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.
After following this recipe ans baking a double batch from the get go i have decided that i am now ready to write my will cz i think i died and went to heaven. All i want to do is take this tray of muffins to bed and cover them up with my blanket and leave just about 3 muffins hanging onto the pillow case so everytime i roll over i get a peak of what awaits me either on the other side or in the morning. Thank you thank you thank you.
Oh wow, what a rave review! Thank you so much and you’re very welcome. Hugs:)
these are some REALLY good muffins!! made them just now while particularly bored. didnt have any sort of milk so i used kefir instead, and used cinnamon instead of vanilla extract. they turned out amazing! really good. thank you for the recipe!
I just made these, I used 1/2 almond flour & 1/2 bobs remill 1:1 flour and they were so moist and delicious. I find I can modify any recipe to GF with a few tweaks! Best New Years Day breakfast ever!
By far the best muffin recipe I have found, even my picky eater son loves them!
I’m thinking of making these for an upcoming brunch but I have several friends who are gluten-free and dairy-free. I think the gluten-free flour will be fine but I’m a little nervous about the vegan butter. Thoughts?
Hi Rachel, use a GF flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 for best results and vegan butter is fine to use. Enjoy!
Beautiful muffins! Tender crumb on the inside and nice but on the outside. One batch made 12 normal size muffins and 20 mini muffins.
Absolutely amazing muffins! Moist,decadent,and very easy to make
My daughter made them with me and they have a not so great aftertaste. What did I do wrong? I substituted 1 cup of milk for buttermilk
Tough to say without a lot in info. What was the aftertaste?
Did you put more baking soda then it asked for? An after taste in baking usually comes from that. Just wondering,
These were very good. Family loved them and I have picky eaters. Definitely a keeper.
I would love to make these with my cooking club students. Does the yield of 12 refer to standard size muffin cups or the large muffin cups. I have 24 standard sized muffin cups and want to make sure I have enough ingredients. Thank you in advance
Hi Michelle,
It yields 12 large muffins and about 16 standard size muffins. So depending on how many students you have, you’ll probably need to double the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!
Really good recipe, they taste amazing. Did not have buttermilk so I substituted it for 1tsp vinegar with a cup ish of milk.
Hi! I was wondering if I could make chocolate chip bread using a bread pan {bottom of pan is 8 by 3.5 and the depth is 3.5} instead of muffins. If so, are there any changes to recipe at all? Thank you so much for your help!
This recipe is enough to make 2 loaves or half the recipe to make one loaf. Bake at 350F for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Would it be the same measurements if I’m substituting all purpose flour for almond flour?
Hi Gabriela, you can’t substitute all of the AP flour for almond flour. You are better off using a blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF baking flour if you are looking for something gluten-free. If you just want to add some almond flour, I would suggest no more than 1/2 cup (so 2 cups AP flour and 1/2 cup almond flour). Hope this helps!
These turned out great. Can I freeze them?
Thank you and yes, you can!
Absolutely DELICIOUSSSSSSSSS! I sifted the flour, used 1/2 cup each brown and white sugar. I did 425 degrees for 5 min and then 375 for 8-10 minutes instead of 12-15. My muffin pan was small. I used 1/4 cup of mix per muffin. Thank you for a great recipe.
You’re very welcome and thank you for your kind feedback, Rena!
These are our favorite muffins. I did not have buttermilk so I used sour cream and 2% milk and they turned out great. I feel like the base is so versatile that you could make any type of muffin from this. I am going to try using the base mixture and adding orange zest, orange juice, cranberries and walnuts. My husband has been asking for these.
Easy to follow
I made the buttermilk with 2% as shown in the recipe and they turned out great and not dense like some muffin recipes
Way better than the ones from a package
Will make again!
My husband can NOT stop eating these. I’ve gotten some major marriage brownie points for these bad boys. They’re extremely light and delicious. I add a streusel topping to add a little something extra. 12/10 best muffins ever.
I have made this recipe several times and it is wonderful! Vefy, very easy to make and I love sharing them with friends and family. They are always a big hit!
I have frozen blueberries, should I thaw before adding to recipe?
Nope, do not thaw, just bake for a few extra minutes.
Has anyone tried these using half brown sugar and half white? If so, results?
I haven’t for myself but I don’t see why not.