These moist, light, & fluffy bakery style Chocolate Chip Muffins are perfect for impressing overnight guests or just treating yourself. They’ve got sky-high sugared tops, lots of chocolate chips, and the BEST flavor and texture. Recipe includes a how-to video!
(Still) The Best Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
When I first shared this recipe back in 2016, a google search for “chocolate chip muffins” generated roughly 1.2 million results. Today you’ll find that number is closer to 64 million. 🤯 Despite the stiff competition, I still firmly believe that I have the BEST chocolate chip muffin recipe out there…yes, better than 64 million other muffin recipes!
What makes these muffins so good? Well for starters, they’re huge–we’re talking jumbo, bakery style chocolate chip muffins! They’re also perfectly soft and fluffy (in contrast to the crisp biscotti I just shared), and of course, they’re chock full of chocolate chips. As a finishing touch, they’re sprinkled with coarse sugar, so not only are the tops slightly crisp, but they’re also kind of glittery. These muffins truly belong in a New York City bakery display, but luckily, you don’t have to plan a trip to NYC to try them.
Like my basic muffin recipe, this recipe uses a technique from The Kitchen Whisperer for nice, tall muffin tops. I use this technique in my banana muffins too, and so many of you have commented to let me know how well it works for you.
Let’s dive right into the details!
What You Need
Besides technique, these muffins use carefully selected ingredients to claim their title as the BEST. Here are a few of the game changers we’ll be using today:
- Butter + oil. I love to use this combination for a flavorful AND moist crumb. Don’t substitute one for the other–we need both!
- An extra egg white. What makes these muffins so light and fluffy? To get that bakery style chocolate chip muffin texture, we’re adding an additional egg white. Both your egg and egg white should be at room temperature for best results.
- Buttermilk. Buttermilk is the secret to moist muffins! These muffins begin their bake at a fairly high temperature, so it’s important that they have the right ingredients to prevent dryness. You could use my buttermilk substitute if you don’t have the real stuff on hand, but real buttermilk adds moisture and thickness that isn’t quite duplicated with a substitute. (And no, you do not need baking soda in this recipe just because we’re using buttermilk).
- Cornstarch. This is my secret ingredient for extra soft, tender muffins. Don’t skip it!
- Chocolate chips. I like to use a blend of mini and regular sized chocolate chips, and I always reserve a few for placing on the muffin tops just before baking.
- Coarse sugar. While you’ll use granulated sugar in the muffins, I recommend sprinkling coarse sugar on the tops. This is optional, but it really elevates the look and texture and makes these truly “bakery style” chocolate chip muffins!
SAM’S TIP: Don’t have jumbo muffin liners? You can make muffin liners out of parchment paper! Not only does this save you a trip to the store, but it also gives you that bakery-style look.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Whisk together the butter and oil and sugar. Add the egg and egg white, plus the vanilla. Stir this until it is very well combined, then add the buttermilk and stir well.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then carefully fold them into the wet ingredients.
- Pause when the ingredients are about halfway mixed and add in the chocolate chips. Continue folding until everything is just combined.
- Cover your bowl with a towel and let the batter rest for 15 minutes or up to one hour while your oven preheats
Resting the batter is optional, but doing so gives us fluffier chocolate chip muffins and taller muffin tops. If you’ve made my buttermilk pancakes, you know I like to allow that batter rest while the pan preheats for the same reason, the batter thickens and the results are fluffier!
Now comes the special technique for chocolate chip muffins that rise higher than any others! You’ll start your oven on a high temperature and then drop the temperature about a third of the way through baking–without opening the door! This little trick makes your muffin tops spring to life without burning (or drying out) your muffin bottoms. Pretty cool, right?
- Once batter has had time to rest, preheat your oven and line your muffin tin.
- Fill your muffin liners with batter, making sure to fill them almost to the top (leave about ⅛ inch)–but don’t let them overflow.
- Sprinkle each muffin with coarse sugar and bake at 425F for 8 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350F (don’t open the door!) and continue baking until they begin to turn golden brown. This can take anywhere from 7-15 minutes, so keep an eye on them!
- Remove the muffins from the pan and let them cool before enjoying.
SAM’S TIP: (Carefully) remove your chocolate chip muffins from the pan within 5-10 minutes of them coming out of the oven. If you leave them in their hot pan, the bottoms may become soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re using a varying temperature technique here, which plays a big role in helping the muffins rise. But another key step is resting your batter. The longer it rests, the thicker it will be, and thicker batter means taller muffins! I recommend letting your batter rest for at least 15 minutes, but if you can let it sit for about an hour or so, you’ll be rewarded with beautifully tall muffin tops!
Yes! They won’t need to bake as long though, so just keep a close eye on them.
Your chocolate chip muffins will stay fresh when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them!
If you try these, I’d love it if you commented to let me know how they stack up against the 64 million (and counting) other chocolate chip muffin recipes out there!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 5 minutes
- ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil may substitute vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg white room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 1 ¾ cup (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup (175 g) chocolate chips I used a mix of mini and regular sized, but you can use either or a combination
- ⅓ cup (67 g) additional granulated sugar, coarse sugar preferred for topping
Recommended Equipment
- 6-count Jumbo Muffin Tin (see note for making 12 muffins)
Instructions
- Combine butter, oil, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together.4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Add egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Whisk together thoroughly, until all ingredients are well-combined, then stir in buttermilk until combined.1 large egg + 1 egg white, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ cup buttermilk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, corn starch, and salt.1 ¾ cup (220 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons corn starch, ½ teaspoon table salt
- Fold dry ingredients into wet gently, taking care not to overmix. Once about half of the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the batter, add in chocolate chips and continue to fold in to batter until all ingredients are just combined.1 cup (175 g) chocolate chips
- Cover bowl with a dry towel and allow batter to sit while your oven preheats (see note).
- Preheat oven to 425F (215C) and line a 6-count jumbo muffin tin with paper liners.
- Once your oven has preheated (maybe give it a few extra minutes or check your oven thermometer, my oven often says it's reached temperature when it really hasn't yet!), portion batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each tin all the way to the top with batter (without overflowing).
- Sprinkle tops generously with additional sugar and place muffin tin in preheated oven.⅓ cup (67 g) additional granulated sugar, coarse sugar preferred
- Bake on 425F (218C) for 8 minutes and then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350F (175C) and bake another 15 minutes, or until tops are just beginning to turn golden brown Note: if you are using a standard 12-count muffin tin rather than jumbo-sized, they will not need to bake as long, check your muffins after 7-8 minutes on 350F (177C)).
- Allow muffins to cool in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove from muffin tin and enjoy!
Notes
Allowing the muffin batter to sit
This step is optional, but it helps the batter thicken and ultimately results in taller muffin tops. Allowing the batter to sit for up to 60 minutes also works and will yield even taller tops.Storing
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Baked muffins may also be cooled and then frozen in an airtight container for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Reeyan
These cupcakes were delicious, but they were a bit dense and heavy. Did I put to much flour?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Reeyan! Thank you for trying my recipe. The muffins should be fluffy so it is possible that too much flour was added. Overmeasuring flour is the most common mistake in baking so I have created a guide on how to measure flour properly that can be used as a reference for next time. 🙂
G.M.
Delicious muffins, the extra steps make them so much more delicious than any muffin I’ve ever had.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved them, G.M.! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Darleen
I made these muffins three times for my family and each time they said it was soooo delicious and moist. The third time I used cake flour since the recipe had weight measurements. My oven must cook really fast because my total bake time was 15 minutes.
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that you enjoyed the muffins, Darleen. Thank you so much for sharing that information. It will be helpful for anyone else who uses cake flour. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Lauren
Wonderful recipe, thank you! Turned out just like the picture! I had to bake the “Normal sized” muffins for longer than 7-8 min, probably closer to 20 min. ☺️Will make again!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the muffins, Lauren! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Ryenne
Does the buttermilk substitute give it a different flavor?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ryenne! The buttermilk gives a slight tang to most baked goods, but it is used in this recipe to tenderize the gluten, giving it a softer texture and more body. 🙂
Tia
Hi!
I had a question, how come the measurement for cornstarch differs for your blueberry muffins? How would this affect my muffins if i use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch instead of 2 teaspoons?
Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Tia! When I created the recipes they were at different times. They are only 1 teaspoon away from one another so you can use 1 tablespoon and that will be fine. I hope that you enjoy the muffins. 🙂
Lillian
Hi Sam,
These muffins look delicious!
I will be making these muffins tomorrow and would like to know if I can just add 2 whole eggs, instead of 1 whole egg and 1 egg white?
If I add 2 whole eggs, what would happen to the muffins? Would the texture be more moist? More dense? Or drier?
I’m looking for a moist muffin. I’ve made muffins in the past and all of them have turned out quite dry and crumbly once cooled.
Thank you for your help.
Lillian
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lillian! I have tested this recipe a lot prior to publishing it. For the best results, I reccomend adding 1 whole egg and 1 egg white. If you add in two whole eggs it would still work, however it may just be too moist. If you have had trouble in the past with dry muffins, here are a few pointers… 1) When making muffins you want to be careful when measuring your flour, do not add too much. (guide: how to measure flour properly) 2) Be careful not to over bake your muffins. I hope that you enjoy the recipe. Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
Lillian
Thanks for your quick reply! I’ll be baking it soon 😊
Nancy McKay
These are amazing and the recipe is so easy! We just finished eating the first batch we made a day ago, and we have our second batch in the oven right now because we wanted more! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe was such a hit and you enjoyed it, Nancy! Thank you for commenting. Enjoy your next batch. 😉
Josie Roberts
So delicious and now I’ll never be able to go back to store bought or box mixes! I was wondering if I could add banana and how that might change the consistency?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that loved the muffins, Josie. Thank you for trying my recipe. I have a banana muffin recipe that I think you will enjoy just as much. Others who have tried it have also added chocolate chips to the batter. I would reccomend trying it. 🙂
Beth
About how long should you bake if you are using a 12 cup pan?
Sam
Hi Beth! See step 11. I hope you love the recipe!
Jade
Hi, I’ve just baked these and they’re so lovely. The only problem I have is my chocolate has sunk to the bottom. Do I need to cut it into smaller chunks next time? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my recipe, Jade! I am sorry to hear that your chocolate sank to the bottom. Next time, you’ll want to either cut your pieces smaller or use chocolate chips. To prevent this from happening again, before you add them to the batter you can toss them in a little bit of flour to help suspend them in your batter. I hope that helps!
Jade
Thank you – I’ll try that next time. Will definitely be making them again, they’re so nice. Thanks again!
Linda
The best chocolate muffins ever! Thank you for doing the research and providing us with an amazing moist yet golden brown yummy treat!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved them, Linda! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Andrea
Oh my gosh! These were so so so good and easy! I will definitely be saving this recipe!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved them, Andrea! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Jade
Hi Sam can I use the normal 12’s muffin tray for these muffins
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jade! Yes, absolutely! The bake time will be slightly less than what is indicated. I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Jade
Hi sam I want to bake these cookies today, all out of white sugar can I use brown instead ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jade! That should be fine. The flavor will be altered slightly, but should still taste delicious.Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Jade
Thanks Sam ! 🙂 The muffins were amazing, my mom’s new favourite.
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Jade! I am so glad that your mom loved them! 🙂
Tracy
How did you do the paper liners? Or did you buy them?
Sam
Hi Tracy! I actually have post on how to make parchment paper liners. 🙂
Denise Clarkson
Hi Sam…I’ve made these muffins already but in the 12 pan and now I have them in the oven in a jumbo pan. I wanted to do the parchment paper liners but was wondering if the measurements you game were for the 12 size pan? I would like to try it the next time.
Thank you for you wonderful recipes, they are great and you make it simple for those of us that are a little challenged with baking 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Denise! The liners are for a standard muffin tin. I would add 1.5-2″ all the way around to accommodate for the jumbo muffin tin. I hope that this works perfectly for you next time you try it. Thanks for being a fan of my recipes. I am glad that you have found them simple to follow and delicious. 🙂