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.
These are the absolute best muffins I have ever made. I make them all the time. My kids ask for them, which is amazing because they hardly ever ask for anything. I was wondering what you suggest for making mini muffins?
Hi Lee Anne, thank you for your kind words. For mini muffins, just bake at 375F for about 10-12 minutes.
When we lower the oven temperature, do we leave the muffins in there while it cools down, and THEN add on the additional time once it’s beeped at the correct temp? Or do we add the additional time as soon as we change the temp?
Yes, leave the muffins in the oven when you lower the temp and the time starts right away. Hope this helps and enjoy the muffins!
Just a great a recipe!! moist and so full of flavor!! Thanks
Hi there! I’ve made these quite a few times now, and they taste amazing, but they always come out flat on top. I bought new baking powder, have mixed less and less each time to prevent overmixing, and still – Flat! The batter is more runny than I would have expected, so I wonder if I’m doing something else wrong. I weigh the ingredients with a scale. Any idea what I could be doing wrong? I even baked this most recent batch a little longer, but all it did was brown them more. I’m desperate to get this right! Thank you =)
Hi Candice, sounds like your melted butter might be too warm causing the batter to be thinner than it’s supposed to be. Either let the butter cool longer before you start OR simply reduce the milk to 3/4 cup to thicken up the batter and that should fix the flat top issue. Hope this helps and let me know how it works out:)
These aren’t too sweet, I applaud you soooo much for that. My parents love baked goods(not to sweet) I used blueberries instead though very nice.
Thank you, Alex! I’m so happy to hear that you and your parents enjoyed the muffins:)
Oven is broke and I only have a little room in my air fryer’s small oven. So I only have room for a 6-count jumbo tin at a time. What temp and how long would you reccommend cooking them?
Hey Jupiter, sorry about your oven. For jumbo bake at 425F for 5 min then 375F for about 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Literally the best muffins ever. Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome!
Yum!
I used half the batter for chocolate chips and half for blueberry they both turned out great. Thank you. I’ll be back to make this again.
You’re very welcome. Enjoy!
So delicious
I’ve made these so many times, they’re great! I want to try double chocolate- how much cocoa powder would you recommend?
Here’s my double chocolate version of this https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/double-chocolate-muffins/ Enjoy!
I make these weekly. They are awesome. I actually made it into a cake today. Used the same baking instructions except left it in for 18 minutes for the second phase. Turned out great.
What size cake pan?
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe was so good! I’ve tried a couple different recipes from some of my favorite blogs and this one resulted in the fluffiest muffins with the best consistency. 5/5 would recommend!
The recipe tasted yummy. I have a question. The chocolate chips didn’t stay on top. They were in the middle and bottom. Any idea why? I used oat milk and plant butter. Thanks!
Sounds like the batter was a but thin. Pull back the milk to 3/4 cups and that should help.
This recipe turned out exactly as described! They’re beautiful and very yummy 😋
Loved these, definitely saving the recipe. Do you think they’d work just as well if I traded in blackberries for the chocolate chips?
Thank you and yes, you can certainly use blackberries instead with this recipe. You can also use my blueberry streusel muffin recipe if you like streusel with fruit https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/bakery-style-blueberry-streusel-muffins/ Enjoy!
I decided to make them a regular size…..it made 18 of them and it took about 16 minutes in a 375º oven. I also decided to use some leftover cinnamon chips instead of chocolate chips, then after they were done, I dipped the top first in melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar. Yummy! Good thing I made 18…..they didn’t last very long.
I added a few strawberries to mine and they turned out exactly as the photo looked! Very divine muffins, this will be my new go-to recipe for sure
I have never made muffins before. Made exactly and taste wonderful!
Very yummy, favourite way of eating is start from the bottom saving the crispy top for last. I did make a few adjustments, I did half butter and half vegetable oil made it super moist, used 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar was worried about the sweetest, it was the perfect amount for me. Also subbed the milk out with oat milk, didn’t taste a difference compared to regular cow’s milk. To get it like those coffee shops I sprinkled the tops with some extra chocolate chips and turbinado sugar for a nice crunch
Made these today. Perfect recipe. I reduced the sugar slightly but followed the rest exactly. Delicious!