Want to make bakery style chocolate chip muffins with big domed tops and soft, fluffy centres? After raising four boys and baking more batches of muffins than I can count, I can tell you it's not about complicated steps. It's about getting a few simple things right. I'll show you exactly how to make easy chocolate chip muffins at home that look and taste like they came straight from a bakery.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Big, bakery style muffin tops
- Soft, fluffy crumb without being cakey
- Simple ingredients
- Easy method that works every time
- Perfect for freezing or weekend baking
Recipe Ingredients
- Buttermilk keeps these homemade chocolate chip muffins soft and tender while helping them rise beautifully. See how to make your own buttermilk here.
- Butter + oil gives flavour and oil keeps the muffins super soft.
- Baking powder + a little baking soda creates lift without making the muffins heavy.
- Nutmeg gives that subtle bakery flavour.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Step 1: Pre heat oven to 220°C / 430°F / 200°C fan-forced and line a 12 hole muffin pan with 6 cupcake papers, using every second hole.
- Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and nutmeg, then stir through the chocolate chips. Set aside.
- Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix, then gently fold through with a silicone spatula, until just combined. Rest the mixture at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Step 5: Use a large ice cream scoop to place heaped scoops of mixture into the lined muffin pan. Fill so the mixture is heaped on top.
- Step 6: Sprinkle the muffins with raw or demarara sugar and extra chocolate chips
Bake at 220°C for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced and bake for another 12-13 minutes. Test with a skewer to make sure they're cooked through.
Hint: If your batter pours like cake batter, your muffins won't rise as tall. You want a thick, scoopable batter.
They tasted better than the muffins at my favourite cafe!
...so fluffy and delicious" -Amanda
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-free chocolate chip muffins: use a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Add 1 tablespoon extra milk if needed.
- Can I use milk instead of buttermilk?
- Yes, but buttermilk gives a softer crumb and better rise. See how to make your own buttermilk here.
Equipment
You will need:
- A large mixing bowl
- Whisk and spatula
- 12 hole muffin tin
- Muffin papers
- Large cookie scoop
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 3 months.
Baker's Tips
Use room temperature ingredients
Make sure eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature (20 minutes before baking). Eggs and buttermilk mix more evenly when they're not cold, which helps create a smoother batter and better rise.
Don't change the raising agents
Baking powder gives the main lift, while a small amount of baking soda reacts with the buttermilk. Together, they create a lighter texture.
Rest the batter
Letting the batter sit for 15 minutes allows the flour to hydrate and the batter to thicken. A thicker batter holds its shape better in the oven, which helps create taller muffin tops.
Top generously
Extra chocolate chips and demerara sugar add texture and help form that signature crisp, golden bakery-style muffin top.
Leave space in the tray
Filling every second hole gives the muffins room to rise and spread, which helps them dome instead of crowding.
Start hot, then reduce the heat
The high heat at the start creates a quick burst of steam, lifting the batter. Lowering the temperature then allows the centres to cook through evenly.
FAQ
Resting the batter for 15 minutes gives the flour time to absorb the liquid. This thickens the batter, which helps it hold its shape in the oven and rise upwards instead of spreading.
You can use regular, semi sweet chocolate chips, but these also work well:
mini chocolate chips (for even distribution)
chopped chocolate (for pockets of melted chocolate)
There are a few key things that make the difference:
Start with a thick batter.
Rest the batter before baking.
Fill the cases heaped at the top
Bake at a high temperature first, then reduce
Jumbo Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 125 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 60 ml neutral oil canola or vegetable
- 260 grams white granulated sugar
- 250 ml buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 XL eggs
- 375 grams plain (all purpose) flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking (bi-carb) soda
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 250 grams semi-sweet (dark) chocolate chips plus a few extra for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoon demarara sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 220°C / 430°F / 200°C fan-forced and line a 12 hole muffin pan with 6 cupcake papers, using every second hole. See notes
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and nutmeg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, along with the chocolate chips.
- Lightly fold through the mixture (be careful not to overmix)
- Rest the mixture on the bench for 15 minutes, to allow the batter to thicken.
- Using a large ice cream scoop, place heaped scoops of mixture into the lined muffin pan. Be sure to fill the paper so the mixture is heaped on top.
- Sprinkle the muffins with raw or demarara sugar and extra chocolate chips
- Bake at 220°C for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C /350°F or 160°C fan-forced and bake for another 12-13 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, rest muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan, onto a cake rack (or just eat them now!)
- Muffins are best eaten on the day, but will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container
Notes
- I bake one tray at a time, filling only every second hole with batter -this will help the muffins get that tall, bakery-style muffin top. Repeat with a second tray once the first tray has baked, being sure to increase the oven temperature again.
Nutrition
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Sandra says
My family loved this!