These Chocolate Chip Muffins have a beautiful golden dome top (we all know muffin tops are the best part!) and are nice and moist inside, not dry and crumbly which is a notorious problem with muffins. No stand mixer required, you just need a wooden spoon and 10 minutes.
This muffin recipe is a great base recipe for sweet muffins. The chocolate chips can be substituted with anything you want. Blueberries, raspberries, nuts, apple – let your imagination run wild!
Muffins are one of those recipes that many people think / say are really easy to make but in actual fact, I think a lot come out quite disappointing. The biggest problem being muffins that are dry and hard. I’ve made muffins in my time that I swear were as hard as baseballs!
Over baking is one culprit for this. But the batter is also a contributor. To avoid dry muffins, some recipes make the batter by creaming butter in a stand mixer. But it’s ingrained in my mind that muffins should be a fast recipe, and creaming butter doesn’t qualify!
The other way is to make the muffins using both baking powder AND baking soda / bi carb (which is baking powder on steroids) for extra lift power, plus buttermilk for moistness and also to activate the baking soda (which requires something with acid like milk + vinegar, yoghurt, sour cream or buttermilk to activate it).
This is my chosen method that I have always used. I know there are many muffin recipes out there that do not use baking soda and/or buttermilk. But they are not as moist and fluffy as these. I have made more than my share in my lifetime in a bid to find the moistest muffin with the least ingredients possible, and concluded that it is not possible to omit these without compromising the muffin!
And the good news? You don’t have to use buttermilk. You can substitute with milk and vinegar, left to curdle. I don’t always recommend that as a substitute, but for this recipe, I can barely tell the difference. Actually, I can’t tell the difference.
I know curdled milk doesn’t look very pretty, but I wanted you to see what it looks like because this is the magic ingredient in this recipe!
My “go to” sweet muffin base recipe used to be a Ina Garten blueberry muffin recipe. It really is a wonderful moist muffin BUT the batter is slightly thinner than this one so the choc chips sink to the bottom (even when I tossed in flour which is a trick that usually works for things like berries, like what I use for my Blueberry Lemon Loaf).
So now this recipe is my base recipe, and it has never failed me. My recipe is slightly adapted from this brilliant Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe by Little Sweet Baker. This recipe is BETTER than Ina Gartens, I’ve tried both!
PS I top the muffins with extra chocolate chips so they are visible when they come out of the oven. This is optional. 🙂
If you don’t use paper patties and spray the muffin tin instead, the tops will spill over and become a bit crispy, just like muffins you get from some bakeries. My personal preference is to use paper patties because clean up is easier and I think it looks prettier, but it is entirely up to you!
Happy weekend! What have you got planned? Maybe baking some MUFFINS??? 😉 – Nagi x
PS These freeze fabulously. Promise. I’ve been eating frozen ones all week!
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Best Chocolate Chip Muffin
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups / 375g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda / bi carb soda
- 1 cup / 220g white sugar (Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup / 250ml buttermilk (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup / 60g unsalted butter, melted
- 4 tbsp / 80 ml vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Chips
- 1 3/4 cups / 300g chocolate chips (US: semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F (all ovens) (Note 6). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper patties.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir through chocolate chips.
- In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter, oil, eggs and vanilla.
- Make a well in the flour bowl, pour in egg mixture. Mix until just combine – try not to stir more than 8 times. Some flour lumps in the batter is fine.
- Divide batter between paper cases. Top with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then turn down to 180C/350F (fan forced/convection) and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
- Remove muffins from the muffin tin immediately onto a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature (warm is extra yum!)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer: Getting waaaaaay too close to the muffins…… But I can’t blame him. The smell as these were cooling must’ve been torture for him!!!
Count the muffins: Yes there is 1 missing. Restraint is imposed on Dozer by me. There was no one around to control ME.
Can I skip the butter or replace with margarine?
Yup! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe I can now make muffins before I failed miserably and they were really stodgy these are light and moist and I love how you explain in detail your recipes thank you again
I’m so glad you enjoyed these Catherine, thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed them! N x
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Incidently I have been looking how to make them as my family always buy them. So I decided that one day I should learn how to make then.
Thank you
I hope you try these Sophia! I tried a lot of muffin recipes in my time and this is definitely the best recipe I have found! 🙂
I didn’t have muffins since some time now, and looking at your pics I think I am missing on a lot. I am going to try these muffins hopefully tomorrow 🙂
YES you SHOULD!!! 🙂 N x
This is the *best* muffin recipe I have ever made-hands down! I made these with fresh blueberries for breakfast and they were delicious. Thank you so much! I love your recipes. Keep ’em coming!
WOO HOO! I’m so glad you enjoyed these too Cynthia, THANK YOU!!! N x
Hi Nagi,
I just recently started following you. I have been looking for the perfect chocolate chip muffin recipe and by golly I you have it! I even used the recipe and subbed in blueberries for my husband and he loved them!!
Thanks so much for your recipes,
Pratiksha
We’re in SYNC Pratiksha! 😉 N x
Hi Nagi! I’ve been following your blog and have been using your recipes (especially the chicken wings!) at home. I’m excited to try these muffins. Can I turn this muffin recipe into a cake? ?
Thanks so much for reading my blog Ron! 🙂 I’m sorry this won’t work as a cake! 🙂
Hi. The oven temp listed is only for fan forced. What would be the temp for regular oven?
Thanks.
Hi Mim, thank you for the question, I added the temps in Note 6 🙂 Just add 20C! N x
Hi Nagi, I’ve just made your muffins which I love. I’ve only just discovered your site and this is the first recipe I’ve made. I had to cook my muffins for 7 minutes longer than yours. Do you think it would make a difference to the end muffin if I increased the temperature so the cooking time was closer to yours or should I just leave the temperature as it is and cook them for the longer time. I was very happy with the taste but some of them were a little on the dark side.
Hi Trish! I’m so glad you enjoyed these!! Do you have a fan forced or convection oven?? The ones with a fan inside. I suspect you don’t, or your oven runs a bit cooler? N x
Looks like a perfect way to start the day.
Thanks Barbara! N x
Ooh these look perfect – simple and sweet! 🙂
Thank you Sarah! N x
I was wondering if you know if this will work with a gluten free flour mix.
Hi Patti, I’m sorry, I haven’t tried this with gluten free. However, I’ve given this recipe to a friend and she loved it! http://www.noshtastic.com/apple-raisin-muffins/ It’s a recipe from my “go-to” gluten free blog!
Hi. Nice recipe. I look at the amount of sugar you use and wonder if you have prepared this with either substitute (i.e. applesauce) or less sugar? A full cup for 12 muffins seems like an awful lot of sugar per muffin. PLus the chocolate chips…
any suggestion to try to make it tasty but less caloric?
Hi Alan! I haven’t tried this with apple sauce however, I have reduced it to 3/4 cup and it came out just fine! 🙂
Hi Nagi. I’m looking forward to making these muffins with my grandchildren in the school holiday. Do the tops come out sticky?. I like to make cupcakes with the grandchildren but each time I find the tops go very sticky after they have cooled, can you tell me why please. Advice would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Lorraine! That’s just what happens with most baked goods with sugar in them. 🙂 I wouldn’t say these go very sticky though. No one has ever commented on the sticky tops of these muffins before! N x
I love muffins! And with chocolate? Even better!!! 🙂
Muffins are da BOMB!!! Yet to meet a muffin I don’t love! N x
You’re about to cause a sugar high in my family, because my toddler and I will probably eat all of these in one go. Wish my husband luck dealing with us, lol.
BA HA HA!!! The two of you bouncing off the walls on a sugar high – love the vision!! N x
Nagi – I want to reach in to my screen and grab a muffin and give Dozer a big hug at the same time. His pics are the perfect way to finish your recipe posts. The cherry on the top, so to speak.
I make muffins most weekends for my kids to enjoy fresh out of the oven, but have never soured the milk for muffins. Going to try it next time. Thanks. We’ve all just sat down to the yummiest Brioche Bake (soaked in egg, cream, milk, and a touch of maple syrup and vanilla over night) and just baked with blueberries and pecans, topped with grilled bacon Great on a wet winter’s day.
Actually I now have a fabulous pikelet recipe that has soured milk in it and wow, they are the bomb.
Thanks for this muffin recipe, am sure it will become a favourite.
WOAH, now that is what I call a french toast bake! YUM!!! Feel free to smash your screen to give Dozer a hug, he would LOVE IT 😉 Hope you have a fab weekend Felicity! N x
Hi Nagi,
I recently found your wonderful blog. I have a general question about your baking recipes. How do you measure flour? As I’m sure you are well aware, the gram or ounces weight of a cup of flour varies widely with the method used. Do you dip your measuring cup into the flour and sweep off the excess, or spoon the flour into the cup? Do you have an ounce or gram weight for a cup of flour that you use consistently? I prefer to weigh dry ingredients for accuracy, and I wondered if you will list the grams or ounces in future recipes. Thank you!
Hi babycakes5! Thank you for your excellent question. I have now added weight measurements which I keep forgetting to add! I level off the cups when I measure flour. For this recipe as with all baking recipes, I always test them using Australia and US cup measures and I have started adding weight measurements too. 🙂 I hope that helps!
Thanks! Can’t wait to make these muffins!
Nagi, with your oven temp, is 200C for a fan forced setting or should I use 180C fan forced? Did you know that Auto text turns your name into Magic?
Hi Sue!!! So I now I will know what you mean when if you write “Magic” in a message! HA HA!!! It’s fan forced, thanks for the question I will update the recipe! N x
I think they are perfect. But where’s my lemon chocolate chip cookie? hehe.
OMG that was a disaster. And a friend of mine STILL scoffed a load of them down!!!!