Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: The most flavorful chocolate chip muffins I’ve ever tried.
Texture: The muffins themselves are soft with a slightly crisp exterior, studded with melty chocolate chips throughout.
Ease: Super simple!
Pros: Easy, delicious muffin recipe, ready in just 35 minutes.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Over and over again!
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There’s something so satisfying about the humble muffin. I love that it can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert.
These Chocolate Chip Muffins use an extra dose of brown sugar to give it that slightly butterscotch taste that pairs so well with the chocolate.
They also have a generous amount of butter, which not only makes them taste amazing, but helps to create those slightly crispy muffin tops.
This recipe is simple and unassuming, but absolutely satisfying. I first published a version of this recipe over a decade ago (!!) and it’s actually evolved a fair amount since then. I think that just goes to show that the most minor tweaks and changes can make a big difference in the final result when it comes to baking.
Check out all my tips in the Sprinkle of Science section just below to learn the simple sweet science behind these magical muffins.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make The BEST Chocolate Chip Muffins
How to Make MOIST Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Measure your flour correctly: I like to use a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method to avoid accidentally adding too much flour, as this can create dry muffins. Learn more about the importance of measuring flour correctly here.
- Don’t reduce the sugar: Sugar does SO much more than simply sweetening these muffins. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.
- The butter: This Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe uses a generous amount of butter, which not only provides a ton of flavor, but also helps produce slightly crispy edges on the muffin tops.
- Use REAL buttermilk: More on this just below.
Do I Have to Use Buttermilk?
For best results, yes, I highly recommend using real buttermilk in this Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe. It provides a beautiful tang and helps produce a moist, tall, light muffin. DIY substitutions simply can’t offer the same benefits. Learn more about the science of buttermilk and buttermilk substitutes here. If you can’t find buttermilk, you can use whole milk instead, but please note that your muffins’ taste and texture will change as a result.
The Best Muffin Pan
I recommend using a light-colored metal pan. The darker your muffin tin, the darker your muffins will get while baking, and it can cause the muffins to dry out while baking. This is my favorite muffin tin.
Why You Should Never Overmix Muffin Batter!
Overmixing your batter will create dense or rubbery muffins, which no one wants. Once the dry ingredients are combined with the wet, gently stir with a rubber spatula *just* until combined. Since we’re adding chocolate chips next, leave a few streaks of flour. They’ll get stirred into the batter with the chocolate chips.
How to Bake Tall Chocolate Chip Muffins
You may have seen a trick for getting muffins to bake up nice and tall where you start baking at a high temperature for a few minutes, then reduce the temperature. That technique definitely works, but I almost always forget to lower the temperature! So, I simplified things for this recipe with just one temperature. I also recommend chilling your muffin batter, if time permits. Chilling your muffin batter overnight makes for the BEST muffins! Check out all my tips for baking tall muffins here.
Why Do My Muffin Liners Stick?
Oftentimes this is due to the brand of liners. This is my favorite brand that I order in bulk from Amazon. If this is a common issue for you, check out my article on How to Prevent Muffin/Cupcake Liners from Sticking here.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Muffins
Store Chocolate Chip Muffins in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds if desired to get the chocolate chips nice and gooey. Muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost on the counter or in the microwave before serving.
More Muffin Recipes You’ll Love:
- Ultimate Muffins (easy base muffin recipe!)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins (rich and chocolatey!)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup buttermilk*, at room temperature
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if desired)
- 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Using a large cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin tin cups.
- Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool until barely warm.
- Serve or store in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds if desired. Muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2009 and recently updated with recipe improvements, tips, and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
My 8 year old asked for chocolate chip muffins this morning. I made this recipe and the kids had them for their after school snack. They devoured them! Yummy muffins.
I read somewhere else that if you dredge ever so lightly the chocolate chips before adding to the dough it helps “lift it up”.
jus made these…came out perfect except for the sweetness in the muffins…i think the recipe requires more sugar.
These look so goood!! I'm actually drooling haha.
The muffins are baking as we speak! I used buttermilk instead of milk because I find it makes the batter more moist and I used dark brown sugar instead of the light brown sugar (because I ran out of light brown sugar hehe) and they look perfect (so far) hehe
Thanks for the recipe Tessa!
Also, I must say that when I look for recipes online and the picture isn't nice, I tend to not even look at the recipe.. your picture taking is AMAZING. May I ask you what camera you use? Keep it up and I hope culinary school is going well! (going to culinary school is my dream but I am finishing up medical school first!)
Take care,
Lara
You can never have too many muffins!
Tessa these muffins looks delicious!
By the way this is Lauren A from TJB!
Pamela- Thank you!!
Jen- Yeah greasing and flouring is the best way, it just takes so much extra time when I'm craving something sweet 😉
Sara- Hahaha I think we both need counseling. Good idea on the mini muffins! I don't have a mini muffin pan at the moment 🙁
Joanne- Thanks! I will 🙂
If all your muffins look like that, keep making them. Yum!
okay, so clearly you are also having a bit of a muffin obsession yourself. You know what, this post made me realize that I have never actually baked chocolate chip muffins myself. I think I am going to make these into some mini muffins. Nice!
Yum! Your muffins sound delicious! The chocolate might have stuck with the PAM depending on the type of coating on the pan. I find that greasing and flouring the pan typically works better than sprays when it comes to baked goods.
I love chocolate chip muffins and these look fabulous!
I have made this before and loved it! I was wondering why there is no baking soda in the recipe since there is buttermilk used? I’m enhancing my knowledge about leaveners and I keep reading you are supposed to add baking soda when using buttermilk. This recipe is delicious and I wouldn’t change a thing but if anyone can explain the baking soda/ buttermilk rule I’d love to know.
Hi Andrea! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed these muffins!! To answer your question, Tessa uses baking powder in this recipe because the overnight rest helps develop flavor so much, as well as giving the bake so much height and delightfully light structure. If we were to use baking soda in this recipe, we couldn’t let the batter rest overnight. When baking soda meets acid, the reaction begins right away and can fizzle out if it sits too long before baking. Baking powder, on the other hand, is typically double-acting; its first reaction occurs when it meets the liquid in the recipe, but its second reaction occurs when it meets the heat of the oven! Tessa talks about the science behind leavening agents in this article here! I hope that answers your question!! Happy baking 🙂