Awesome, that’s great to know. Thanks for the feedback Stephanie:)
I absolutely love these muffins! My family always asks for them.
I do have a question, though: no matter what I do, the muffins never dome. They flatten out and run over the top of the muffin tin. I’ve changed the temperature and made sure I followed the instructions precisely. Anybody have any ideas?
Hi Amanda, is your batter on the thinner side? If so, reduce the milk to 3/4 cup. I’ve noticed when I do that, I get a higher dome. Thank you for your feedback and enjoy the rest of your weekend:)
HI! Can I use a 12 cup mini-muffin pan, for this recipe?
Yes, just bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes, enjoy:)
I made this with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour and they turned out marvelous!!!! These are delicious muffins! Thanks for my my morning taste so yummy!!
You’re welcome Christina and thank you for your lovely comment. That’s good to know about Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour, so I can share that with my GF reader – thanks:)
I made these muffins .V nice.I want to ask you one thing is there anything we can add as I can feel the smell of egg. Don’t know the reason.Can u advise anything
Hi Preet, you can add 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of cinnamon to the recipe. Thank you for your question and enjoy:)
Hi. I would like to try this. But how do I make dark chocolate muffins using this recipe? Is it as simple as adding unsweetened coco power and maybe some melted chocolate as you would in a German Chocolate cake?
Hi Mika, you can replace some of the flour with unsweetened cocoa. Try 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Thank you for your question and let me know how it turns out:)
For your chocolate chip muffins, how would you adjust your ingredients amounts to make 6 large muffins. I have a 6 large muffin tray. 12 is too many as I live alone.
Hi Bobby,
Replace the baking soda and baking powder with just 2 tsp of baking powder and reduce the vanilla to 2 tsp. Everything else divide in half and baking instructions is the same. That’s what I do when I just want to make a small batch. Enjoy and thank you for your question:)
Why would you want to cut the 12-muffin recipe in half to make 6 jumbo muffins? All the recipes I’ve seen say that 6 jumbo muffins are equivalent to 12 regular-size muffins. If you cut everything in half, you’re only going to get 3 jumbo muffins.
Hi Minerva, Bobby asked about 6 large muffins (just enough for one person) not jumbo, so that’s why I recommended the recipe divided in half. Thank you for your comment and have a lovely day.
How can this recipe be modified for high altitude? If it can be modified, I look forward to trying it.
Hi Caroline, I have never baked at high altitude before, but from what I understand, start with decreasing the baking soda by 1/2 tsp, decrease the sugar by 1 tbsp, increase the milk by 1 tbsp, fill 14 muffins cups instead of 12, same temperature, so 425F for 5 mins, then 375 for remainder of time and keep a close watch at this point. Please let me know how they turn out and thank you for your question:)
Thanks so much for your baking recommendations…I really appreciate it!
Although I am an avid baker, I am trying to learn as much as possible about tweaking recipes for high altitude, as I just moved to Denver (CO) from Houston (TX). Eager to try your recipe!
I was going to ask about high altitude for this recipe as well so thank you for answering that question. I plan on making these very soon and maybe I can come back and let you know how they came out. 🙂
Wonderful, thanks Taisha and I look forward to hearing back from you:)
I made these this past week using the high altitude tweets you mentioned. The muffins tasted good but weren’t as moist as I know they should be and I was really cautious about filling the tin so I didn’t get a good muffin top haha. I need to tweet it some more it seems because the potential for awesome muffins is definitely there.
Hey Taisha, perhaps try increasing the butter by 2 tablespoons, thank you for your feedback and let me know again how it turns out after you tweak it:)
These muffins are amazing! Thank you so much for posting. I have looked hi and low for the best muffin recipe. No need to look any further! :o)
You’re welcome Bonnie! I’m glad your search has ended, now you can just enjoy:) Thank you for your wonderful comment and have a good night.
I did a lot of research before choosing which muffins to make and I am SO glad I chose these! They are absolutely delicious! I ended up making 18 smaller muffins instead of 12 big ones and they all puffed perfectly and are light and fluffy. Thank you!
You’re welcome Kelly. Thank you for your feedback and have a lovely day:)
I was a bit scared of trying this since im not used to cook with cups (here in spain we use gr and ml ) but on my last trip to ireland i bought some us measuring cups and spoons and today ive decided to use them for the first time .All i can say is that i’ve tried many muffin recipes before but this is the best one so far,they are super fluffy and A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!
Awww, thank you so much Nuala. You totally made my day! I’m so happy to hear that the muffins are absolutely delicious. Thank you for your wonderful comment and for choosing my recipe as the first one to try with your new baking tools:)
just made the muffins. i was a little nervous since its the 1st time i was baking something sweet. they r awesum and moist. this recipe is a keeper.
I’m so glad to hear and I’m honoured that you picked my recipe as your first sweet recipe. Thank you for your lovely comment and have a great day:)
Hi, do you have any suggested modifications to use this recipe for making mini-muffins?
Hi, just bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes, enjoy:)
greeting from indonesia.I made the muffin this morning.It’s perfect.It rose tall and has soft texture inside.I reduced the amount of sugar.Love this
Hello there Indonesia! I’m so glad you love them and thank you for your feedback Ariana, I greatly appreciate it:)
You know what the worst thing about these muffins are? Trying to decide what flavor I LOVE the most!!!these are so perfect and we make them all the time! This time we chose butterscotch and milk chocolate…. YUM! My boys love these just as much as I do and they are great to send to work with my husband. Again, thank you for such a wonderful recipe! And the sky high muffin tops get better each time I bake them! They still don’t look as good as your though!!
Hey Brailey, thanks for giving me another great flavour combination to try, I love butterscotch and milk chocolate. Glad to hear the muffin tops are getting bigger each time, aren’t the muffins tops the best? I always sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top before I bake, it makes for pretty muffins and the more chocolate the better! Thanks for stopping by again and have a fabulous weekend with your family:)
The chocolate chip muffins are awesome. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
You’re welcome Debbie, I’m so glad you like them, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and have a great weekend:)
Pretty darn tasty! Not so dense that it sits like a brick after you eat it but not so light that you think you’re eating a cupcake. Glass of milk is an absolute necessity! I think I could have made more like 15 muffins. Filled up my 12 to the top and had lots of spillover, but no big deal as I still had the nice puffy muffin top with crispy edges. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome Michele, glad you liked it, I enjoy my muffins with a glass of milk too, thank you for the lovely comment and have a great weekend:)