Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
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This chocolate chip muffin recipe has continued to be a reader favorite since its original publication in 2018. These bakery-style chocolate chip muffins are loaded with chocolate chips, and their crunchy crackled tops lead to a soft and tender crumb that is full of flavor. No need to search for another chocolate chip muffin recipe again!
THESE ARE THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
I have so much confidence that this is the best chocolate chip muffin recipe you could ever put in your oven. The muffins are moist and fluffy, slightly crunchy on the top, and absolutely bursting with chocolate chips. I have tested this muffin recipe dozens of times over the years since its first publication in 2018, and have perfected the ingredients, measurements, and key steps over time to create a homemade muffin you and your family will adore.
WHAT MAKES THESE BAKERY-STYLE MUFFINS?
A jumbo muffin pan is the key to achieving those bakery size muffins, but be sure to visit the notes section of the recipe card if you’re interested in standard or mini size muffins instead.
A generous sprinkle of coarse sugar on the tops of the muffins, a combination of mini chocolate chips and standard chocolate chips, and carefully chosen ingredients make these easy chocolate chip muffins taste just like the ones you can get from your favorite bakery at a fraction of the cost.
If you’re really looking to amp up the flavor and lean into the true “bakery style” flavor of these chocolate chip muffins, consider adding some ground cinnamon and/or ground nutmeg. There are notes about that in the recipe card, too, but even without them, I think you’ll find this to be one of your favorite muffin recipes after one bite.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
You’ll need 12 different ingredients for these bakery style muffins, but the good news is, they are all simple ingredients!
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: often times, muffins from the bakery use cake flour, which brings a softer crumb to baked goods. Fear not! We can achieve the same results with a carefully chosen list of remaining ingredients, measuring the flour properly, and being gentle with our batter prep (more on this in a bit).
BAKING POWDER: while baking powder is often chosen for recipes that don’t contain an acidic ingredient (you’ll see buttermilk below), it works best to bring rise to this muffin batter by creating lots of bubbles which = mega lift.
SALT: salt helps to balance out the sweetness of the muffin. Do not leave it out!
UNSALTED BUTTER + OIL: I love using this combination for a crumb that is both flavorful AND moist. Do not be tempted to substitute one for the other. See notes for different oil options.
GRANULATED AND BROWN SUGAR: just like in my chocolate chip cookies, I like to pair these two sugars together for maximum moisture and depth of sweetness.
EGGS: just two eggs helps hold this muffin batter together while also bringing structure and moisture.
VANILLA EXTRACT: a solid dose of vanilla enhances the flavor of the muffin batter and complements the chocolate. Just like salt, we almost never bake without it!
BUTTERMILK: with its slight tang and acidic nature, buttermilk brings a nice player into the moisture game. While this is still an acidic ingredient, there is not nearly enough acid in the ½ cup we’re using to warrant using baking soda instead. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own with my simple tutorial.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: there are seriously tons of chocolate chips in each one of these muffins. I absolutely love a combination of both standard and mini sizes of the semi-sweet variety. While you could use milk chocolate chips if you wanted to, they are often a little too sweet for muffins. If you want to use them, I encourage you to use half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Be sure to reserve some for sprinkling on top of the muffins before they go into the oven!
COARSE SANDING SUGAR: this is the key to a crispy muffin top! The large sugar crystals are much stronger than fine granulated sugar which prevents them from melting in the oven.
HOW TO MAKE BAKERY STYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
Be sure to build in enough time for your muffin batter to rest. You can still preheat the oven before starting, since it will take quite a bit of time for your oven to reach the initial high temperature for baking.
STEP #1
Stat by whisking the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl, then set this mixture aside.
STEP #2
Next, whisk together the melted butter, oil, and both sugars until the mixture is smooth, then add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk again until everything is thoroughly combined.
STEP #3
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
STEP #4
When the batter is mostly combined, add the chocolate chips and continue stirring gently until everything is incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Allow the muffin batter to rest for 15-20 minutes (you do not need to cover it).
WHY ARE WE LETTING THE BATTER REST?
Allowing the batter to rest is key in making sure the tops of the muffins dome nicely. Resting the batter allows the flour to hydrate, which creates moister, taller, and more tender muffins.
STEP #5
After the batter has rested, spoon the batter evenly into the 6 wells (there will be about ½ cup of batter in each well and the wells will be filled to the top). Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and sanding sugar and then bake, being sure to implement the following tip to insure best results.
Take your chocolate chip muffins out of the pan within 10 minutes after they come out of the oven to prevent the bottoms from becoming soggy.
THE TRICK FOR A SKY-HIGH MUFFIN TOP
You’ll notice that the initial bake time for these bakery style chocolate chip muffins is quite high and the initial bake time is fairly short. This method of baking leads to tall muffin tops as the initial high temperature lifts the muffin tops up quickly, giving structure to the dome. Lowering the temperature insures we don’t wind up with dry muffins, and that crunchy muffin top continues to crisp up during the remaining baking time.
CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFIN RECIPE FAQs
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
- ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil1
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) buttermilk2 room temperature
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips3 plus more for topping the muffins
- coarse sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC). Spray the wells of a 6-count jumbo muffin tin (or line with jumbo liners) generously with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk again until everything is thoroughly combined.¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil1, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ cup (120mL) buttermilk2
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When the batter is mostly combined, add the chocolate chips and continue stirring gently until everything is incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Allow the muffin batter to rest for 15-20 minutes (you do not need to cover it).1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips3
- After the batter has rested, spoon the batter evenly into the 6 wells. Two ice cream scoops full works best, totaling about ½ cup of batter in each well. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and sanding sugar.coarse sanding sugar
- Bake the muffins for 7 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (177ºC) without opening the door, and bake for another 20-22 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for no more than 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack. Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature up to 5 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Muffins freeze well, up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or heat in the microwave about 15 seconds before serving.
Notes
- Oil: you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil in this recipe.
- Buttermilk: if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own: see my post about homemade buttermilk.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: I like a mix of standard and mini size, about ¾ cup standard and ¼ cup mini measured into the same measuring cup.
- Amp up the flavor: if you’re looking for some real pizzaz in your muffins, consider adding ground cinnamon and/or ground nutmeg. Just ½ to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and/or ⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg will bring even more authentic “bakery style” flavor to these muffins.
- Standard size muffins: for standard size muffins, bake in a 12-count muffin pan and reduce total baking time to 20 minutes (initial bake time is still 7 minutes). This recipe will make about 14 standard size muffins.
- Mini-muffins: use only mini-chocolate chips and bake for 12-13 minutes at 350°F (177ºC) for the entire time. Recipe yields about 40 mini muffins.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
I am crying at my work desk. Thank you my sweetest, sweetest friend for your wonderful birthday gift. I wish I could fly straight to Philly and give you the biggest hug, and share a muffin or two with you and the whole April gang (and the Monicas too!). I will bake a batch of these this weekend and think of you all as I snack on them next week.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
I wish that the way Earth was set up meant we didn’t miss the big moments like weddings and babies, BUT I am so grateful for your friendship otherwise! I will be forever grateful for the internets for bringing us together! We love you bunches and hope your day is just fabulous!
These taste exactly like the muffins from Giant, except I know what’s in them! I also have the satisfaction that I made them. So good!!
Thank you for giving it a try!
We’re a muffin lovin family so couldn’t wait to put these muffins together. I served them with a bowl of chili and the combo was amazing. Perfectly moist and delicious muffins will definitely be a regular in my house.
Ohhhh, yum! What a combo!
These muffins are our new favorite and they are so easy to make. So much better than buying them from the store because they taste even more amazing!
Thanks so much, Kathryn! 🙂
Such a great recipe, loved your tip about letting the batter rest, I got the highest domes ever on a muffin!
Thanks so much, Kathleen! I’m glad you found value in that– it’s a new step I added with improving the recipe!
These chocolate chip muffins have quickly become our breakfast favorites. The addition of buttermilk to the batter gives them such full, rich flavor!
Yes, so flavorful! Thanks, Liza 🙂
These muffins were perfect! Soooo many chocolate chips and were the best texture!
Yesss, so many!! 🙂
Love these 💙 Made a large(r) batch for enjoying now and freezing for enjoying later. This muffin recipe is a sure fire way to enjoy a moment of peace in the morning before the hustle and bustle of the work day.
Thanks, Leigh! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Must say, hand down such precise measurements and taking the trouble of again mentioning the quantity of ingredients in the procedure part of the recipe
Thanks so much, Asifa– I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂