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There’s something so satisfying about the simple 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 almost TEN years 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.
How to Make The BEST Chocolate Chip Muffins
How do I make MOIST muffins?
In addition to the tips below, be sure to measure your ingredients properly. Especially your flour. It’s ridiculously easy to accidentally add too much flour when using measuring cups. I like to use the spoon and level method or better yet, a digital kitchen scale. Learn more about the importance of measuring flour correctly here.
This recipe uses a generous amount of butter which helps produce slightly crispy edges on the muffin tops. That’s my FAVORITE part. However if you like a paler muffin then feel free to shave a couple minutes from the baking time. Just note that the darker your muffin tin the more brown your muffins will get while baking. This is my favorite muffin tin to use.
Do I have to use buttermilk?
For best results, yes. Real buttermilk makes a difference. If you don’t have it on hand, you can use whole milk instead.
In my Ultimate Guide to Muffins I tested side-by-side muffins made with milk vs. buttermilk. What I found was that the buttermilk created a more moist, tender, and flavorful muffin.
If you’d like to learn more about the science of buttermilk in an easy visual way, including buttermilk substitutions, check out my Buttermilk 101 article.
Why you should never overmix muffin batter!!
This 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 it’s combined. Since we’re adding in chocolate chips next, I actually like to leave a few streaks of flour. They’ll get stirred into the batter with the chocolate chips.
How to Bake Tall Muffins
You may have seen that trick for getting muffins to bake up nice and tall? The one where you start the oven out on 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 went ahead of simplified things for this recipe with just one temperature.
I recently experimented with the science of muffins and how to achieve beautiful, TALL muffins that look like they belong on the shelf of a fancy bakery. Check out my 3 tips for baking tall muffins here!
Hint: Chilling your muffin batter overnight makes for the BEST ever muffins!!
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 you find your liners still get stuck and end up ruining your muffins, don’t worry. I’ve actually written an entire article about how to prevent muffin or cupcake liners from sticking here.
How to Store and Make Muffins Ahead of Time
Store 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.
More Chocolate Muffin Recipes:
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins
Chocolate Chip Muffins
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 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.
- 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. Divide 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.
This recipe was originally published in 2009 (!) and recently updated with recipe improvements, tips, and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Can we leave out the brown sugar?
Hi Dede! We haven’t tried it without the brown sugar, but I wouldn’t recommend it! Sugar doesn’t just sweeten baked goods; it moistens, provides tender structure, assists with gluten formation, extends the shelf-life (meaning it will be fresh and moist longer) – just to name a few things! Brown sugar does even more things, including providing a source of acid to help activate the leavening agent and create a taller, lighter muffin! Reducing the sugar content in a recipe doesn’t just lower sweetness; it messes with the recipe’s chemistry and creates a totally different baked good. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
These were delicious! My husband was in the mood for muffins and we didn’t have buttermilk and had ran out of eggs so we used an egg replacer and made buttermilk with milk + cream of tartar. Would definitely make again (with or without the substitutions!)
Glad your substitutions worked well!
I chilled the batter for 8 hrs but they baked up like the ones you showed were baked right after making the batter. Any ideas as to what may have gone wrong for me?
Hi Grace! Be sure to read our tips in the pink box above the recipe as there are quite a few reasons muffins might not rise well. Double check your baking powder’s expiration date and check its freshness (how to do that detailed here). Also be sure to not overmix your batter! If you haven’t already, check out our article on How to Bake Tall Bakery Style Muffins. Sometimes, even a small adjustment such as filling your muffin tin cavities with more batter can make all the difference. Hope that helps!
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Turned out great!! Love the crunch on the top, definitely making again. The kids devoured these!
This makes me so happy to hear!
Can i replace the buttermilk with something else?in Italy i can’t find it
Can I substitute egg?
how full do we fill the cupcake liners so it rises just like yours?
but a tablespoon is not too much
I made these! They were really easy to make and they turned out perfectly—couldn’t stop eating them.
Can these be made with gluten free flour? Are there any other adjustments that would have to be made?
I just made these now and they are AMAZING! I didn’t have buttermilk so I used whole milk like you suggested. They are so good.
They will definitely be a regular in my muffin baking rotation