If I'm being real, chocolate chip muffins are a treat. Muffins sometimes have a "healthier" reputation, but chocolate chip muffins are just portable cake without frosting and I'm 100% OK with that. These Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins are everything they're hyped up to be with tall, wide, crisp caramelized muffin tops and soft, moist and fluffy insides. They are absolutely the best homemade chocolate chip muffins you will every have, bursting with dark chocolate chips and full of delicious vanilla flavor. The sweetness is nicely balanced by rich sour cream and they have the most wonderful texture, especially while warm! If you love making muffins, check out my Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins too.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make - this recipe is super simple to make with a bowl and a whisk! No mixer required.
- Moist chocolate chip muffins - these muffins are moist with a fluffy open texture just the way muffins should be. They are best enjoyed warm!
- Mini dark chocolate chips - I use mini chocolate chips because they will distribute more evenly throughout the batter so that you get lots of bits of chocolate in every single bite.
- Bakery style quality - these muffins bake up with a high muffin top just like a bakery-style muffin. Be sure to read the tips below to learn how to achieve that peaked muffin top.
INGREDIENTS
- All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for open-textured muffins. If you have bleached cake flour, then you can replace half of the unbleached all-purpose flour with cake flour and it will actually give you an even more exaggerated muffin top. That's because bleached flour absorbs moisture more readily and sets more quickly.
- Unsalted butter - butter brings the flavor! Using a combination of oil and butter means we get the taste of butter and the softness of oil.
- Sunflower oil - this recipe uses part oil. Although I LOVE BUTTER, using some oil will keep these muffins moist since it is liquid at room temperature. You can use any neutral tasting oil, but I prefer sunflower oil for its clean taste.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is the main flavor in these muffins so use your best one. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps these muffins moist and helps develop the golden crunchy top.
- Dark chocolate chips - I love using mini dark chocolate chips in my muffins, but you can use regular if that's all you can find. Semi-sweet works great.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe is simple to prepare and you can make it with a regular wire whisk!
- STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend well. Mix in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips.
- STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, sour cream, vanilla, oil, melted butter and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
- STEP 3). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix.
- STEP 4). Set batter aside. Cover the bowl and set aside while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- STEP 5). Scoop the batter. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide the batter evenly among lined muffin cups, filling them right to the top. Don’t mix it around or bother it too much.
- STEP 6). Sprinkle! Top each muffin with a few mini dark chocolate chips and a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar. Don’t be shy with those chocolate chips because they will spread out as the muffins rise in the oven.
- STEP 7). BAKE. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 8-10 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean despite any melted chocolate chips. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They’re best served warm!
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Sift the dry ingredients - Sifting the flour will eliminate any lumps and separate all of the flour particles which means it will incorporated into the wet ingredients more easily and more quickly. This will minimize the amount of mixing required so that you ensure the muffins are soft.
- Do not reduce the sugar - the right amount of sugar will make these muffins moist because it binds water so that it doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
- Rest the batter. Usually we bake batters immediately to retain the leavening power of the baking powder and baking soda, however with muffins they actually benefit from a short resting time for the purpose of texture. The flour will hydrate which will help it build strength to form tall muffin tops and withstand all of the gases produced by the leavening agents.
- Do not over-bake. Over-baking will most definitely lead to dry muffins. Make sure you check with a skewer for doneness or press the tops - they should spring back.
- Do not over-mix. Just fold in the flour gently until well combined, but no need to mix vigorously. Just mix until no streaks of dry flour remain. Any lumps will continue to get worked out as you scoop the batter into the muffin pan.
RECIPE FAQ
Feel free to use your favorite kind of chocolate in this recipe since it doesn't rely on cocoa solids to add structure directly in the batter. You can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
Yes! You can add up to ½ cup of chopped nuts or dried fruit. I'd recommend walnuts or pecans.
The key steps to getting tall bakery-style muffin tops is to fill the muffin cups all the way to the top, and then to bake initially at a very high temperature to activate the baking powder and cause a fast rise. If you like very tall tops that peak and crack, bake at 425 F for the first 5 minutes, then reduce to 350 F for the remaining cooking time.
For wide muffin tops that brown around the edges, bake at 400 F for the first 5 minutes and then reduce to 350 F for the remaining cooking time.
Feel free to use your favorite kind of chocolate in this recipe since it doesn't rely on cocoa solids to add structure directly in the batter. You can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
These muffins have a soft moist texture. To ensure you get this texture, do not reduce the sugar. Sugar is important to hold moisture in. Also, be careful not to over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will initiate gluten formation which can lead to a tough crumb texture. Just mix until combined and a few small lumps are fine as they will mix through as you portion out the batter.
Over-mixing, over-baking or over-measuring the flour are the key reasons why muffins can turn out dry. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to dry and crumbly cakes and muffins. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.
Yes! These muffins freeze very well. Just place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
If you love muffins, check out these recipes!
Small Batch Double Chocolate Banana Muffins The BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe Small Batch Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Spiced Sweet Potato Pie Muffins Moist Chocolate Fudge Swirl Banana Muffins Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins BEST Banana Oat Muffins Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Muffins Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Muffins
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (230g) mini dark chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60ml) sunflower oil
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon coarse or raw sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend well.
- Combine eggs, sour cream, vanilla, oil, melted butter and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix. Gently fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F for wide muffin tops or 425°F for tall peaked muffin tops. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Use a 2 oz scoop or large spoon to divide the batter evenly among lined muffin cups, filling them right to the top. Top each muffin with a few extra mini dark chocolate chips and a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar if desired. Don’t be shy with those chocolate chips because they will spread out as the muffins rise in the oven.
- For wide muffin tops, bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean despite any melted chocolate chips. If you prefer tall peaked muffin tops that crack in the middle, bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They’re best served warm!
chocolate chip cookie
I know this if off topic but I'm looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is needed to get set up? I'm assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I'm not very web savvy so I'm not 100 positive. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
15yr old
these are so moist, it's mind blowing!! my whole family loved them so much! at first i was spectacular about filling the muffin tin up to the brim, but it rose perfectly. it made me 12 muffins. i substituted sunflower oil for vegetable oil btw, and no regrets there. i also used greek yogurt instead of sour cream, so good.
it reminds me of the BJ's muffins my mom used to get before they started sprinkling lots of sugar on them. tysm for this recipe!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoy them!
Shannon
This recipe is flawless and I use it as the base for all of my muffins now.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Shannon!
hentai wo aishiteru
excellent publish, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector do not realize this. You must proceed your writing. I am sure, you have a huge readers' base already!
Tracey
These were amazing. Hands down the best chocolate chip muffins I’ve made.
I’ll definitely be re-making these again and again.
I added some white chocolate chips to the tops, just before baking, only because I had some to use up.
Thanks for the recipe!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Tracey, I'm so glad you love this recipe! Thanks for your feedback.
Mel DeVille
These are the perfect chocolate chip muffin. The people who live in my house love them so much there are never any left for breakfast the next day!
Sam
Great muffin recipe. They turned out beautifully.
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Sam!
Kristen
Can olive oil or vegetable oil be used in place of sunflower oil?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Kristen, yes absolutely. Just note that olive oil will change the taste, but I think it would be great.
Wendy G.
Perfect! That’s all! The flavor, texture, big tops… everything was just what I was looking for.
Iris
These turned out so well! They are tall and fluffy as promised and so moist. I didn’t think I could make muffins this good!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Iris!
Francis
I made them (finally) and they are as great as you say they are.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Francis!
Jessi
This is the only muffin recipe I use! It’s the best.
Tania
These are the best chocolate chip muffins I have ever made! I have been searching for a recipe that replicates a good bakery style chocolate chip muffin for YEARS and I had all but given up when I stumbled across this one. It's perfect and it tastes like a wave of nostalgia. Bonus points for being a very easy recipe to follow - highly recommend you give this a try!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so so much Tania! I'm glad your search is over 😉
Adriana
Yesterday I made it and the texture is amaizing, I’ll try the lemmon cupcake next week and hope same results love it! Thanks for share recepies
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Adriana!
Danielle
I just made these and oh my they are beautifully soft and moist yet have the most subtle little *crisp* around the sides and top. My only issue is that all my chocolate chips that I'd mixed in sank to the bottom 😅 but that's definitely my own fault for not getting mini choc chips! At least I've got a nice pool of chocolate underneath the tasty plain muffin 😂 100% making these again!
Riri Y.
The best chocolate chip muffin I have ever tried! Fool proof and they’re delicious! Thank you for this recipe ❤️
christina.marsigliese
Yay! Thanks so much.
Nicole
I bake a lot and have tried tons of cc muffin recipes. This is the clear winner! I add 1/4 tsp cinnamon bc we enjoy it. Thanks for the fantastic recipe - I’d say I have made these at least six times. My kids love them.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Nicole! I love the addition of cinnamon.
Carly Tran
I make these all the time for my kids as an after school snack and they just love them! They are so easy to make and they look professional too.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Carly, I'm glad your kids love them.
Sai P
Hey! I'd like to ask if we can use normal yogurt or as we call it in India as dahi, instead of sour cream?
christina.marsigliese
Hi! You can try with full fat yogurt.
Rose
I'd like to try this recipe and wondering what type of adjustment, if any, is needed to make mini muffins.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Rose, just the baking time. You'll need to reduce it so bake just until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Monika
These muffins are perfection. They really do look like they’re from a bakery.
Christian
I can’t get enough! These muffins are incredible.
Shameka Kawaguchi
This excellent website certainly has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Susana
These muffins are incredible! The texture is super tender, perfect amount of sweet and chocolate chips! Just amazing! Thanks!
Nica
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Everything about this muffin is superb!
Alwiya
Hi. Is there a substitute for sour cream?
christina.marsigliese
Yes! You can use full fat yogurt.
Erika J
Sooo yummy!! Best chocolate chip muffins I’ve ever made & had! Brought them to our church and everyone loved them so much!
christina.marsigliese
That's so nice of you to share Erika! Thank you!
Harold
I'm nott surfe wherre you're getting your information, but
good topic. I neeeds to spend some time learning mych mre
or undeerstanding more. Thanls forr magnificent info I was lookig forr
this info for my mission.
Anonymous
A must keep ! They are flavourfull and delicious . Not often do i come across recipes i keep and want to remake all the time . Thank you !
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so much!
V_everyday
Excellent recipe, I followed it exactly as written, down to the last gram. Best muffin i've made so far -- and excited for the potential of experimenting with my own fixins soon! The flavour and texture are both spot on. Nephew devoured these! Thank you for generously sharing recipes and baking tips <3
christina.marsigliese
That is so wonderful! I'm so happy this recipe works so well for you. Thank yoU!
Ani Fitriani
I made this yesterday, they are so good, but i forgot to sprinkle it hehe
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Ani! It's ok - I'm sure they still turned out great!
Nur
I made these today and turned out incredible!! my kids love them so much!!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Nur! I'm glad they were a hit with your kids!
Kelly
For my mould is for mini muffins, the baking time at 350F is 15mins? Your Instructions put 8 to 10 mins… Please advise. Thanks !
christina.marsigliese
Hi Kelly, it's actually 8-10 minutes for only half of the baking time if you read carefully. For mini muffins you can maybe try total 15 minutes at 350.
Deborah
Can I use the same recipe and method with blueberries in place of chocolate chips? I have been unsuccessful with finding a great blueberry muffin recipe topped with sugar. Love your recipes
christina.marsigliese
I have a blueberry muffin recipe here on this site! Just search for it here. I’m also working on a new one with brown butter coming soon.
Valerie Y.
These muffins are the best. It tasted so good and looks so perfect that a stranger commented it looks so good while my kids were happily eating these on an outing.
You have to bake it to believe how fantastic the recipe is.
Will be baking more of these for summer picnic.
christina.marsigliese
That is so wonderful to hear! Thanks Valerie! I’m happy your kids loved it!
Valerie
Hi. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Can i use half of the recipe to make mini muffins? How many mini muffins can be made ?
christina.marsigliese
Hi! If you make half the recipe then it should still make 12 mini muffins.
Valerie
Ok. Thank you. I will try it soon!
Florence
These bakery style muffins are DELICIOUS and so nostalgic -- they taste juste like the ones I used to get as a kid ! I will be making them again fo sure !
christina.marsigliese
Hi Florence! I'm so glad to hear that these muffins bring back great memories for you 🙂
Valerie
I made these bakery style muffins for the first time today and it won't be the last! It was amazingly quick to make and so delicious
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Valerie!
Sandy
Hi! Can’t wait to try these! Is there a reason you don’t preheat the oven until the batter is done and have it sitting before you scoop it into the tin? Thanks!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Sandy! Giving time for the batter to rest lets the flour hydrate and swell for taller muffins!
Sonny
I made these and your double chocolate chip muffins and they were both incredible! Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes.
christina.marsigliese
You are so very welcome Sonny!
Fatima
Can you use self raising flour for this recipe?
Kellie Byers
So good! Better than Tim Hortons.
christina.marsigliese
Haha! Thanks so much Kellie! Definitely better because they're homemade too 🙂
Elizabeth
Can I use vegetable oil instead of sunflower oil
christina.marsigliese
Hi Elizabeth, yes you can.
Siroun
Very easy very delicious very fast recipe. We loved it
Marilyn
Absolutely amazing recipe ! So easy to do and tastes just like bakery style muffins♥️
You won’t be disappointed
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Marilyn!
Carolyn
This recipe is wonderful! The muffins are so flavorful and soft in just the right way, with the perfect distribution of chocolate chips throughout! They are also very simple and easy to make, which is such a bonus. I will definitely be making these over and over again!
christina.marsigliese
This is so great to hear. Thanks so much Carolyn!
Britt
Can the sunflower oil be substituted out for avocado oil?
christina.marsigliese
Yes! Avocado oil has a strong taste though so just be aware of that.
Mason
I can't believe how perfect these are! So many muffin recipes I've tried have been dry and flat, but these were gorgeous and so soft and moist!
christina.marsigliese
I'm so glad you love them Mason!
Ashleigh
These muffins live up to their name and look exactly like Christina’s photos! Perfect! I will definitely be making them again soon.
christina.marsigliese
Yay! Thanks Ashleigh!
Pooja
Look delicious I also want to try but it’s not suitable for those person which have allergies on eggs then what is a substitute I can use?
christina.marsigliese
Hi! I've only tested this recipe with eggs as written.
Kristina S.
I made these today and they are AMAZING!! The instructions are easy to follow and they turned out even better than I expected. I would like some baking times for mini muffins too since those are a family favorite.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Kristina! For mini muffins you can probably bake at 350 F for maybe 15 minutes
Neha
I couldn’t wait to make these and they disappeared even before I knew it…
Such a great texture and soo easy to make… simply love your recipes Christina! ?
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so so much Neha! You are my star baker!
Joni
Followed recipe exactly as written. Beautiful domes and oh so delicious!
christina.marsigliese
I'm so glad to hear it! Thanks Joni.
Anna
These muffins absolutely delivered on taste texture and appearance (they look just like the photos!) Muffins can be a crap shoot ? but these are a definite WIN. ?
christina.marsigliese
YAY!! Thank you Anna. I'm glad you like them!
Geri
These turned out just incredible! It's the muffin recipe I've been looking for.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Geri!
Michelle
I made these today!! If they taste as good as they look….man!! I can’t wait!
christina.marsigliese
Wow thanks Michelle!