Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

Everyone knows that the muffin top is the best part of any muffin. Make it crunchy, crackly, sugar-crusted and studded with chocolate chips and you can count me IN!!!

I’ve been making these giant bakery style chocolate chip muffins over and over again – for breakfast, dessert and everything in between. They are just so good! And so easy!!

Drop everything and bake a batch – I just know you’re going to love them as much as I do!

Why you’ll love these muffins

These homemade chocolate chip muffins have all the qualities of a muffin that I crave. They’re moist, tall, fluffy, perfectly sweetened and filled with heaps of chocolate chips. They really are the best ever!

• Light + fluffy texture – These muffins rise up so light and airy. The texture is incredible and they’ll stay soft and moist for days!
• Look at those muffin tops! Loaded with chocolate chips these muffin tops bake up perfectly domed just like the ones from your favorite bakery. Sprinkle with sugar for extra crunch!
• Easy to make – make warm, bakery style muffins at home with just a bowl and a whisk!
• Perfect for breakfast on the go! Make a batch on Monday and enjoy fresh, delicious muffins all week long.

Ingredients

You’re just minutes away from the best bakery style chocolate chip muffins ever! And the best part is, you probably have all of the ingredients you need in your pantry. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Flour – too much flour can make for a dry muffin. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale to measure the flour.
• Butter – unsalted butter works best but if you only have salted butter on hand, I suggest omitting the additional salt from the recipe. Be sure to cool the melted butter slightly before mixing the batter.
• Sugar – granulated sugar adds texture and sweetness to the muffins. For added flavor and crunch, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado or demerara sugar before baking.
• Oil – a little bit of oil adds flavor and creates a tender crumb.
• Eggs – be sure your eggs are at room temperature. If you forgot to set the eggs out in advance, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before making the muffin batter.
• Buttermilk – don’t be tempted to swap regular milk for the buttermilk. When combined with the baking soda, the acid in the buttermilk helps give the muffins texture and rise. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, check out this simple swap using regular milk and lemon juice.
• Sour cream – I love using sour cream in muffins and quickbreads! Feel free to substitute full fat Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream on hand.
• Baking powder + baking soda – these leaveners work in tandem to give the muffins plenty of lift, creating deliciously crunchy, domed bakery-style muffin tops.
• Cinnamon – it’s optional but just a pinch makes the chocolate flavor really shine through!
• Mini chocolate chips – if you don’t have mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in your pantry, try substituting with your favorite chopped dark chocolate bar.

How to make chocolate chip muffins from scratch

These easy and delicious muffins come together quickly with just a bowl and a whisk – no need to break out the mixer! Follow this step-by-step guide and be sure to check the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and detailed instructions.

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, oil, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and sour cream until combined.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just barely combined.

Step 4: Add the mini chocolate chips to the batter and gently fold together. Do not overmix.

Step 5: For best results, cover the bowl with a dry dish towel and allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes. This helps the muffins to rise high and creates those delicious jumbo muffin tops.

Step 6: Once the batter has rested, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the muffin liners, filling each one all the way to the top. Sprinkle with additional mini chocolate chips and turbinado (or demerara) sugar if desired.

Step 7: Bake the muffins on the center rack of the oven at 425°F for 8 minutes. Do not open the oven. After 8 minutes, decrease the temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 8 to 9 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake or the muffins will be dry.

Step 8: Cool the muffins for 5 to 10 minutes in the muffin tin before carefully transferring to a cooling rack. Don’t let them sit in the muffin tin for any longer than 10 minutes or the bottoms can become soggy.

Tips for the best bakery style muffins

I love a good muffin top as much as the next girl so I’ve spent many mornings testing, and retesting, these chocolate chip muffins until they were juuusssst right. Follow these tips and tricks for the very best muffins every time.

Do not over mix. Over mixing the batter can leave you with dense muffins that are the opposite of soft and fluffy. For best results, stir the batter only until the flour mixture is barely combined. Aim for a few streaks of flour remaining in the batter.

The more chocolate, the better. The recipe calls for 1 cup of mini chocolate chips but you can certainly add up to 1/2 cup more if desired. Stir some extra chips into the batter and reserve 1/4 of cup or so to sprinkle on top of the muffins before baking. A sprinkle of sugar on top never hurt either!

Fill the muffin liners to the top. The trick to getting those gloriously tall and perfectly domed muffin tops, is to fill the muffin liners all the way to the top. But be careful not to let them overflow.

Bake at a high temperature. For muffin tops that rival your favorite corner bakery, bake at 425°F for the first 5-7 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. This initial burst of high heat lifts the muffins up quicky and creates a tall, crackly top. I highly recommend purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer to ensure your oven is not running too hot or too cold.

Do not overbake. To help the muffins rise nice and tall you’ll want to keep the oven closed until the last minute or two of baking. To check the muffins towards the end of the baking time, use a toothpick to check for doneness or press your finger into the top of a muffin – if it springs back, the muffins are done. Be careful not to overbake the muffins or they will be dense and dry.

How to store muffins

Thanks to the addition of both buttermilk and sour cream, these muffins will stay fresh and soft for days. Store the muffins tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven or microwave and spread with a little salted butter for a delicious morning treat or afternoon snack.

To freeze the muffins, make sure to cool them completely before storing in a large freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

FAQ’s

Happy muffin making!

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